IRISH DELEGATES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 441, 29 January 1890, Page 5

IRISH DELEGATES.

FAREWELL TO MR JOHN DILLON, RESULT" OF THE NEW ZEALAND TOUR. Auckland, Jan. 25. A very pleasant social gathering of members and friends of the Irish Delegates’ Reception Committee was held at the Academy of Music, Lorne-streeb, last evening, for the purpose of bidding farewell to Mr John Dillon, M.P., who is about to return homeward via San Francisco. There was a large and representative gathering, the gentler sex being remarkably well represented. An appropriate setting of Irish airs played by St. Patrick’s orchestra, under the lead of Mr Hiscocks, fittingly opened the proceedings, and after a number of vocal items had been given by lady and gentleman vocalists, Mr J. A. Tole, who occupied the chair, called upon Mr Moore, Secretary of the Reception Committee, to read the balancesheet showing the financial results of the mission of the Irish delegates in this province. The balance-sheet, copies of which were circulated, appears in our advertising columns on the third page. The company then adjourned, to the ante-room, where a liberal supply of refreshments had been provided by Mr Canning. After justice had been done to the more solid portion of the refreshments, glasses were charged, and the health of “ Her Majesty the Queen ” was drunk. Mr Tole then proposed that they should drink the health of their distinguished guest “Mr John Dillon.” He thought it a fitting coincidence that the Irish delegates should take their departure from Auckland, as from the scene of their first entry into this great colony. He was also pleased to think that Mr Dillon was present amongst them now, and that he had been able to spend a few leisure hours in Auckland and the surrounding districts, and to enjoy the natural beauties of this part of the colony. It was gratifying also to know that the progress of the Irish delegates throughout this colony had been one triumphant success (cheers), and it was also a matter for gratification and signiligance that in their progress in New Zealand theyhad been supported by the true Liberals of the colony—by men of the Old Libei'al party, by our Grand Old Man, Sir George Grey (cheersj, and by most of the prominent political and public men south of the Line. The mission of the Irish delegates throughout New Zealand had been a triumphant success, both pecuniarily and otherwise, but it had been pre-eminently so in lifting the great cause which they supported out of the groove of narrow prejudice, and raisingibinto the sphere of calm deliberation and conviction. (Cheers.) He was particularly pleased to know that Mr Dillon had been restored considerably to health by his two or three months’ tour in New Zealand. (Cheers.) He (Mr Tole) thought it the best antidote for coercion to take a trip out here. (Laughter.) In conclusion, he wished Mr Dillon long life, happiness, and health, and expressed a hope that the Imperial elections, which would take place before long, would see their honourable guest amongst the councillors of his own eounbrv, assisting to aid her in the achievement of that so much bo be desired. (Cheers.) Mr Dillon, who was received with cheers, said: “ Ladies and Gentlemen, —1 feel exceeding difficulty to find words to express to you how deeply I feel the way in which you have accepted the toast of my health, and still more for the superabundant and overflowing kindness which has induced you all to come here once more to see me tonight. I feel, however, that I am to some extent relieved from the task of thanking you for coming here to-night on account of the highly enjoyable entertainment which has iust been given to us. I feel I have been the cause, although nob blessed with talents which would enable me to contribute to the entertainment of such an assembly, of giving you an amount of pleasure which I am sure will be an ample return to you for coming to attend this meeting. I feel certain that I express the feelings of all who are present when I return on their behalf, as well as my own, my warmest thanksjtothelady who organised this musical entertainment to-night, and to those who were so kind to give us the benefit of their talents. I have had now some two months’ experience of the colony of New Zealand, and I think I may with safety confess that when I first proposed to visit these shores, many friends, or enemies, warned me to beware, and to stop while our mission in Australia was a great and magnificent success ; that, for many reasons, there was danger that success might nob attend us in New Zealand, and that the end of our mission would ooptrast unfavourably with the commencement, I came, therefore, to this country with some misgivings, but 1 found that from the first day I landed—and that day I shall long remember—when I landed on the wharf here in Auckland I was surrounded by friends. (Cheers.) Many of you will remember that night, and will remember the difficulty with which I reached the conveyance which took me to the hotel ; and I must confess thab,_ although the struggle was a severe one, it gave me the greatest possible pleasure to see such an outburst of enthusiasm the very moment I landed on the soil of New Zealand. (Cheers.) I have had an opportunity of visiting every considerable town, and all the cities ot New Zealand, and I have been, from the time I landed at Auckland until the conclusion of my tour, surrounded by warm and enthusiastic friends ; and now, at the end of our labours, 1 am in a position to say, and moreover to prove, that, taking all the circumstances into consideration, and the number of the Irish people in this country, that the success of our mission has been more striking in New Zealand than in any one of the Australian colonies. (Cheers.) Further, it is perfectly just and fair—although I know perfectly well that many of you are nob Irish, have rallied to our support, and especially is that the case in this colony—it is just and fair to estimate the success of our mission from its being an Irish one and by estimating the success of our mission as considered in proportion to the number of Irish in each colony. Taking that view of the success of our mission, we find that, in proportion to the Irish population of this colony, New Zealand has done the best of any of the Australasian colonies for the Irish delegates. (Cheers.) Not only is that the case, bub, as I pointed out on a recent pccasjon, we have received, outside of the Irish people and those cpnpecfced by descent with Ireland, an amount of support in this colony greater than in any of the Australian colonies. The public men of this country, I am in the best position now to state, and to challenge contradiction, that a large majority of the leading statesmen'of New Zealand past and present, have signified their adhesion to the cause of Ireland, and, in many instances, have taken a stand on our platforms, and spoken in our favour. Throughout the colony, no single individual from Auckland to Pupedin, who bad any influence or standing as 0 political leader, has expressed himself in opposition to the cause of Ireland. (Cheers,) If anyone undertakes t r Q chal-

