HOME RULE FOR IRELAND.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 156, 29 May 1886, Page 5

HOME RULE FOR IRELAND.

Enthusiastic Gathering in St. James's Hall. Auckland, May 25. St. James's Hall was crowded last evening with an enthusiastic audience, met for the purpose of expressing in a formal and united manner their sympathy with the Eight Hon. W . E. Gladstone in his efforts to obtain Home Rule for Ireland. The body of the hall was filled to its utmost capacity with the sterner sex, and the platform, which accommodated about 150, was reserved for ladies and speakers of the evening. Long before the time announced for opening, every available seat was taken, and later on many had to be satisfied with standing room. A portrait of the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, lent for the occasion by the editor of the Evening Star, was placed before the meeting, and called forth prolonged bursts of applause. Mr Martin Dajjahbr, as one of the conveners, read the advertisement calling the meeting, reference to the business evoking renewed applause. In opening the proceed ings, he observed that he was an Irishman, and that he had been in the Australian colonies for forty-two years of his life. He had enjoyed Home Rule here as an Irishman, and if it was his luck to return to Ireland he thought that he should be able to enjoy there the same privileges he enjoyed here. There was no more loyal subject than himself. He was always ready to support a Crown that was just, that was not cruel, and that cared for tne people that it'governed. Tho^e who would designate him and his friends ag disloyal subjects would be doing them a great injury. He was proud to be connected with the Land League of Ireland (applause), which only asked for whab they had in the Australian colonies. They were not to remain here quietly, and allow' acts of cruelty in the shape of Irish landlordism to continue (Applause.) He asked the meeting to appoint a Chairman, and to be well conducted. He moved that MrG M. Roed be Chairman. The motion was seconded by Mr G. Leahy, and carried. The Chairman, in hia opening remarks, said that he ftslt that very great honour had been conferred upon him in asking him to preside on such an interesting and important occasion, when they came together to unite themselves in sending a cordial vote of thanks to the noble English statesman who had come boldly forwai'd to redress the wrongs of his suffering country. He was there that night as a North of Ireland Presbyterian, and he felt that he owed ooapology toanyone for saying that he loved his country, or that after mature consideration he felt most thoroughly that it would never be possible to satiety them until there had been recognised the inalienable right of ill free men r,o govern themselves. There were those who said that the piesenl movement was a disloyal one. If it were disloyal, le would not be there that night. Applause.) But he was convinced that tvhat they were doing was thoroughly loyal vnd thoroughly constitutional. Again, ihere were those who said that the North of [reland people were discontented with this movement. He had been recently at Home md had travelled through the North of [reland. He had pretty fairly seen the intelligent portion of the people, and he was convinced that those who charged them with disloyalty made an untrue charge. Applause.) They might not, and they did not, all agree as to Home Rule, but the tenant farmers of the North of Ireland, he was perfectly convinced, were united in their eentiments that there should be a redress of the wrongs of the tenants of [reland. When the proposals of Mr Sladstone were submitted to them, Prom one end to the other end of bhe land there would be a unanimous demand for Home Rule. (Applause.) It was quite unnecessary for him to speak for bhe North of Ireland, for out of 33 members in the electorates there 17 pronouncad in favour of Home Rule, and at the next election he was persuaded that there would be only one voice from the whole of Ireland. [Applause.) A letter from Dr. Erson was read, in which he apologised because of his inability to be present on account of urgent professional duties The writer requested that rhe Chairman would convey to the meeting his cordial sympathy and support with the objects of the meeting. He had ever been a consistent supporter of Home Rule for Ireland as the only panacea for the ilia under which thatunfortunate c juntry now labours The letter from the Rev Mr McKinney, the text of which we published last evening, was also read, and was received with great applause. Mr P. Gleeson then proposed, "That this meeting desires, on this the 67th anniversary of her birthday, to express sincere loyalty to Her Most Gracious Majesty, Queen Victoria." Mr Gleeson was sure that hia motion would be received favourably. The meeting was a large one, thanks be to God, and it included Englishmen, Irishmen, and Scotchmen. The Queen had no more devoted subjects than his feUow countrymen in these colcniee, and here they had political rights which should ba extended to their native land. (Applause). By the purity of hor life Queen Victoria had gained their highest respect, and if she would extend Home Rule to Ireland, they would be as loyal as any Englishman or Scotchman he had over seen. Then if Russia or Piussia attempted to invade England, ho would be one of the first to resist her. (Applause). Mr Joseph O'Meagher seconded the motion. He said that disloyalty had for long years ba6n attributed to Irishmen. It was now in