IRISH ITEMS,

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 106, 19 February 1870, Page 7

IRISH ITEMS,

Here, where party spirit runs scr high, in consequence of the difference of religion — viz., Protestanism and Catholicism — as a matter of course, party threats party "rows," &c, are of very frequent occurrence, which, in some instances, leads to serious disturbances-. But it is seldom such quarrels are allowed to be of long duration, as the policemen, who have to be on the alert for such "rows" for the safety of life and property, are generally not far distant from' the scene, and take the delinquent intocustody, when he is brought before the 1 Magistrate on the following morning,, and if he is found guilty of uttering a party expression, he is fined in- the sum 1 of 40s. and costs, with the alternative* of fourteen days' imprisonment. Andl if it be that tue prisoner remonstrates or refuses to go to the Police Office with the policemen, they do not draw or drag him — no, not they — they do in this case as in all others when they do not subject themselves to the powersthat be — they treat him in the best manner possible by quietly hailing a car from the stand, on which he is put, after a little difficulty, no doubt, and the policemen get the benefit of a drive to " limbo " at the prisoner's expense. To fully acquaint your readers* of what a party expression is, I could perhaps not do better than quote a few of those, which have, from time to time, passed through the Police Court —viz., "I'm one of the True Blue," "I'm a King William's man," "To Hell with the Pope," "Down witb King William," Three cheers for Gladstone," &c. — all of which averaging a dozen cases weekly, have been disposed of at the " usual price and no abatement." The authorities areso rigid against such expressions, that the other day they apprehended a young woman, and iodged. her in the police office, for singing a song in which were the Avords, " She wore a wreath of orange blossoms on her snowy brow." It couldn't be proved, however, that it would have led to any serious result, and the bench dismissed the case.—" Belfast Letter."

One Sunday nigh, a gentlemany named Mr. Thomas MAdam, residing at Newport, County Tipperary, was shot at through a window in his own parlour. Fortunately, the bullet missed, although it passed close to him. In the County Cavan, near a place called Drumalee, when a number of processionists, who had been attending a tenant-right meeting in the town of Cavan, were returning to Belterbut, when several shots were fired at them behind a ditch. One shot seemed tohave been fired at the Rev. James; Dunne, parish priest, who, along withhis curate, was driving home on a car. The shot entered the animal's body, and killed it on the spot. The most melancholy part of the attrocity is, that a young man was shot dead, and a good number were seriously injured. The latter affray made room for a few remarks being made, and which were well handled by one of the Presbyterion ministers of Belfast, in which he condemned the cowardice of those who fired, who, under the circumstances, could be no other than a party of Protestants. Such agrarian atrocities seem to be coming more and more freauent, and it is surely time more rigid efforts were made to lessen them. It would appear that Grladstone, who was to be the "peacemaker" and " Reformer " of Ireland,, has as yet failed in his attempt.