Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 29, 19 November 1897, Page 9

Irish News.

ANTBIM.-Big fclaze in Belfast : £50,000 Damage.-On Friday, September 10, the most serious fire that h.a occurred in Belfast for many years broke out in the block of linen warehouses at the south corner ot! Kianklin street, and ju->t ojiposite to the place where another destructive lire to >k pl<*ce a fe>v month'- back. About twenty minutes past two o'clock, Constables Mo 1 - onne 11 and Murphy, who were on beat in the vicinity, notic. d smoke issuing in great volumes from the premises of Ale-sr-*. \V. 11. McOall and Co., Lmeuhall street, and immediately t lephoued from Gleu^all street Barracks for the Fire Brigade. The brigade, w ith its u-ual promptitude, turned out, and were in a very brief space of time at work on the fire. Mr. Parker btought all his avail ible men upon the scene. It was at once seen that the fire had got a firm hold of the building, for when the firemen arrived the flamt s were issuing from the roof. The block in which the fire was faced Linenhull street, Frnklin street, and McCavana's place. Numerous gets from the mains were brought into play. The warehouses were occupied by Messrs. W. R. McCall and Co., Messrs. Moore and Weinberg, Messrs. Hugh Macaulay and Sons, Messrs. Elliott Brothers. Messrs. A. A. Johnston and Co.. Messrs. Robert McCrum and Sons, Mr. .T. B. Ehiolt, and Messrs. Kidd, Boden, and Co.. At the rear of the block in McCavana s place there are a number of small dwelling: houses, and the inhabitants were early awakened by the police. The flames were shooting up in great volumes into the air, and t-o fierce and intense was the heat that the firemen were in the greatest danger, and they hud the utmost difficulty in getting to close quarters. Three steamers were got to work, but it was a long time before any apparent result of the brigade's efforts was to be seen. The men worked with all the energy and perseverance of whioh they have, on former occasions, given abundant evidence. A large crowd had by this time collected, but were kept in bounds by the police, so that they did not impede the operations of the brigade. At the end of two hours most ot the warehouses mentioned were burning fiercely. The members of the fire brigade continued to pour water upon the burning mass in large quantities, and in order to do this more effectually in some cases the men had to occupy positions of great peril. They performed their duties with great coolness and nerve, and did not shrink from the most dangerous task. Between four and five o'clock the continued exertions of the brigade began to tell on the flames. A fireman named James Armstrong about this time met with a very serious accident. lie was standing near the window on one of the floors ot McCall's premises when the floor above fell and hemmed iiim in close to the wall. He was quickly rescued, but not before he was severely burned. The ambulance was sent for and the injured man conveyed to the Royal Hospital, where he is receiving every care and attention. Shortly after five o'clock the fire was under control and all fear of its spreading to the other warehouses further up the street was at an end. The fire, which originated in the centre of the block, had caught hold of several of the premises ere it was discovered, and the difficulty of reaching it was very great. The inflammable nature of the contents made the task of the brigade one of extreme dnlieulty. The damage done is estimated at CHI.UU 1 ). Orange Ruffianism in Belfast : Catholic Houses Attacked. — The Duke and Duchess of York had hardly embarked on board the Royal yacht in the Roads at Carrickfergus when an illconditioned section ot the popul ice in Belfast took occasion to vent their paity feeling. No one will be surprised to hear that it was left to Belfast to murk the clo-e of the Royal visit by such a d'splay of religious rancour. Excited crowds, carrying sticks, p.ir.idt d the main thoroughfares singing party songs and actii g in a defiant and boisterous manner. The police had to interfere. Many of the children who at times were being conveyed by tram homewards trom Oriniston struck up snatches ot the " Boyne Water," and in Donegall street expressions insulting to the Catholic religion were, sad to say. loudly u^ed by juniois. Alter the departure of the Royal visitors from Belfast a milita r y band returnui to the Victoria 13 ir racks, North Queen street, escorted by a large crowd. North Queen btrtet is a Catholic and Nationalist quarter. No sooner had the barrack gates been closed on the regimental musicians than the mot) began to cur&e the Pope, sing the National Anthem, and cheer tor Sandy row and the Shankhill road. They ne\t flung volleys of stones, of which they had evidently a plentitul supply, towards the houses in North Queen