certain interested quarters attributed to them acain, and it was endeavoured to bo shown that the present movement was founded in disloyalty. We had only to look over the history of the past century to find a refutation of this vilest of vile charges. In the history of the Peninsula War we would find the records of the bravery of the Irish Boldier?. There was for instance glowing accounts of the 88th Regiment led by a Scotchman scattering a regimentof nearly 2,000 Frenchmen. Was there any sign of disloyalty in that regiment, nearly every man a Oatholio, fighting against others who were also nearly all Catholics ? At Waterloo, too, they found an Irishman in command, and they found the Irish fighting shoulder to shoulder with Prussia again against a Catholic country. It could not be shown that the Irishman had been disloyal to bis colours. For an account of true heroism he referred the audience to Kinglake's history of the Battle of Inkerman, where the 88th and 55th Irish Regiments pressed a column of 2,000 Russians up to a fctone wall, against it, and over it, with the butts of their mutikets, and that Btone wall was only 150 yards from the French lines. Was .this loyalty ? If anyjurther refutation of the charge were required', they had it an that at the present moment i at, least one- third of i the British army consisted of Irishmen. '. If they fought so well during a period pi depression, what would they not /do were the shackles taken off the oppressed country; and they feijtjand enjoyed true freedom? .(Applause.)' Irishmen were determined to be free., ( Applause,) 'Free, yes j but not in thy sense Jbhat the, men pf Ulster would haye t us, bplievV (AljPM 1?*1 ?*" 3 ') -Tbe^mon .'wbo^sHoujd 1 legislate "for ihe pledple i '.B)i6^ld^B i e';fr6p

amongst themselves* and this was the free dom they' wanted He charged Lord Churchill with high treason in inciting the men of Ulster ,to rebellion in event of tlu bill paeßing, and went on to describe how he would have been treated in the oM times. The resolution was then put an I carried, amidst enthusiastic cheering, tho whole audience standing. Mr J. J. Crofts then moved, " That this meeting exprespes its cordiil thanks to the Right. Hon. W. E. Gladstone for hi 3 heroic efforts in the cause of Home Rule for Ireland, and its earnest hope that his efforts may be crewned with success." (Applause ) Mr Croftg said that Mr Gladstone had a tough job before him, but if he were present to and saw the facea around him, he would be nerved to go through this work even more ardently than now. For 80 years the Union had had a trial. They had heard of the behaviour of the Irish in war, but they had not heard of them in the press and in the Parliament, last and not least Charles Stuart Parnell. (Great applause. ) He likened the Union to a young lady drawn up to the matrimonial altar, and there registered. But poor Hibernia had never got conjugal lights ; they therefore applied for a divorce. Mr Gladstone was counsel for' tho plaintiff, and the British Parliament the judge, and there was nofc the slightest doubt that they would get a decree nisi with costs. ( Laughter. ) What did disintegration mean ? Surely it was disintegrating to see millions of Irishmen wasting away with disease and famine. (Applause.) Ireland was like the human body, and it had been subjected to the most drastic treatment for some considerable time. However, Mr Gladstone was going to pub her on full diet, and it would be all right. (Laughter.) As for high treason, there was the noble Marquis of Salisbury, who would have them all shoved into a refrigerating chamber at Manitoba for future generations to look at as petrified Irishmen. (Laughter.) Well, they would not have it. He was sure that confidence could be placed in Irishmen ; they did not want coercion, and whenever they got Home Rule they could be no more loyal. If an enemy's warship came into the harbour, he was sure that there would not be an Irishman who would not shoulder a mueket and meet it, whilst others might go and hide themselves at Mount Eden. Home Rule did not mean separation, which they did not want. Ireland was determined to stick to John Bull until she got some of the money sent over there, and when he got a bit of land and Biddy and Mary married, there would not be a more loyal man living. (Laughter.) Lord Churchill wanted plunder. He expected all the fools in Ireland to back him up, and then to send them to h (laughter) afterwards. He then referred to a visit to a medical establishment where the proprietor was an Orangeman, and eaid that he had a narrow escape of coming out of the place without a whole nose on his face, (Laughter). The history of Irishmen in tho colonies showed that they were loyal and willing to give fair play (applause), and their loyalty could not be questioned. These were a few of the reasons which had caused them to meet and express their sympathy with the grand old man whose portrait was before them. Mr Robert Bradley seconded the motion. He was neither an Ulster Presbyterian nor an Ulster Episcopalian, but he was an Irishman. (Cries of "Speak up!") Wait a little, dear boy, let him warm up a little i»nd they would hear him well enough. Let him now remind them that Ireland had given birth to a Russell, an Orr, and a ahaw. (Applause.) It was the cause of Great Britain, of, the loveof freedom throughout the world, for which they fought. He included every man (even a Chinaman) under the category of heaven, for the world was his country. All he claimed for Irishmen was a fair