IRISH NATIONAL CONVENTION.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 411, 16 October 1889, Page 4

IRISH NATIONAL CONVENTION.

The Irish National Convention, held at Melbourne on September 17th, was at tended by 400 delegates, who represented all parts of Victoria. Mr John Dillon made some remarks in reference to his treatment by the Australian press in Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane. He stated he received fair play from all the important journals ; those that were not iriendly were fair. In Melbourne, he regretted to say that narrow minded feelin£r towards the Irish people, tthich is passing av--ay in Great Britain, had taken refuse in some of the newspaper ofrk-es in that city. Referring to the great contribution* from Victoria to the London Dock Strike Fund, Mr Dillon said : «• You have given for the cause of labour, in relief ot the strikers, an unparalleled outburst of practical aid. The immense sums of money sent to England I consider to be one of the finest demonstrations of the brotherhood of labour the world ha= witnessed." Mr Dillon went on to say that " they were told ife was a grossly improper proceeding to ask Australians to relieve the Irish people — that Old World quarrels should not be introduced into Austialia. Yet in what way does their ca^e diller from ours" The labourers in London docks struck for a small increase in wages : our people have struck for emancipation and freedom, and our strike has been a question of years and generations. When I came to Australia I was told it was the duty ot co'onists to keep aloof from the disputesof the Old World —ib appeared that the doctrine was to be applied to Ireland alone." They were told ot the sufferings of the London dockmen, who have to work for two shillings a day. What, he would a&k, about the liish labourers who are compelled to work for twopence an hour, and glad to pet it ." Speaking in leference to the slanders made about the Irish National League and its monetary affairs, Mr Dillon claimed " that they could be trusted in money matters, as they represented fivesixrhs of the Irish people. There wa3 not a body of men in the world who were subject to such pitiless criticism as we have had to endure. Yet we are returned again and again to Parliament by the people who know us best, without opposition. Yet it is said we are open to the suspicion of being vulgar, ordinal y robbeis. .John Burns is a goo 4 man, and he had cheered him on many occasions himself ; but what do the people of Australia know about him ? Yet to him tens of thousands of pounds were sent across the cable, and thus the people of Australia are spontaneously trusting men whose very names they do not know. The money collected in Australia i is not distributed by the League at | all, but is devoted to grants to evicted tenants, or made on other grounds where the cates are of urgency. " Referring to Mr Chamberlain and Lord Randolph Churchill, Mr Dillon said the former gentleman, in his speech recently at Birmingham, said that it would be a wise thing for the Government to spend thirty millions in alleviating the distress among the Irish peasantry : Lord Churchill, he was prepared to say, would be a good Homo Pailer shortly. " Mr Dillon considered the recent speech of Lord Hartington showed that despair was coming over the part}' he represents (Liberal Unionists). Sir Bryan O'Loghlen, the Hon. J. G. Dully, Mr Hunt. M.L.A., Mr M. McDonald, and other prominent Irish-Victorians took pait in the proceedings.

Te Puke farmers are intensely busy transforming the whole country into a study in black and green ; or in other words ploughing is going on briskly in all directions in that settlement, and the oat and wheat crops are growing rapidly. The settlement never looked better, and to those who occasionally visit it, a marked improvement can be observed each visit. Fein is disappearing rapidly, and grass and crops are taking its place. A considerable number ot strangers have been going about Te Puke lately on the search for good land, and irom all accounts the visitors are pleased with what is to be seen in that district. There will be a very considerable increase in the amount of grain crops giown in Te Puke this season, and it is estimated that, if the yield is as good as last season, the number of tacks to be exported will be of oats 3,000, ot wheat 2,000, and of maize 6,000. A man's own observation on what lie finds good of and what he finds hurt of is the best physic to preserve health.