THE IRISH ENVOYS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1134, 23 May 1911, Page 2

THE IRISH ENVOYS.

A RETURN VISIT. A IjECTI'HFi ON GKATTAN'S FARLIA. SIENT. Two of the Irish envoys—Messrs. W. Archer Hcdmond, Sl.]'., and J. T. Donovan, IJj.U.—arc paying a return visit to Wellington, while their colleague, Mr. It. Hazclton, SI.P., is addressing meetings in other parts of the Dominion. Last evening, Slossrs. Hedmond and Donovan addressed a Hireling which l'airly well filled tho Municipal Concert Chamber, Their subject on this.occasion was not, directly, . tho present situation of the Home Hula ' movement, for they had been announced to speak on "Grattan's Parliament." Dr. Cnhill presided. A Backward Glance. Sir. Redmond alluded briefly to tho events leading up to the establishment of the Irish Parliament, which existed from 1782 to 1800, and has always been called by the name of Henry Orattan. Ho then went on to discuss the constitution of that body, and to compare it with tho Nationalist demands of tho last century and to-day. It had.a hereditary chamber of 228 temporal and 22 spiritual peers, all of whom were wholly unrepresentative of any class in tho community. There wsre grievous abuses in the way of sales of peerages and creating. peers as a reward lor party and other services. Tho Irish peers had the same powers as thosa of Britain, if not more. There were 300 members of the Irish House of Commons, two-thirds of whom were returned by less than 100 persons. English monarchs repeatedly created boroughs in order to reward individuals by enabling them to control the election of a member. Bribery and corruption were rampant. Tho obstacles to legislation were very great. No Bill could become law until, besides passing through both Houses, it had tho Great Sea! of Ireland and the Great Seal of England affixed to it, and had tho ltoval assent given by a commission. : . Tt'et despite these great obstacles to legislation, and the hostility of an Executive maintained by British power, members addressed themselves to really important measures and led tlio oounlry alonq: tho path of material progress, ilia Parliament secured tho independence of tho judges, reformed the office of the Master of tho ltolls, improved tho prisons, and effected many other reforms. Ill® Recorder and members of the City Council of Dublin had tho honour of introducing a inuasuro for conferring .on Irelaud the benefits of tho Habeas Corpus Act in order to preserve public liberty against the abuses of arbitrary power. These things and others were accomplished by n Parliament so imperfectly constituted and so hampered as ho had do--scribcd. What, then, might they liot expect from a properly-constituted meiit in Dublin? (Applause.) Instead of an unsatisfactory arrange-' ment like Grattau's Parliament, they wanted a proper Irish Parliament, with representation at Westminster. It was thought, that tho oversea Dominions of the Empire were willing to come within a general scheme of federation, but that was not an Irish question. Any system of Irish self-government should bo framed to fit in with the whole Empire, should tho Empiro so desire, but Iroland'e cla-im was paramount. She had been knocking at tho door for a century. Let it bo first opened to her. (Applause.)

About Loyalty Again. Mr. Donovan remarked that Grattan's Parliament was a purely Protestant Parliament ill a ' Catholic country. They did not object to that. They would not care if they had .a Protestant Parliament . any day so long as it was an Irish Parliament. (Applause.) That was n point that ought to be noted by those who accused the Irish people of intolerance. Because Grattan's Parliament was ail Irish Parliament, art, science, commerce, and agriculture nourished under it. With all its l'aults it was not much better or worse than tho English • Parliament. Had it continued fo I lie aaw'of-tli6 Reform' Act in 1832—the mainstay of English liberties—it would doubtless have broadened with tho times. They,had had,, throughout the, century that followed tho abolition of Grattan's Parliament, practically a Coercion Act for every year, and tho country was still garrisoned by Britain. Even when the militia had their periodical training, the rifles were shipped over from England and shipped back when it was finished. Volunteering was not allowed. Surely those were signs that tho people were not being governed according to their own will. ' Until wo get something to bo loyal to and some-, thing to bo loyal for," jaul Mr. Doiio* van, "we are not goinc to be l°y ß ); ■ Solos were sung by Miss Segnet (''Tho Hary that Once"), Miss M'Euroo ( Hie Last Eose of Summer"), and, as an encoro number, "Believe Mo, if all Those endearing Young Charms,' and Mr. J. F. Carr ("The Dear Little Shamrock ). On the. proposal of ,Mr. E. J. l'ite gibbon; seconded by Mr. Martin lvcuneny, a vote of thanks to the speakers was en thusiastically accorded.