Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 48, 29 November 1900, Page 9

Irish News.

ANTRIM.— Big Steamers Building at Belfast.—LeWathans of the sea ' made in Germany ' are not to hold the sovereignty of the Atlantic very long 1 apparently ; nor is the mighty Oceanic to keep her record of size more than a few months from the present date. Messrs. Harland and Wolff have two vessels on the stocks at the Twin Islands, in iJelfaai, wLiou t-a^L surpass the Qe*»nnin by 2000 tons. They are not at present in an advanced condition, but even in their early stage have exoiUal inuoli comment and admiration. DUBLIN.— Mr. Plunkett and the Orangemen— Prior to the General Election the Right Hon. Horace Plunkett addressed a meeting of Orangemen in Dublin, when he declared himself in favor of a Catholic University for Ireland. At the conclusion of his remarks the members went into committee, and having discussed the terms of his speech passed a resolution calling on all Orangemen to support Mr. Ball, the opponent of Mr. Plunkett, for South County Dublin. The result of this decision was that both Mr. Ball and Mr. Plunkett were defeated, the Nationalist candidate having been elected. The first Members of Parliament returned.— Messrs. T, C. Harrington and William Field were returned unopposed for the Harbor and St. Patrick's Divisions of Dublin respectively, being the first Irish members elected to the new Parliament. Mr- Plunkett' s work appreciated.— The Right Hon. Horace Plunkett, member of the Irish Congested District Board, who was defeated for Dublin South by the landlords putting up another candidate, was banqueted at Dublin, and presented with a memorial signed by 20,000, urging that his retirement from his post would be a national calamity. Lord Dufferin, presiding. declared that the tribute represented every shade of politics, religion, and classes. Mr. Plunkett, replying to the toast, hinted that he would be unable much longer to retain the post. Posibly the difficulty might ultimately be overcome. It it very likely that Mr. Plunkett will be offered election elsewhere. GALWAY.— The General Election —The result of the Gal way election (says the fn«h Wiekly) was not altogether unexpected, but the majority by which the Tory Catholic was returned is even larger than the most sanguine of his friends could have anticipated. The Morris family have long been very popular in the City of the Tribes, in the welfare of which they have always taken a deep interest, and it was an open secret that of late the constituency, which had long been a family borough, was being carefully 'nursed.' LIMERICK-— Technical Education.— The Limerick Technical Education Committee, at a special meeting, agreed to a scheme for technical education in the city, subject to the approval of the Agricultural and Technical Education Board, Dublin. Under the scheme, the total receipts through granta and otherwise are estimated at £2015 annually, the expenditure being set down as £2020 out of the grants. The Christian Brothers are applying for £400 annually to establish chemical and science classes in their schools, and other charitable institutions also ask assistance with the same object. It was decided to forward the scheme and applications to the Dublin Board for their consideration. LONGFORD. — Mr. Justin McCarthy's Farewell Letter.— Prior to the General Election Mr. Justin McCarthy addressed the following farewell letter to the electors of North Longford : — ' A Longford constituency more than one and twenty years ago gave me my first opportunity of trying to serve the cause of Ireland in the House of Commons. During the far greater part of my time in Parliament I have represented a Longford constituency To a Longford constituency I have now to announce, with deep regret, that I cannot offer myself as a candidate for their suffrages at the general election. The people of North Longford have borne with generous patience my long absence f rsm my Parliamentary duties, but I feel that in the new Parliament they will have need of a representative who can give that close and constant attention to the House of Commons which the state of my health renderß it impossible for me at present to undertake or even to attempt. Ireland will have need in the coming Parliament of all the best services which her Nationalist representatives can give, and I see that my clear duty is to leave my place open to someone who can better fulfil all its requirements. The same faith in the Irish cause and its ultimate triumph which I felt when I first entered Parliament still, to quote the words of a great Irish patriot, " animates, consoles, enraptures me.' The duty of Irish Nationalist representatives is now more than ever to stand together as one compact body, and strive without dissension to maintain the cause against its opponents, of whatever section or party. Nothing but dissensions among ourselves can long postpone the certain triumph of the Home Rule cause. I still hope that I may live to see that triumph, and I shall spare no effort in the future, as I hope I have spared none in the past, to help towards regaining for Ireland her National Parliament. I take leave of my North Longford constituents with the deepest regret and the warmest gratitude, and also with the full belief that before long we shall celebrate the triumph of Ireland's cause. ' TIPPERARY — Death of a Clonmel Alderman-— The death is reported of Alderman Patrick Condon, one of the best known and worthiest citizens of Clonmel. He waß the eldest surviving son of Mr. Jeremiah Condon, a veteran of the Old Guard, and brother of Alderman Thomas J. Condon, Mayor of Clonmel, and Nationalist member of Parliament for East Tipperary. Born in May, 1818, the deceased from hia earliest days distinguished him-

