THE IRISH QUESTION. ARRIVAL OF THE DELEGATES. AN ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION. Auckland, November 4.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 417, 6 November 1889, Page 5

THE IRISH QUESTION. ARRIVAL OF THE DELEGATES. AN ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION. Auckland, November 4.

Last evening saw the arrival in Auckland from Sydney of the long-expected Irish delegates, Messrs John Dillon, John Deasy, and Sir Thos. G. Esraonde. The names of these staunch upholders of the cause of Home Rule for Ireland, sent oub iroui Home to arouse general interest and practical sympathy with the struggles of the majority of the Irish people for political reform, are already familiar names in Australia and New Zealand, and the very enthusiastic reception accorded them on their arrival by the mail steamer Zealandia last evening, betokened the warmth of the feelings of the great bulk of the Auckland population with regard to the objects of the delegates' mission. All day yesterday crowds of people visited the Queen-street Wharf to ascertain whether there were yet any signs of the Zealandia from Sydney, and the greatest interest was manifested in tho arrival of the Home Rule advocates. During the afternoon the wharf was thronged with people, and many were the inquiries made as to whether " she was coming in." About five o'clock, when many of those who had been patiently waiting had. returned home, the signals to indicate two ■ steamers in sight were hoisted at the Mount Victoria flagstaff. An hour and a-half later a steamer made its appearance round the North Head, and some little excitement was caustd at first by the report that this was the mail steamer. She wa3 soon seen, however, to be the little Ohau, from the South. A little afterwards the __Zealandia hove in sight round the Mead, and was soon up alongside the wharf. As it was now quite dark, the crowds on the wharf could not make out whether the delegates were on board or not, but their enthusias-in found vent when the Irish gentlemen stepped on shore. There must have been several thousands of people gathered on the tee when the steamer diew alongside. The friends of the Home Rule cause in Auckland had made every preparation for the due reception of the delegates, and the Reception Committee had their arrange- i ments complete. Some time before the steamer appeared the members of the Committe© drove down to the end ot the wharf in five open carriages, each tira<vn by four grey horses, and remained there in waiting for the visitors. Four of the carriages had been ordered by the Keception Comunfctee from Mr W. Crowther, and the fifth by the "young Auckland" sympathisers with the Home Rule movement, from the establishment of Messrs Pullan and Armitage. A posse of a dozen police under SergeantMajor Pratt were present to assist in maintaining order, but they were too small numerically to do much in the way of keeping back the crowd. No rowdiness, however, was manifested, although the greeting given the delegates was most enthusiastic. When the Zealandia berthed she was boarded by Mr J. A. Tole, Captain D. H. McKenzie (Chairman of Reception Committee), Messrs J. D. Connolly, T. W. Leys, Rev. Father Hackett, Messrs G. .feacocke, W. Jennings, M. JSheahan, P. Gleeson, M. Danaher, W. Beehan, E. F. Garlick, and other members of the Reception Committee and sympathisers with the mission of the three visitors. Mr Dillon appeared in the saloon, followed by Sir Thomas Esmond© nud Air Deasy, and very cordial greetings were interchanged and mutual introductions made. Mr Tole was one of the first to welcome the visitors to New Zealand. The three delegates at once proceeded on shore. As Mi Dillon made his appearance on the gangway with the others, he was immediately recognised, and a loud cheer went up from those closest to, taken up at once by those further off. While the delegates and the Reception Committee were fighting their way to the carriages through the hustling crowd, the enthusiasm manifested was most intense, and men. shouted themselves hoarse with excitement. Hats were waved frantically in the air, and even the most staid and demure old parties in the crowd became unusually excited. There were cries of " Home Rule for Ireland," " Dillon For Ever," " Hurrah For Home Rule," and some of those -present managed to cap this by shrieks of "Home Rule for New Zealand." Certainly, Mr Dillon and his colleagues had no reason to be dissatisfied with the nature of their reception in Auckland. The delegates had to elbow fchei" way to their carriages, with a cheering crowd rushing at their heels. When they were safely on board the vehicles, with the members of the Reception Committee, the four carriages made a start for Caims's Star Hotel, where the visitors are to remain during their stay in town. The procession could make only slow progress owing to the crowds right up the wharf, and the carriages were followed almost at a run up the tee by hundreds of men, women, and children. Cheer after cheer was sent up as the vehicles drove off from the steamer. A crowd of some fifteen hundred people assembled in Albert-street outside the Star Hotel, and as the visitors alighted they were again cheered. Three cheers were also at the time called for the " young colonials," and heartily responded to. In the Star the Reception Committee had some conversation with the delegates regarding the presentation of addresses and the souvenirs from the Ladies' Committee. Meantime loud cheering was raised in the street outside by the crowd, who evidently would not go home without hearing some sorb of an address. Mr Dillon was asked if he would address the people from the smoking^oom balcony of the hotel, and although not desirous at first, on account of the day being Sunday, as it was evident that the crowd would not disperse until he made his appearance, he eventually consented. Mr J. A. Tole stepped on to the balcony and announced that Mr Dillon would say a few words to those present. Mr Dillon, who was received with loud cheering, said : "My friends,— lam deeply grateful to you for your great kindness in coming down to-night to greet me and my colleagues with so much warmbh and enthusiasm on this, the first time we have landed on the soil of New Zealand (cheers). You can easily understand how greatly an encouragement it is to us, fighting as we are in a very severe and troublesome struggle, to find that at the opposite side of the earth we have so many friends, and such warm friends, in the great cause in which we are engaged. (Cheers.) T have seen very little of this country, but I have recognised amongst the crowd who came down to greet us to-night and to offer encouragement not only the voices of my own countrymen — and I shall always expect to find friends amongst them wherever I go — (loud cheers) — butlfancyl also recognised the voices of some who are not Irish, who came there from a generous and noble spirit of sympathyj to show that, although they were not Irish, they had hearts to sympathise in a just and an honest cause.

And I thank them all the more heartily, because it was more generous and more kind of them to come to show their sympathy than it would have been if they had Irish blood in their veins. I know you will not expect a speech from me to-night for many reasons, and I shall, therefore, content myself with these few words of thanks, because I trust I shall have, in a few days, the opportunity of addressing everyone in this crowd again. Goodnight." Mr Dillon left the balcony amidst loud cheers, and the crowd then slowly dispersed. Mrs Duffy, Mrs Hackett, Miss Ryan and Miss Shanaghan, members ot the Ladies' Reception Committee, were introduced to the delegates, and it was decided that the presentation from that Committee should take place at 12 o'clock to-day. Mrs Dufly presented, as a little welcome token, a bunch of daisies to Mr Dillon, so chosen because of the Daisy League established by Mrs Gladstone. MOVEMENTS OF THE DELEGATES. The future movements of tho party in the North Island have been fixed with the aid of the local Reception Committee. On Wednesday evening next they address a public meeting at the City Hall. The meeting should bo a crowded and most enthusiastic and successful gathering. On Thursday* Mr Dillon leaves Auckland for Gisborne and addresses a meeting there on the Bth, at Napier on the lltb, Wanganui, 13th ; Palmerston North, T4th ; and at Wellington on the 15th. Sir Thoma3 Esmond© will leave for the Waikato on Thursday, and address a meeting there at a date to be fixed. His subsequent meetings will be as follows :— New Plymouth, 12th ; Hawera, 14th, and he will meet Mr Dillon at Wellington. Mr Deas 3' will proceed to the Thames, and speak there on Saturday night. He will then join Sir Thomas Esmonde, and go with him to New Plymouth, and will then leave for Masterton, joining his colleagues in Wellington.