lenge that statement, I’ll ask him to name a man who has come forward throughout the course of our tour, who has any position as > a statesman in New Zealand, and expressed himself hostile to the claims of Ireland. (Cheers.) I need hardly go over a catologue of those in this country who have taken a stand alongside of the people of Ireland. At my first meeting here I was received with a kindness, courtesy, and generous sympathy which I trust I will never forget, by a gentleman whose name—whatever differences there may be about his policy — would be remembered when the history of this country comes to be written, as the foremost statesman of New Zealand, and that is Sir George Grey. (Cheers.) I believe, from all that I have seen or have learned of his views and the past speeches and writings of this gentleman, both in regard to this country of New Zealand, with which so much of his great and varied career has been identified, and also with regard to my own country, about which he has made some remarkable and almostprophebicstatements— I believe, in the broadest sense of the word, that he is a statesman, and that many of his forecasts, speeches, and utterances connected with this country, as well as with Ireland, will be justified and verified by the lapse of time ; and will prove him to be a man of broad views and of great volition. (Cheers.) This I certainly will say, that strong conviction is forced upon my conversation both with admirers and non-admirers of Sir George Grey, that, from the outset down to the present hour, his views and his objects have been in the largest and broadest sense of the word to serve the people of the country ; and, tor that reason—because he has had that large and broad sympathy witli the masses of the people of the country, he felt an irresistible inclination to take his stand by the side of our people who are engaged in a struggle which from its very nature attracted his sympathies. (Cheers.) So it was that Sir George Grey not only received mo personally with a kindness I shall never forget, but he also came to our meeting and gave us at the outset of our tour the support and influence of his historical name and his great influence. (Cheers.) And now, ladies and gentlemen, I can only say that, coming after the advocacy of Sir George Grey, we had, in the course of our tour throughout the country, the advocacy of the distinguished Liberal leaders of New Zealand politics. Our first meeting was presided over by my friend Mr Tole, who is amongst us to-night. When I reached Wanganui, one of the ablest speeches on the Irish question was . delivered by Mr Ballance. When I was in Wellington the chair was taken by a member of the late Administration, the Hon. Patrick Buckley. We had another ex-Minist-er who spoke for us on that platform, and, though the present Prime Minister did not attend, he forwarded a letter to the meeting, in which he stated that he was a strong advocate of Home Rule, and always had been so. At Dunedin we had on the platform a most eloquent speech from Sir Robert Stout, and Mr Larnach, the most popular and able Ministerof the late Administration, occupied a seat on the platform, and subscribed to our fund, and expressed himself in the warmest terms of friendship ; so I could go through a whole catalogue of names of men distinguished in New Zealand politics who took their stand by us in this great cause. (Cheers.) Ladies and gentlemen, I do not intend to speak at any length to-night, and but for a 'recent occurrence, I would have confined myself to these observations on the success of my tour and thanks to my friends. But I think it would be a pity to allow this opportunity to pass by without commenting upon a striking, and rather amusing incident, illustrative of the system in which our movement is assailed —that portion of the system pursued by our enemies of circulating false news. We had in this city lately a most ludicrous and striking instance of this method. A gentleman who had presided over an Anti-Home Rule meeting in this city—which he had a perfect right to do —writes Home to a leading English statesman, the member for Birmingham, assuring him that the whole loyal and intelligent population of New Zealand, without exception—for these were evidently the terms of the communication, judging from the reply—had declared themselves hostile to our movement. (Laughter.) I am exceedingly glad that this course was pursued, because—could anything possibly be more strikingly illustrative to the people of New Zealand of the truth that they could not trust the news sent out from England V —because, here you have an example of the kind of news sent Home to England through the same agencies, and you, knowing the facts with regard to our tour through this country, see how Englishmen are informed, and evidently believe, that the whole intelligent population of this colony have declared against us. (Laughter.) I am in a position to declare that no single individual of any standing as a politician in this country has declared against us. (Cheers.) I know the gentleman who presided over that meeting of so-called Loyalists in this town, and all I can say is that if Her Majesty’s friends in this town could get nobody of greater standing or influence politically to preside over them, Her Majesty’s authority would be in an awkward position. Asasubjectof Her Majesty and a member of the British Empire, I hope her authority has not sunk so low here that Loyalists in this colony can get no one of greater standing than that very worthy gentleman, Mr Barstow. 1 have not a word to say against him, but even his own self-esteem could nob describe him as a man of political influence or leading position in this country. (Laughter.) AtT all events, in my humble judgment, I am perfectly content to rest the success of our tour throughout New Zealand on the relative merits of Sir George Grey and Mr Barstow. (Cheers.) Ladies and gentlemen, that is nearly all I have to say on this subject, except this ip conclusion, J have travelled in this country for two months. I don’t -pretend for a mom ent to write a book on New Zealand, though many men have done so with less experience of the colony; butI have managed—indeed no one could fail, travelling through this country—to pick up a good deal of information. I know a good deal more about New Zealand than before, and this reflection arises strongly to my mind : I cannot help thinking that it would be no harm to other members of the Imperial Parliament were they to follow my example. (Hear, hear.) If those who talked so much about loyalty were made better acquainted with this part of the world, they ‘would ’ probably change their views upon thi3 question. Although I will not say I am in favour of Imperial Federation —that is an open question —I think if all the members oi the House of Commons could do as I have done,! could promise them, from thy own experience, a kindly reception and pleasant . journey, and that they would learn a vast deal oi most interesting and useful information. One thing I would say is, that I trust those members of the House of . Commons who make up* their minds to visit New, Zealand will make a resolve to spend at least two months here before they open their mouths about the country. (Hear, hear.) For I saw, on a recent occasion, a prominent member of the party styled Liberal*

