NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3237, 4 July 1879, Page 3

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

(fbom the home news.)

The death of Mr Butt, a typically representative Celt if ever there was one, who at certain periods of his life occupied a place in in the r Irish mind which may even be compared, to that which once belonged to O'Connell. His career at the Bar was brilliant as his habits were improvident; but his improvidence was redeemed by his great talents and bis splendid Parliamentary powers. He was a consummate debater in the House of Commons,' and though latterly he hag not commanded the loyal obedience of the Home Bulers, he had many of the element! of a great Parliamentary leader. Two reasons in particular prevented his ascendency over the Irish brigade; one of these was his Conservatism—and it must n; ver be forgotten that Mr Butt, strong Orangeman by' descent, began political life as a Protectionist, and remained a strong Conservative throughout, while the Home {Rulers as a body incline towards liberalism-— the iecona is unpopularity with the Roman Catholic hierarchy in Ireland. Still he remained the titular, if not the real, leader of the Home Rule party, and the question now is in whom his successor will be found. '

On Wednesday, afternoon, May 7, the House of Commons, without a division, and with scarcely a dissentient voice, gave iti adhesion to the proposal to remove a grave disability under which Ireland has long suffered, and which she has resented as a grave stigma. Mr G'Clery's bill permitting volunteer corps to be raised in Ireland as well as Scotland and other parts of the British possessions passed its second reading So long as Penianism and other forms of sedition were rampant, it was^ naturally felt that there were grave objections to such a measure as that which it can now scarcely be doubted will become law. The Attorney-General for Ireland spoke of certain safeguards as expedient, but if the Irish are to be trusted at all, it will be better to trust them entirely, and to assimilate the Irish volunteers in all respects to the English.' Borne was last week a great centre of interest to Englishmen. "On May 12 Cardinal Newman, as he will henceforth be called, was presented with his purple biretta by ttie^Poptajthe next day he received, a congratulatory address from the English residents in Rome. On both occasions the Cardinal made speeches eminently characteristic and effective. Acknowledging the supreme honor that the Holy Father had bestowed upon him, he devoted himself principally to a j statement of the position of religion in England. The great straggle, he said, wai with Liberalism; he detested Liberalism as much as over, but he could not deny that the cause had attracted many high-minded and noble adherents in England. Thus did Cardinal jTewman show on this important occasion, first, that judicial quality of mind which has always distinguished him, and in virtue of which he' has never failed to recognise the existence of two sides to a question,; secondly, the,sturdy spirit of English independence which, Co-operating with his , purity of life, his literary achievements, and his intellectual lustre, has aecfiAgr»for him an ennal measure of 'linglisifaffection and pride. He commenced his speech on Monday last in Italian, but after a very few words requested permission to continue in his " dear mother tongue." He said particularly that one of the chief reasons that induced him to accept the cardinalate was his belief that English Protestants as well as Catholics appreciated, and were pleased at, the offer.