General News.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4454, 14 April 1883, Page 2

General News.

--. While the jury were deliberating on. their verdict in the case of Mr William O'Brien, M.P., in Dublin, on Saturday, a ! rather singular coincidence was recalled by some of the court officials and the legal gentlemen engaged. Exactly on that day fifteen years ago, in the same court, Mr A. M. Sullivan was tried on a similar charge, namely—seditious libel, and Mr Solicitor -General Harrison prosecuted with the A ttorney-General in the case. j On Saturday the then Solicitor-General J was the Judge on the Bench, while the i then defendant was on Saturday leading ! counsel for Mr O'Brien.—Home paper. In 1869, Sir George Grey, in a London paper, when writings on the Irish question, sketched out the draft of an act to grant a Provincial Parliament to the Kingdom of Ireland. It reads'^ follows:—" Whereas large numbers of Her Majesty's subjects, natives of the Kingdom of Ireland, have from time to time rendered most important military and naval services to the Crown and Empire, tfnd have shown their capacity for governing by administering with great ability the governments, or conducting the affairs of the Legislatures ot many of Her Majesty's Colonial, possessions: „ and whereas it is desirable to foster and restore te commerce and trade of the sa;d Kingdom, and to encourage the residence therein of proprietors of lands" and others, and to open a field for the development of the talent and patriotism of its inhabitants which.does not now exist, and to restore contentment and prosperity to its people by allowing them to exercise that control over the management of their local affairs, without the possession of which no nation can be either contented, prudent, or prosperous. Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords, Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:—-There shall be within the Kingdom of Ireland a Provincial Parliament, to consist of a Viceroy, a Senate, and a House of Representatives." This, it will be seen, was written prior to the Home Kule movement Mr Butt inaugurated. Honor, therefore, to whom honor is due.—Exchange.