street, and a number of windows were smashed. No opposition party making an appearance, the Orange rowdies moved down Lancaster street, which is mainly tenanted by Catholics, and attacked several houses. The shopke pers adjoining, alai\ned by the violent demeanour and conduct of the mob, tried to shutter their windows, but bjf'ore they were successful a strong party of the " lambs" demolished the windows in houses in North Queen street. When the pocketful*, of ammunition with which they had come provided were exhausted they picked up loose stones and uprooted others from the footway. The windows in St. Vincent's Hall were smashed, and plate-glass windows m two publiehouses were perforated with paving atones. At length ayxi.ssr of the R. I. C. appeared and the rowdier scattered. ARMAGH.— ChiId Attacked by a Ferret.— A singular occurrence touk place on Tuesday. September 14, at Kinnego, at a 1 short distance from Armagh. A child, aged nine months, named Anita (irate ltulston, belonging to a respectable farmer named James Rolston, was ferociously attacked by a ferret which the father kept for the purpose of ferreting rabbits and rats. It appears that the child was bleeping in a bed in a compartment separated by two rooms from the pi. ice where the ferret was confined in a box. Both the father and mother were out on their farm attending to some harvesting operations, and the father's attention was attracted by the cries of the child. On coming into the house he iound that the ferret had broken loose, and hud attacked the poor child in the most revolting fashion about the face. Dr,

Fergus, of Blackwatertown, on examining the child and treating it recommended the father to send it to th«* Armagh County Infirmary» where it now lies under the care of the recide.it surgeon, Dr. Palmer. CLARE.— Limerick Magistrate Fined.— An Ennis correppondent writes :: — •• At la-t week's petty sessions, before Mr. Willis (.111 the chair) and Messrs Newton Uiudy. R.M., and H.B.Harris, ,-ergeant C>-le, Clare Castle, summoned Mr. Alexander Bannatyne, •!.¥.. Woods-town, County Limerick, for riding a bicycle on the public fo itp.ith. A good deal of lo'jal interest centred in the case, fhe sergeant deposed that while he was sfanding at his barrack door he saw tho defendant pass on his bicycle. He called on him at o.ice to h... 1t,, but the defendant, getting on the ro id, continued hi& journey. Prosecutor pursued him alon-jr the street, shouting at him to halt, but the defendant went on until he was stopped by two police nen who were returning from patrol. Mr. Kerin, solicitor for the defendant, said the latter thought he had complied with the law when he ha'i got off the footpath when called on. He was not aware he was doing anything wrong by riding on the footpath. The Bench imposed a fine of Is and Gs lOd costs." The Shannon Fisheries. — There have been enormous takes of herrings in the Lower Shannon, during the fine weather of September. The principal catches have been on the Clare bide of the river. The prLe is, in consequence of the glut, low. Splendid herrings were sold at the Kilrush market for Is 10d par hundred of six scores. A large quantity was disposed of at Cilin at the rate of 3a 6d per hundred. To the po >r fishermen, who had not been able to earn anything for the previous five weeks or more, the "run" of fish has been a regular Godsend. To householders, too, it has been a boon, as they have been enabled to obtain a dainty article of food at a trifling price, DUBLIN.— The Royal Visit; Telegram from the Queen.— The Lord Lieutenant has received the following telegram and letter : — Balmoral. To Lord Lieutentant, Dublin — I thank you very much for your kind telegram received yesterday evening, and am greatly pleased to hear of the very loyal and kind reception my dear grandchildren have met with everywhere in Ireland, and would ask you let this expression of mine be generally known. V.R.I. Mountstewart. Newtownards, Co. Down, September Btb, 1897. Dear Lord Cadogan — I cannot leave Ireland without expressing to, you, on behalf of the Duchess of York and myself, our very sincere apppreciation of the warm and enthusiastic welcome which has been accorded to us during our visit by all classes, and in all parts of the country. Nothing could have exceeded the kindness and hospitality v Inch have been shown to us, and the agreeable impressi ns which we have derived from our visit can never be effaced from our memory. I regret that the limited time at our disposal render d it impossible for us to see many districts in a country which contains so much that is beautiful and interesting. I hope, however, we may have furthir opportunities of improving our acquaintance with the people of Ireland, and with the country of which they are so justly proud. Believe me, very sincerely yours Gkouue. Mr. J. H. Parnell and the Paris Funds.