MR DILLON M.P., AT TIMARU.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1978, 5 December 1889, Page 2

MR DILLON M.P., AT TIMARU.

Mr John Dillon arrived in Titnaru last Tuesday by express train. He was m°t at Tetnoka by the Rev. Father Foley, Mr J, VV. While, and Mr T. O'Driacoll. On alighting from the carriage at Titnaru three hearty cheers were given by a largo concourse of people who aasernb ! ed there, after which he was driven to the Grosvenor Hotel in Mr E. T. Rhodes’s carriage drawn by four beautiful grey horses. He was accompanied in the carriage by His Worship the Mayor. In the evening he addressed a large meeting in the Theatre Royal. His Worship the Mayor presided, and made a capital speech in introducing him. He also presented him with an address on behalf of the citizens who sympathised with the object of his mission. Mr M. F. Dennehy, secretary of the Hibernian Society,also presented him with an address

from that society. Mr Dillon then spoke for about an hour and a quarter. He justified his action in coming to Australia and speaking on these subjects on the ground that the Irish liodlords and their allies were seeking and obtaining enormous aid from outside sources. They even boasted of the enormous assistance they received from the Dukes, Lords, and aristocracy of England, and if they, who wcue crushing the people were justified in obtaining outside aid, surely they, who were defending the people’s rights, could not be held to bo acting wrong in doing the same thing. He then proceeded to deal with The Times conspiracy, which was absolutely got up by the Irish landlords and aristocrats of England to destroy the power of tha Irish members, and to exhaust their funds, For six months The Times continued pub'ishing letters headed “ Parnellism and Crime.” These were ably and skilfully written, but no definite charges were made, and they failed to produce the desired effect. Just as the Coercion Bill was before the House the Times published the famous fae simile letter. It was customary in the House of Commons when a charge was made ( agiinst a ntiembf:r to accept his denial of it, but though Mr Parnell declared tha

letter to be a forgery, his denial was not accepted by the Governraejt, and The Time* insisted that io addition to all the other crimes Mr Parnell had told a lie, and that it was ready to prove it. Mr Dillon then detailed all the circumstances connected with the affair. He quoted from a speech delivered in the House of Commons by Sir ft. Webster, Her Majesty’s Attorney-General, and counsel for The Times, in which that gentleman stated that The Times had made the strictest inquiry and found the letter authentic. Subssquently the manager, editor, and solicitor of the Times swore

no inquiry was made, and that Houston was never asked where he got the letter. This showed that the Government and

The Times conspired together to destroy the reputation of political opponents, and published their atrocious charge against Mr Parnell deliberately, and not caring whether it was true or false. They did not inquire into the authenticity of (he letters, evidently because they suspected they were forgeries and did not want to know that. It cost the Irish party £40,0®0 to defend themselves against

these foul charges, and io justice the Government of England ought now to indemnify them for they were mixed up in it. Had they taken action againat The Times in the beginning, before they fnl'y found out the source of the letters—for they knew all about them before the trial came on—they would have been defeated, and every one of the Irish members wou'd have had to retire from public life. Mr Dillon next referred to the way tha telegraphic news sent out here is falsified,, so that (he conspiracy extends to that, and gave many instances of it. He then showed that the Coercion Act was not levelled against crime, but against com-

bination and free meeting. Under that; Act 3000 people had been sent to gaol, and of that number there were not 50 who had committed a crime. The nffances for which people were imprisoned under tliia Act were attending meetings of the National League, at which nothing illegal was dona; publishing reports of such meetings in papers; selling papers with the reports in, although nothing wrong was in the reports ; cheers for Gladstone and groans for Bilfour ; refusing to sell nr let for hire ; advising farmers to cotnbino together to get a reduction of ren's, and so on, for any one of which one would get six months. In England it is no crimo to do any of the above things, but in Ireland one got six months for i». As Mr Gladstone hod recently sa'd, the London dock man would have been sent to gaol in Ireland for striking or for picketing. This Act took away every single right of the people of Ireland, and no public meeting can bo held without tiio consent of the Lord Lieutenant. Ab regarded Ireland’s contributions to expenditure, the people of Ireland themselves contributed this year a sum of £52,000, This would bare been sufficient, r

and the appeal to the colonies unnecessary, only for The Tim p s trial. Mr Dillon next referred lo the prog'esH made during the past ten yearn ,and said the greatest was that Mr Gladstone, Earl Spencer, and the Liberal party in England had come lo the support of Horne Rule. What did they mean by Home Rale ? It was very simple ; a child could understand it. All it meant was that the laws which applied to Ireland and not lo England or Scotlaaad should be made by Irishmen, and that (ha executive govern merit of Ireland should lie responsible to l he people of Ireland. That was all they meant by Home Rule, (Hear, hear, and much applause.) Everything outside of these two proposals they would leave to the Imperial Government. They wanted no army ; but wanted control of the police and of the executive govermiien'. Tiie fears that were expressed were absurd or a mere pretext. In his judgment the real and only way out of the trouble in Ireland, the only relief from the eternal Irish Question, was to try in Ireland the tern dy which had pacified Canada, had m:de Australia loyal, and New Z .aland loyal, and had never been known to fail : the simple remedy of allowing the Irish people to manage (heir own affairs. Mr Dillon then eat down amid loud and prolonged applause. Mr W. Evans moved the following resolution:—“That this meeting is of opinion that it is essentially necessary to the pp-.ee and prosperity of Ireland that the right of domestic legis’a'ion on all matters relating to its internal affairs should be granted ; that the grant of such a imasurn iuste d of being a source of danger to or likely to conduce to the disruption of the Empire, wonid be its defence and safeguard, and, in the words of one of England’s greatest statesmen, would be a new guarantee for increased cohesion, happiness, and strength.” Mr Evans made a splendid speech, which was frequently applauded, and the motion having been seconded by Mr George Stumbles, every hand in the room was held up for it. Mr J. W. White in moving a vote of thanks to Mr Dillon for his address said the delegates would not touch one single penny of ihe money collected. It would bo sent Home direct to the Irish evicted tenants, and the delegates would pay their own way. Mr O’Driscoll seconded Ihe motion, and ca'led for ihreo cheers for Mr Dillon, which was enthusiastical y responded 10. Mr Dillon expressed hia gratitude to him, and the Mayor personally for his kindness. He moved a vote of thanks to the Mayor, which was carried by acclamation, and the proceedings came to a close.