field and no favour. The Irishmen had been deaignated as disloyal. It was a base calumny. He referred to the remittance through the Irish Savings Bank of £8,000,000 sterling to fathers and mothers, and concluded that if a man were not loyal to his own flesh and blood he would not be loyal to anything. He next spoke of the loyalty of the Irish poet T. D.Sullivan, and recited the following passage from one of his productions :—: — Deep in Canadian woods we've met, From our bright island fiown ; Great is the lana we tread, But our hearts are with our own. And on. wa leave this shanty small, We'll toast the tartiDg day. Then here's to old Ireland, Dear, ola Ireland, Ireland, boys, "Hurrah!" After the cheering which followed this poetical outburst had subsided, Mr Cullen came forward, and said that he wished to make an amendment. He said that they all admired the Hon. Mr Gladstone for the great tack he had undertaken. Let them trace the movement back, however, and they would find that it originally sprung from Mr Parnell. To the latter thanks and their sympathy were due, and he desired to move accordingly. The Chairman said that no doubt everyone would agree with the propos-al to give a vote of thanks to Mr Parnell, but he suggested, in order to avoid any irregularity, that the amendment should be temporarily withdrawn and dealt with afterwards. This proposal was accordingly adopted. Mr Duncan supported Mr Cro'fts's motion. He said that that vast assembly maie him feel proud of his country, and he felt persuaded that tne action taken by the people of Auckland would redound very much to its credit. This was not the first time the colonials of New Zealand had moved in this matter. Elsewhere in the colony movement had been made iv the matter, especially by Mr Patrick Lundon, Sir George Grey, Mr Robert Stout, and almost a majority of the members of the House of Representatives and the Legislative Council. (Applause. ) Mr Redmond's mission here opened the eyes of many, and he did a great deal of good here. (Applause). It merely required to be understood how the people of Auckland acted that night, and other cities would follow their example in giving every support to the Right Hon. Mr Gladstone, whose portrait was before them by favour of Mr Leys, of the Evening Star. He also referred to the service done to the cause by Mr Hutchinson and Mr George Fisher. Indted, they had the support and sympathy of all right-thinking people. (Applause.) The speaker then went into eulogy of Mr Gladstone. Be had suggested a remedy for the downtrodden people of Ireland, and he hoped to God ho would carry it. (Applause ) He hoped it would now be recognised that public feeling in the colony was determined to make itself felt, and that it would not be satisfied with the action of a few gentlemen gathered together in the largest building in the colony. (Applause.) The motion was then put and carried. Mr MpN aught was pleased to see his friend Mr Duncan occupy the platform, and as a Scotchman, he, too, would like to say a J few words'. They had been talking about Ireland's disloyalty to England, but where vis.i the talk about England's disloyalty to Ireland ?' England had really refused to be loyal to the Irish 1 ace, and what years of suffering', had Ireland endured under that rjbweivwhich was at work depopulating t^e r fairest! i?,le under Heaven. It was not England's '; disloyalty, not Britain's dis« loyalty V'JtrS\jas the, disloyalty of a class

(applause) which was opposing that grand old gentleman whom ho had so often spoken of. (Applause.) It was the landlord class that both Englishmen and Irishmen would have to fight to the bitter end. (Cheers.) There was a loyal portion of England, and foremost in the rank was the grand old gentleman whose portrait was before them. He then referred to the laurels Britain had gained by blood and iron, with the assistance of Irishmen ; to the assistance the Irishmen had rendered in founding English colonies in the ends of the earth. When they got Home Rule, they would make a peace-loviDg community, ' at peace with all mankind. (Cheers.) Mr Bbttany hoped the meeting would not lose eight of the question of land nationalisation in Ireland. The land should belong to the people for use and occupation only. (Applause.) The motion was then put and carried, amidst enthusiastic cheering, the audience standing. Mr George Leahy moved, "That a cable message be forwarded to the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, embodying the foregoing resolutions, and that tor this purpose a committee be appointed, the Committee to consist of Messrs G. M. Reed, J. J. Crofts, M. Danaher, and Flynn." He hoped that when all was done they would be able to say that the success was like to nothing bhat had been seen in Auckland before. Mr J. J. Grace seconded the motion, which was submitted, and carried amidst cheering. A resolution conveying heartiest sympathy to Mr Parnell was then proposed by Mr Oullen, seconded by Mr W Jennings, and passed amidst enthusiastic cheering. Some discussion arose as to whether this resolution should bo incorporated in the cable message, or whether it should be sent by letter on the ground of expense, and it was agreed that the latter course be adopted. The Chairman stated that the cost of the cable to the Hon. Mr Gladstone would be about £40, and invited all present to back their opinions and their enthusiasm with contributions in money, and a very liberal response was made. The meeting terminated after passing a vote of thanks to the Chairman.