— Mr. J. H. Pamell has written the following letter to the Dublin Irecman: — "Dear Sir. —Would you kindly allow me space in your paper to say something in reference to the dispute now going on in connei tion with a certain portion of the Paris Funds, which are said to belong to the Parnell estate. I consider it my diry, in justice to my brother's creditors, to corroborate all Mr. Redmond said in his speech the other night in reference to that question. I am glad Mr. Redmond brought out the truth before the notice of the public, and particularly before the notices of the creditors. I have been a long- time thinking of exposing the business myself, but refrained. Some people most likely thought Mr. Redrn"iid's speech was a political one ; but it is unfortunately all too true. I also roticed some articles in the papers in reference t) his speech. .- o.ne of the articles were p *ssibly written or inspired by interested p ople, who are retaining the funds, and who said that my brother never expected the ' personal ' debts to be repaid, and that the portion of the Paris Funds now claimed by the Parnell estate was a personal and not a political debt. I deny the truth of these statements. This debt is a political and not a personal debt. I say it was a political debt, and one which he always said should bo refunded out of the general Paris Fund. The £.">,<JOO was obtained at the Hibernian Bank and spent for political purposes. My brother borrowed th.it sum lrom the bank because he did not like to touch the origin U fund at the present, as the original fund was invested in securities whioh he had recommended to be bought with said fund for a rise, and, not wishing to prevent securing any profib which might be obtained from a rise, he got the money on his own name from the bank, intending to repay the bank on sale of securities. It is a disgrace, then, to any Irish Party to even wish to retain that portion of the Paris Fund, which was really pledged to the bank. It is a disgrace to deprive my brother's property, and especially his creditors, of the money in justice now due. Now, my brother's property cannot be settled without that portion of the fund being released. I think it is a disgrace to the country at large that his property cannot be settled after pledging it and his name to help on the late Irish political movement. If this sum is not released, and that immediately, his property must pass out of our hands. I have also been given to understand that his creditors are blaming me because his property is not settled and his debts paid off. In justice to myself, I and the other members of the party must deny these charges from the creditors, and must now throw the responsibility on those who refu-e to release the fund. My brother'B creditor must also insist on that sum of the Paris Fund being turned over to the Parnell estate. It is my duty to push the parties who are refusing to do justice to the man who is dead. I insist on having that sum released. The Parnell creditors have been waiting patiently for years, and they must be paid. It his be^n bad enough to have hounded my brother to death without

now wishing to destroy his property and his family. I will resign my place in Parliament before I allow the property to be destroyed, and his family insulted any longer. 1 hope, then, the Irish people, who subscribed this money at my brother's call and placed it unreservedly in his hands, will now take action to make clear whether or not they desire this debt of JC.1,000 to bo paid out of i»i. — Yours truly, John H. Pabnell." A Tribute to Irish Taste and Industry.— The Drapery World, referring to the Textile Exhibition in Dublin, writes: — (> When it is remembered that the products exhibited, only to be admired are nofc the result of such organised industrial conditions as we possess in England and fc-'coiland, it> must be confessed that they bear eloquent testimony to the assiduity and the artistic taste of the workers, (riven a people with the artistic ideas and thp d^tt finders of the workers, who have produced the exhibits, it is pl,:in enough that with technical education and an organised industrial system, Ireland is quite able and only too willing to enable us to rival the finest textile achievements of the Continent." From the commencement the exhibition, which was the outcome of Countess Cadogan's interefet in Irish industries, received the most liberal patronage on the part of the public, and to her untiring support and influence a large measure of its success is undoubtedly due. On the closing day a most interesting ceremony took place in the Central Hall, when an address was presented to Countess Cadogan as a tribute to her efforts in organising the exhibition. Advantage was also taken of the occasion to present the secretary, Mr. W. T. Macartney