IRELAND.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 10, 7 October 1907, Page 5

IRELAND.

OUCr OF CLEARING THE RANCHES A STRONG PROTEST. LAND PURCHASE OPERATIONS IMPEDED. By Telegraph—Association—Copyright. London, October 4. Th Congested Districts Commission is now taking evidence at Cast-ieroagli, a market town in North-West Roscommon. Addressing tho members of the Commission, Sir Antony Macdonncll, Under-Secretary to tho Lord-Lieut-enant of Ireland, declared cattledriving, of which thero havo been many cases recently, had hampered the efforts of tho Govornment in purchasing land. If, he said, the owners woro not allowed to let their lands bebefore they sold, there would be an end to all law and order. Tlio Government was bound to prevent incitement to cattle-driving. SCATTERING THE CATTLE. The split between the Nationalist party and tho element reprenented by the Under-Secretary (Sir Antony Jfacdonnell), botli as to intentions aiid as to methods, has been pronounced since tho Nationalists rejected the Government's Irish Councils Bill. Tho Bill represented devolution, and it has been Sir Antony jr.-icdonneH's policy to regenerate Ireland by means of the land purchase legislation in order to remedy agrarian evils, and of a devolutionary policy in Hie political sphere. In rejecting devolution as represented in the Irish Councils Bill, the Nationalists, in their manifesto, found fault with - the Government for relying on "tho persistent misrepresentations of certain officials"—a phrase which is understood to be. aimed at Sir Antony. With the rejection of devolution comes tho out-' break of cattle-driving, the admitted object being to eoerco the Government into granting something better than an Irish Councils Bill. Tho Under-Secretary's protest is that cattle-driving is interfering with land purchase operations; but ho goes farther, and says that tho Government is bound to prevent incitements to cattle-driving. In June, in the House of Commons, tho Secretary for Ireland (Mr. Birreil) declared that tho Govornment expected owners to protect their own cattle, action on tho part of tho police being merely an adjunct to such protection. To Lord Dcnman was attributed tho remark that cattle-driving is not a serious crime. Early in September Mr.- Ginnel was'reported as saying that "some members of tho Government would bo glad to seo the cattle-drivers deal a deathblow at nil landlordism and ranching by clearing tho land. Then thoy could get Parliament to ratify it." l'ercival I'hillips writes in tho "Express" "It is n curious fact . thnt in thq majority of recent cattle raids the mob hns acted without a leader. Local magistrates and farm labourers have marched shoulder to shoulder behind tho local baud. Somo men are mora activo than others, in denouncing tho graziers, but t'noro is no official 'head man.' "News travels with remarkable rapidity. Very, often tho polico who aro bringing prisoners away from a local 'demonstration' are met some miles away by a mob which has assembled apparently by magic. . "Videttes with long tin horns signal to each other from the hill-tops, and raiders aro often assembled in this way to hear the latest developments in tho situation and to discuss a further plan of compaign. It is a. highly efficient -intclligenco service. In Leitrim, for example, ovory stranger who approaches within four or five miles of the farm is watched, and news sent ahead of his coining. "If Mr. Ginnel], M.P. ' for s North We.stmeath, may be considered a spokesman of the United Irish League, tlio aggressive campaign of that organisation has hardly begun. Speaking at Killulugli this month, Mr. Ginnell said \ Who aro tho pcoplo who are best promoting the . Nationalist causo?' It is tho people of tho ■ west, who are scattering tlio cattlo liko chaff before tho wind. The people -in; fhe west do not want anyone to toll them what • to do. ... In whatever tcm- ' porary troubles thoy may bring ' upon themselves, they will havo tho whole Irish war-chest at their backs. Of all f.lio Premiers who attend tho Colonial Conference, who was the most respected? General Botlm. who was fighting the Eng- ■ lisli Empire a fow years ago. Why was ho respected? Because his cause was just? Not at all. Because ho and his men could shoot straight and had tho courage to do so and would • do so again, only ho had been given Home Eule. "Such speeches aro encouraging the local raiders greatly. With the whole 'Irish war-chest' at . their backs and the support of t'h'e local authorities, the campaign against the Government offers great possibilities."