self with the other members of his family in the memorable Rossa, Kickham, and Mitchell elections, and suffered imprisonment at that trying period, and exerted himself conspicuously in furtherance of the splendid reception given to Mitchell in Clonmel. His domestic life was amiable and most praiseworthy. He was an exemplary, practical Catholic ; a devoted father ; a faithful friend ; a capital business man— full of clear-headed energy and zeal, and clever capacity to master any business he took in hands, however difficult. WATERFORD.-Presentation to a Journalist-The literary «*ud composing staffs of the Watcrfc*"* ?"^ pr<w»nt«i their editor, Mr. Henry P. Lynam, with a beautiful clock on the occasion oi hia marriage. Mr. Patrick Hialc, foreman, made the presentation, and alluded to the kindly relations which had always existed between the editor and staffs, and wished him and his amiable young lady every happiness. Mr. Lynam thanked the staff for their great kindness, and hoped that the cordial relations spoken of would be always maintained.

GENERAL.

The Attorney-General and the Irish Unionists.— Speaking in Belfast the Attorney-General for Ireland .said .- It was unfair of a certain nobleman to accuse Mr Plunkett of what he was no more responsible for than the man at the Antipodes. Lord Ardilaun and his entourage were inflicting insult on insult upon Mr Plunkett, and trying to drive him from public life and thwart his beneficent policy. The Unionist Press and people of Belfast condemned the action of Lord Ardilaun and his followers. Lord Ardilaun had bought the Daily Esprei* to praise him. He got this paper to tell him he was wise, because no other paper would think of doing so. He paid the piper, and was entitled to call the dance. Praise was lavished upon him, and he was entitled to it, because it was his own ; and it had no more effect, or ought not to have any more effect, upon public opinion than if it were spoken by hi 3 own paid footman. They had been condemned and accused of allowing Ireland to remain in a state of anarchy, and had heard a lot about crime in this country, but he (the Attorney-General) said that there was never so little crime in Ireland, either agrarian or non-agrarian, than at the present time. There were in the whole of Ireland only 32 cases of boycotting, and yet if they belived what was said by the JJady E>-j>n.\< they would imagine that farmers in the South of Ireland were in terror of their lives, and that in Mayo and Kerry no one could purchase an evicted farm. At the time the E,rj>re™ ppoke of, farms were being taken at the rate of six a month, and 111) had been taken until January, IS'.iS, when the United Irish League came into exibtence. Mr Justice Andrrws had stated that in Mayo things were very peaceful, and there was not the slightest difficulty in letting grazing land. There was a lot of talk about William O'Brien's Unittd Irish League and ike duty of the Government to put in force the Crime* Act, but these \ie\vs were favored only by politicians who could not sco be) ond their own nose-., but they never saw the bad tffect it might haye — how it misjht close up the division and bring cash to empty coffers and strengthen their power ten thousand fold. The Irish Guards-— Wo have heard a £ood deal lately (saya the war expert of the )\ > stnmutt r (,//:</(<) about the Irish Guards, the corps which her Majesty directed to he formed as an indication of her appreciation of the gallantry uniformly shown by the Irish battalions during the war. This mark of her Majesty's approval has been greatly appreciated by the Irish soldiers of the' Queen, who do not, however, quite understand the principle on which the military authorities are acting in giving effect to — or rather in professing to give effect to— her Majesty's commands. Not a single commission in the new regiment has been conferred on an officer in any one of the Irish regiments which have done so well ; in fact, so far the main result of the formation of the Iri&h Guards has been to give a stimulus to regimental promotions in the other regiments of the Brigade of Guards. In the same connection it is worth noting that not a single non-commissioned officer in an Irish battalion has been promoted to commissioned rank — at least I can trace no such promotion — though commissions have been given with great liberality to sergeants in other corps. So far as I can see, the only tangible benefit which the Irish battalions have reaped from their gallant conduct has been a certain flow of promotion due to the large number of officers killed and the gracious permission of her Majesty to wear the Bhamrock on St. Patrick's Day. Statistics Of Crime.— Year by year the statistics of serioua crime in Ireland become more encouraging. The report of the Prisons Board for 189!) is no exception to recent records in tho evidence it affords of satisfactory progress. The number of persons Bent to convict prisons last year was 80, the number of discharged 109, and the number in custody on January 1, 1900, 332. Twenty years ago the number was 1,031, 30 years ago 1,230, and 10 yeara ago 1,631. Even more satie factory than these figures is the gradual disappaarance of the female convict. On the first of January there were only 19 women in convict prisons in Ireland, aa compared with. 212 in 1879. The figures of juvenile crime are quite as satisfactory, The number of convicted juveniles was last year 189, as compared with 222 in the previous year, and 462 in 1891. Twenty-two were girls. The report states that ' besides these six boys and one girl under 12 years of age, and 48 boys and 18 girls from 12 to 16 years of age were committed to prison as untried prisoners during 1899, but were not convicted.' The practice of Irish magistrates in sending untried prisoners to gaol has always been a scandal. Irish magistrates act in this respect as if every accused person were to ba presumed guilty until he had proved his innocence. The magisterial practice iB utterly irreconcilable with repeated judicial decisions, but, unlike English judges, Irish judges have never endeavored to improve it. It would be a more proper subject for some of their Assize addresaea than the political viewa they occasionally ventilaW,