Filgatc, J.P., with a number of pieces of silver plate, in recognition of the zeal and devotfon he has shown on the occasion of the organisation and management of the exhibition. The presentation took the form of the following : — A plain Irish two-handled cup, Hi inches high, copied from the " Cruiskeen Lawn," weighing 183ozs. ; two richly-chased jugs, copied from one of her Majesty's collection at Windsor Castle, encrusted with figures, flowers, and scroll work, and of the size to contain a magnum of claret ; two oval-pointed 9Un. beautiful pierced and chased fruit dishes on scroll base, .two oblong 12in. pierced and chased fruit and flower dishes, copied from the antique Irish cake baskets, all of solid silver, bearing the following inscription :—: — " To W. T. Macartney Filgate, Esq., J.P., from the exhibitors at her Excellency tho Countess Cadogan's Irish Textile Exhibition, representing every county in Ireland, for his zeal and devotion as

secretary and manager of the exhibition—' Nothing succeeds like success.' " GALWAY. — Poor Rate Collectors threatened with Dismissal : Curious action of the Local Government Board.— '-A. Portumna correspondent writes: — Tlio L0.;.il Government Board, in a letter received by Mr. John Cosgr.ive. acting clerk ot Portumna Union, has pointed oat that the rate collector-, still retain balances in hand, and it is announced that should the-e ollicers persist in the practice they will be removed from oflioe. The matter came before the Guardians' meeting yi>terd:iy iitternoon, when the action oi' the Local Government Board wo--, very btrongly condemned as a piece of -vexatious ral-Upciom. For halt a century, with the approval of the Guardian*, trie Local Government Board and the sureities of the collector^, the latter, to facilitate tlio easier keeping of the accounts, retained the odd pen c and shilling-, when making lodgments ho that the credits in bank would appear in round sums. These trifling balances, from a few pence to a few shillings, were put to next lodgment, which was again made in even pounds sterling. The practice is. curiously enough, attributed to either the suggestion or requirements of an auditor of the Ijoc.il Government Board itscll. The officers, the (inurdians thought, should ha\e been first cautioned or -warned, as the ( fleet ot the threat of a sealed order is more serious than appeals on p.ijicr. It is a •■ record ' in Dublin to be used in iuture to the pn judice oi the otlicial concerned. It is to lie ob-irvnt thai, since the <Ui.udi.uis openly defied the Local Go\ eminent Baud o\i r the nuns' uniting question, and challenged them to send down as many sealid orders as they liked, Portumna L'nion wm-iiis to be specially favoured with petty annoyances from the authorities in the Custom House. The Carmelite Fete at Loughrea.— The Abbey Bazaar and Fete promoted by the Carmelite Fathers in a-d of their church improvement scheme closed on Fiiday, September Id, and from the opening day until then was a continuous success, notwithstanding the intervals of unfavourable weather. The Uev. Father Benedict, Prior of the Abbey; Joseph Coon, Vincent Finnerty, Cyiil Ryan, Francis Barry, and Ignatius M'G rath hud charge ot the aimngcmentt-, which were faultless in their way, and afforded much pleasure to the thousands who patronued the various entertainments from this and other parts of East and South Gal way. The musical programme was looked after by tho Rev. Brother Joseph, from St, Josephs Blind Asylum, Drumcondra, who had his band

down. The performance of the pupils from that splendid institution was greatly appreciated. The following ladies assisted at the stalls : — Cafe Chantant — Mrs. Geraghty, assisted by Mrs. Duffy and the Misses Larkin and Hayden. Fancy Stalls — The Misses o' Fan-ell, Loughrea and Portumna (presiding), the Misses Dolpin (presiding), assisted by the Misses Doherty, Supple, and Morrissey. Flower — The Misses Kelly (presiding), assisted by the Misses Conway, Phillips, Coffey and Halldrew. Refreshments — The Misses Duffy, Dunne. Connell, ODea, Doherty, and Hynes. LIMERICK.— The Evicted Tenants— On Sunday, Sep. teinber 12, a great me. ting of Nationalists of all classes at Athea, County Limerick, resolved to rally to the support of the evie'ed tenants, and to answer Archbishop Croke's splendid appeal for unity agaiubt the land-grabber and his '• ignoble trade." Mr. William O'-Drien delivered a stirring speech on the occasion, in which he enforced the necessity of unity for the evicted tenants and {or the object for Avhich the evicted tenants suffered. There never was a time when the value of the struggles of the evicted tenants ought to be more apparent to the people of the country. The landgrabber has onco more appeared amongst them. In the time when the evicted tenants were making their battle, with the country