IRISH CHARACTER.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XIII, Issue 1015, 17 April 1869, Page 2

IRISH CHARACTER.

From the “ Realities of Irish Life,” by W. S. Trench, land agent, the following are two extracts—one as a sample of the more sensational passages in the work, the other as bearing upon the discussion whether the land or the Church question is the real subject next the people’s hearts. The first is taken from the trial of a young man who, merely for money, had murdered a magistrate and a near neighbour of Mr Trench. The informer and chief witness

against the prisoner was his accomplice, and was under cross-examination by the prisoner’s counsel : “One scene,” says Mr Trench, “struck me much. After the witness had detailed how he had himself undertaken to be the murderer, and had twice stolen behind Mr Hall for the purpose of shooting him in the back, and had only given up his design because he fancied it was ‘unlucky,’ the prisoner’s counsel asked— ‘ Then it was not your conscience that smote you ? ’ —‘ Not a bit,’ said the man. ‘ And you stole up behind the poor old man to shoot him for money?’ said the lawyer.— C I did.’ ‘I suppose you would do anything for money?’ ‘ 1 would,’ replied the man, quite unappalled, but growing desperate.” The lawyer still continued to excite him.—

“ ‘You would shoot your father for money, I suppose? ’ —‘ I would ! ’ exclaimed the man furiously. ‘Or your mother ?’— ‘ [would. 5 ‘Or your sister?’—‘l would.’ ‘ Or your brother ? ’ continued the counsel —‘ Ay, or yourself either ! ’ cried the infuriated ruffian, almost leaping from his chair, and turning round so suddenly within a few feet of liis cross-examiner’s head that his usually undaunted nerve seemed appalled by the ferocity of the savage. The effect upon the jury wa3 the very reverse of what the counsel had intended. His object had been to impeach the witness’s veracity by making him admit his own depravity, never for one moment believing that he would have acknowledged such frightful recklessness in crime ; but the admissions he made of his willingness to commit any barbarity, and the ferocity with which he turned upon his cross-examiner, left not a doubt on the mind of any one who witnessed the scene of the truth of his testi-

mony.” The following fragment of a discussion look place in a Ribbon Lodge, summoned for the purpose of arranging for the murder of Mr Trench, and was related to him afterwards by one of the conspirators :

“ ‘ Some says it’s the land laws that’s mighty bad,’ observed one; ‘it’s them that’s crushing us down, and that they’re going to bring in a bill—as they call it—to alter them.’ ‘ A curse upon the land laws,’ cried the president, ‘ and all concerned in them. It’s the land itself we want, and not all this bother about the laws. The laws is not so at all. What good would altering the laws, badinthemainbarrin’ they makeus pay rent, do us ? Sure we have tenant-right, and fair play euough for that matter; for Trench never puts any one offthe land that’s able to pay his rent and stand his ground on it. But why would we pay rent at all ? That’s the question, say I. Isn’t the land our own ; and wasn’t it our ancestors’ before us, until these bloody English came and took it away from us ? My curse upon them for it—but we’ll tear it back out of their hearts’ blood yet,’ ‘ln troth, then, ye’ll have tough work of it before ye do,’ rejoined another. ‘ Them Saxons is a terrible strong lot to deal with. They beat down ould Ireland before, and I doubt but they’ll hold on the land still, and beat her down again, rise when we may.’ ‘ None of your croakin’,’ cried the president. ‘ Sure its not more than three hundred years since they took it, and many has risen and held its own again after a longer slavery than that. I say the land we must have, and cursed be the hand and withered the arm that will not strike a blow to gain it.’ 4 Some say it’s the Church that’s crushing us,’ suggested one of the party that had spoken before. ‘D—n the Church, aud you along with it!’ cried the president, in a passion. ‘ What harm does the Church do to you or any one else ? The gentlemen that owns it are quiet, decent men, and often good to the poor. It’s the land, I say again, it’s the land we want. The Saxon robbers took it from our forefathers, and I say we’ll wrench it out of their hearts’ blood ; and what better beginning could we have than to blow Trench to shivers off’ the walk ? ’ ‘ True for you,’ said another, ‘so far as that goes ; but ye’re wrong about the Church for all that. Sure isn’t it what they call the Dominant Church, and what right has it to dominate over our ownclargy, who are as good as them any day ? Up wid our ciargy, and down with the Dominant Church ! say I. Besides,’ he continued more softly, ‘ maybe if we had once a hold of the Church lands, the landlords’ lands would be ’asier come at after.’ ‘Why, then, that may be true, too,’ said the president. ‘ Down with the Church, down with the landlords, down with the agents, down with everything, I say, that stands in the way of our own green land coming back to us again.’ ”

New South Wales is famous for its Parliamentry oratory. Here we are favoured with choice bit from a Mr Cummings,M.P., called by the Queensland Times , somef what ’irreverently, “old Billy Cummings ot Bathurst.” It certainly seems to be whatbe teetotallers would call a shocking exr ample. IMr Cummings, after speaking for an hour in the assembly on something os other, continuedasfollows at fifteen minutes to three :—“ Now, Mr Speakerthese little interruptions—these interruptions—these little interruptions—l know there are some honourable members on the other 3ide —if they are not honourable they ought to be. I heard somewhere sometime ago that a certain animal in the shape of a rattlesnake [laughter] —in the shape of a rattlesnake in a part of America, so fascinated, so fascinated a woman on her feet —[laughter] that in reality they were deprived of intellect and deprived of principle—[laughter] —and has any visitation of that kind . has any visitation of that kind afflicted hon. members? [Laughter]. Are they labouring under one of those political fascinations. [Laughter]. But, Mr Speaker, I will cut it short?’ Mr Cummings continued, amid much interruption, to address the House m a similar style, and after doing so for some time be was met by continued cries of “ question,” amidst which he sat down.