The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1888. DRATH OF MR MANDEVILLS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1770, 31 July 1888, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1888. DRATH OF MR MANDEVILLS.

A pew months ago Mr Wilfrid Blunt, a distinguished English gentleman, published in the papers a letter asserting that Mr Balfour, Chief Secretary for Ireland, had told him that he would use the Coercion Act to kill some of the Irish members in gad; so as to put them out of the way. . It was thought then that this timely exposure of Mr Balfour’s intentions would have the effect of causing him to relax the rigorousness of the treatment to which he had been subjecting political prisoners, and that he would be very careful U'stany of them should die on his hands. It does not appear, however, that it has had the slightest effect upon him. Political prisoners are still treated with fearful brutality, with the result that one of them has fallen a victim to it Mr Mandeville, who has died in Tullaraore gaol, besides being Secretary to Mr O’Brien was a Protestant gentleman in affluent circumstances. He was Chairman of the Mitchelstown Board of Poor Law Q-uardians, and those who know anything of Ireland will realise that only men of intelligence and good standing ever occupy such positions. Mr Mandeville was never beard of up to the time of the meeting which was held at Mitchelstown last year, and at which the police shot the people down, killing some of them. The atrocities committed by the police we.re so outrageous that Mr Gladstone headed a manifesto addressed by him to the Liberal party with the words “Remember Mitchelstown.” Two Inspectors of Police were concerned in the affair. One.of them, Mr Irwin, gave what was regarded as very honest evidence, and he has since been dismissed from the force; while the other Inspector has been promoted. It was in connection with this meeting that Mr Mandeville first came before the public. If we remember rightly he was chairman of the meeting, and for this he was arrested and sent to gaol. He has now died a martyr to the Irish cause, and what has rendered the circumstances connected with his death extremely suspicious is the fact that the gaol doctor who was attending him has committed suicide. What made h.iin commit suicide if he had treated' Mr Mandeville properly ? Of course we know nothing of the circumstances of the case except what the cable has brought to us, but we must say that it looks exceedingly suspicious. It looks as if the doctor killed the man, and then feared the result of a coroner’s inquest. It looks as bad as the most sensational gaol story of modern days. We find further justification for this suspicion in the result of the coroner’s inquest, which alleges that Mr Mandeville’s death was caused “by the brutal and unjustifiable treatment he was subjected to in the J ullamore gaol.” Let us remember that in Tullamore there are friends of the Government, and that it is most likely the men whom the police summoned to sit on such an inquest were not Nationalists. That such a verdict has been returned by the coroner’s jury therefore must lead to the conclusion that it was justified by the evidence, and that Mr Balfour has commenced his boasted work of extermination. If this case does not create a s usalion throughout Great Britain we shall be surprised ; and if it does not lead to Mr Balfour’s downfall we cannot but conclude that all sense of justice and fairplay is dead in the present race of English Conservatives. If the short facts conveyed by the cable are true, it must be admitted that this is one of the most disgraceful episodes in the history of the present struggle, . Mr Mandeville is dead ; the gaol doctor has committed suicide, and the coroner’s jury aver that Mr Mandeville’s death was caused by brutal and unjustifiable treatment. All this points to more than a suspicion that he was murdered, and if this, after Mr Blunt’s assertion, does not raise a hornet’s nest around Mr Balfour’s ears, all we can say is that it ought to, and that if there is any sense of honor left in his colleagues they will hurl him from power.

Village Settlements Wanted. —At a public meeting held at Auckland on Saturday night in Ihe Lome Street Hall, to consider the village eritlement scheme, the following resolution was passed ; —“ That ilembers of Pailinment for the Auckland dis'rict be requested to arrange that when Ihe House is being moved inlo Committee of Supply the fallowing resolution shall be presented to His Escellency Ihe Governor, praying that he may be pleased to direot by message the [•lacing upon the Supplementary .Estimates he sum of £ 10,000 for the purpose of continuing and attending village settlements in the provincial district of Auckland.”