SPEECH BY O’BRIEN M.P.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 24 December 1901, Page 3

SPEECH BY O’BRIEN M.P.

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.] Sydney, Deo 20, A large gathering of Irish residents entertained O’Brien at a banquet at the pleasure resort on the Parramatta river. Speeches denunciatory of the British Government were delivered. The keynote of the proceedings was struck by a well known doctor in attempting to tear down the Irish flag with the Union Jack in the corner.

O’Brien in replying to a toast, said that Ireland was now United, and the union would stand the test of time. Such dissension as had occurred in the past would never happen again in their generation to darken Ireland. The Irish party to-day was the one dreaded pirty in the English Parliament. The great Liberal Party was divided. He referred to Lord Roseberry as a half-caste Imperialist. They had heard of thejpropoaal to curtail the Irish representation, but they cared nothing for tho threat. The reason why the Government could not carry out the threat was, thank God, that they had plenty of Work elsewhere without declaring war on Ireland. They would find her a united and disciplined fighting power. They must put a stop to the cursed system of land, lordism. The present administration was going to doom., as it was- most cowardly,||weak and blood guilty, and had made the name of England detestable.