solid behind them, there was very little news of the land-grabber. When tho grabber, who is amongst the meanest of God's creatures, finds, however, that there is no organisation, and that even the evicted tenants themselves are left to pine on the roadside, he rears his head unblushingly once more. Nothing but the trumpet call of another agrarian agitation will send him back into his hole once more, MONAGHAN — Catholicy in the North : New Church for Monaghan. — AMonaghan correspondent writes: — "On Sunday, September 12, after 12 o'clock Mass in St. Macartan's Cathedral, his Lordship the Most Rev. Dr. Owens, Bishop of Clogher, entered the pulpit, and, addressing the large congregation present, said he was at last in a position to announce to them that he had secured a site for their new church — the site upon which their fathers had prayed. Many a time, when he was curate in Monaghan, he had heard the late lamented bishop say of the site of their old chapel, that there was not a lovelier one in town if only they oould get four or five teet by means of which they could enlarge it. Now they practically had that site. He had to add that the site, suitable in

every way, had been acquired at a very cheap rat \ He should add a word by way of expressing his thankfulness to Lord Itossmore for giving this site to the Catholics of Mona^han. At the subsequent mccciujr his Lordohip submitted the plans of the new building, and informed those present that the excavations for the foundations would be commenced about Tuesday. The meeting thanked his Lordship for the manner in which ho had pushed inattoro forward.' GENERAL. The Failure of the crops : A Sorious Outlook.— The testimony <>t all clashes in th'j country to the disastrous failure ot the crops continues 1o be of the stromuv-t possible kind. Farmers, shopkeeper*, and landlords all a^ree that then! is a very serious ( utlook b^tore the people thisyoir. Mr. Gladstone and Sir William Harcourc deplore the situation which his arisen, and the le.ider oi tliu Opposition declares th.it it the accounts uf thu condition of Ireland are Jill that in represented (Joverninent action will have to be taken. .Sir William llarcourt aids some sensible observations upon the folly of welcoming a rise in the price of bread as an advantage, wlien in reality it is a misfortune which must press most, on thusf lea -table to bear it. Tho increased price ol wheat this year, t.ir from benefit tiii;^ Irish agriculture, will tend to aggravate Hie di-ti.'^s which li.i-. already arisen. Tli » <!<)v> rnini'ut are i Mill. lidA'escr. itiieti\e. 1,1 I rel.uid the :nth n n ies who shonll be tlie lir-t .ire tlwiy-> the la-^t t<i -.d- the mv • -Mly ot tikniL 1 mea^urt s I to sivc the penjili' from --t irs.ition. The Irish Prisons Board Report. —The statistics contained in (he nuvteenth report ot the fri-^h Prisons Board show soiue satisfactory teaUuvs. One of these is tho fact that tlie percentage of prisom rs punished is lower than it ever has boon : the oiht r is the decrease within the p,v-t se\en or ti^ht ye;u^ in thu liuinber of juvenile olfendi ns. F<r ]xs:i ;«) the to'al of buy and jjirl p.isuners was lii.}, while fcr (.he Litest period under leview the numbers have sunk down to 207, or considerably lev, than halt the original figures. An item ol interest contained in the report is the i-tutement that be^nin^ mipo-tois sent'Ticcd to impribornnent sire made to contribute to their keep fiom any fuivib they may po^ess, mid it is related that in one instance one of these pr.som.Ts was found to have no le.-.s than i12.">0 secreted on her person. The Land under Cultivation.— The Ke^istrar-Gentral in hit: rcpoit to the Lord-Lieutenant withe agricultural statistics p|

Ireland for 1897 states that the total extent of land under crops is about 4| million acres, being nearly 100,000 acres less than in 189 G. The decrease was very minute in Leinster and Munster — about a two hundred part in each — but in Ulster there was a falling off of 37 per cent, and in Connaught of 33 per cent. There was an increase of 126,911 acres under grass, or about one eighteenth of the whole ; an increase of about 10 per cent, in fallow land, a slight increase in woods and plantations, and a slight decrease in bogs. There was an increase in wheat : but. taking all cereals, there was a decrease of 12,970 acres ; and in green crops there was a decn-ase of 32,414 acres. A startling diminution has taken place in the amount of land under flax in Ulster as compared with 189G, amounting to 37 per cent. In live stock cattle increased by nearly ."iG.OOO, sheep by nearly 77,000, while pigs decreased by a little over 77.000, and horses by 19.G83. The number of poultry increased by nearly a quarter of a million since ISBG, and attained the highest figures recorded for the past ten years, viz., 17,7G5.71 I.