Hailway Returns and the Tourist Traffic-— English experience h rare'y r^«pe;iel m Ireland (says E.iqnin miff), the trend ot esents in England fi-id-. no echo in the Emerald Isle. This has just been the case with regard t'-> the dividends of the. four principal Irish railway companies, the Great Southern and Western, the Great Northern, the Midland Great Western, and the Belfafit and Northern Counties. While English ordinary stock dividends have either been slipping back or have been maintained with great difficulty, the outlook has improved, if anything, in Ireland. This ia Jite Ui^Jj !..j lliu fact LLal crj^tooi.itic 'efforts ha,'- been ma" 1 " during the last year or two to bring the tourist attractions of Ireland uiuia uii.lci Llio liutiuc of the public. The result of these efforts has been a respectable addition to Irish railway revenue— an addition which has proved more th-»n sufficient to meet the increased cost of locomotive power. The net profits realised by tho Great Southern and Western for the firht half of this year was, accordingly. £ 17.">,: m, as compared with £171,41)2; that of the Great Northern, £158,.V.H, as compared with £181.119 ; th-xt of the Midland Great Western, £SS 049, as compared with £79,r>»>4 ; and that of the Belfast and Northern Counties, £~>\,:>:>l, as compared with £49.h1M. The companies hail no difficulty iv keeping up their ordinary stock dividends, and carried some whit larger balances forward. The ordinary stock dividend of the Gr^at Southern and Western regained at ."> p<>r cent, per annum; th.it of the Great Northern at r>[ per cent, per annum ; that of the Midland Great Western at 4 per cent, per annum; and that of the Belfast ami Northern counties at ."> per cent, per annum. The four Irish companies have also set a good example to their English contemporaries by forming reserve funds. An important amalgamation received legislative sanction ia the hst Sebsion of Parliament. This amalgamation was thp absorption of the Waterford, Limerick, and Western, and the W.iterford and Central Ireland lines into the Great Southern and Western system. The hold of the Great Southern and Western upon tin* South and South-west of Ireland will be strengthenel by this addition to its network, and economy in working will also.no doubt, be secured. There is another matter in which Irish railway companies are showing sound judgment. This is the provision of comfortabl", wt 11-insmajed, up-to-date hotel 1 -. Nothing is more calculated than this to secure a large mliux of tourists. The natural attractions of Ireland are, no doubt, trr^at and tempting ; but hitherto there has been a wmt of gool lodging accommodation. Death of a Distinguished Archaeologist.— The death of Miss Margaret Stokes removes from the field of Irish archaeology one of its most gifted and one of its most interesting explorers. Her work upon the remains of Christian art in Ireland and upon the tracesoflri-.li inllu in-.- on Continental art and literature (-ays an Irish exchange) pl.ie ><1 hei ri t'/e-wry foremost rank of ttu lents and writers. Sh- traced the. ioois'e^ or t!. iJ gn .it Irish nii—nr'-rn'-, on the Continent with loving reverence: and her books. I hr,u Months m the J',trr\t\ <f f'i,ni<i arid S/.r M.mtln in the Apinnnvs, are as tender a tribute to Irish --,untlin<>ss an 1 ivai. as th- work of Montalembert. Mian Stokes was almost the first to study the interrelations of Irish and Continental art, and her work in Uiat connection was full of auggestiveneps. and was in process of further discovery, as her lectures on the Monasterbou-e Crowes recently b ire witness. Here and there her writings betray a bias, due to the reading baok into Eirly Irish Christianity of some of the notions of modern Evangelicalism. But they are, on the whole, sound, and their author is worthy of remembrance with the great Irish scholars and archaeologists of the p isi.