Unionists (Mr Dixon) came over here to see a sheep run of which he had the misfortune to be the proprietor. He spent about two weeks in the country, and delivered a lecture on New Zealand of the most extraordinary character. Most of you will have read the lecture, and I think it is not an unfair sample of the statements made by some tourists who have come to this country. This merely shows how miserable and deplorable must be the position of New Zealanders or Irishmen ruled by men such as this member for Birmingham, who told how all the children in this colony were engaged night and day practising as firemen because their houses were being burned down. (Laughter.) It was a laughable experience, but showed how deplorable and pitiable is the condition of a country which has to leave its affairs to gentlemen like this Mr Dixon. (Applause.) They practise exactly the same proceedings in Ireland, except that they do not even give us a week’s notice. I have nob attempted to make anything in the shape of a speech, because this is only a social gathering, and I will conclude by expressing ray warmest and deepest thanks for your great kindness in coming here this evening, and to those who contributed so much enjoyment to the opening of the proceedings. (Cheers.) After a brief interval Mr Dillon proposed the toast of the “Reception Committee.” In doing so, he expressed his conviction that the success of the Irish delegates’ tour in New Zealand was in a great measure due to the exertions of the Auckland Reception Committee, who succeeded in making the Auckland meeting of such a character that it certainly gave an impetus to the other meetings in New Zealand. (Cheers.) The meeting at Dunedin was a splendid meeting, and so was the meeting in Wellington, bub none of them succeeded in getting within £IOO of the proceeds of the meeting at Auckland. When he came here first he showed how the necessity had arisen for these funds, and he believed he had satisfied all who were in the least inclined to be friendly as to the reasonableness of the leanest. Those upon whom any doubt rested should be satisfied by the most recent news from Ireland that the Irish people have voluntarily taxed themselves 3d in the £ on the valuation of the entire country to carry on this great struggle. (Cheers.) So it would be seen that they had not been locking for assistance for people who were unwilling to help themselves. (Cheers.) Mr Dillon concluded by asking those present to drink to the Reception Committee, coupled with the name of Mr W, Duncan, a gentleman who, although not an Irishman, had earned the gratitude of all for his energy in the great cause. Mr W. Duncan said he was sure he fully expressed the opinion of the ladies and gentlemen of the Committee when he stated that any exertions they had made to make Mr Dillon’s mission a success had been freely given, their only regret being that even more had not "been accomplished. Their efforts paled into insignificance when compared with those of Mr Dillon and other members of the Irish Parliamentary party, who amidst so much suffering and misrepresentation, had fought on to gain the amelioration of the people of Ireland. (Cheers.) Mr W. J. Speight in the course of a very good speech said he thought much of the success of Mr Dillon’s mission was due to his own mode of presenting the subject to the people of the colony. His gentlemanly deportment, his calmness, and his mode generally had disarmed opposition ; and a further point in his favour was that many persons from the Old Country, who during their residence there, from the prejudices of their education and similar surroundings were almost of necessity Conservatives aud Tories, when they came to these colonies, and lived under free institutions for so many years, looked back with wonder on the absurdity of the position they formerly assumed in reference to local self-government for Ireland. Mr Dillon might safely tell them in England that he had met thousands of such men in the colonies who, while practically loyal to the British Throne and connection, saw the distinct reasonableness of the demand for Home Rule.

During the evening vocal and instrumental selections of music were rendered in a very agreeable manner. The arrangements were in the hands of Miss Shanaghan and Mr P. Hiscocks. The ladies and gentlemen who gave their services were : Miss Lorrigan, Miss Swan, Miss Coleta Lorrigan, and Messrs Mitchell, Tole, and Dr. Egan. Mr W. J. Speight also contributed a recitation. Proceedings were brought to a close by the National Anthem.