Petition to Mr. Seddon.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 23, 5 June 1902, Page 19

Petition to Mr. Seddon.

The following is a copy of a petition to the Right Hon. R J. Seddon, urging him to bring before the Conference of Colonial Premiers and Imperial statesmen the position of affairs in Ireland, which was open for signature at the door of St. Joseph's Cathedral on Sunday morning :—: — Dunedin, May, 1902. The Right Hon. R. J. Seddon, P. 0., LL.D., Premier of New Zealand, London. Hon. Sir, — We, the undersigned Irishmen of New Zealand, being fully cognisant of the liberal and broad views you have at all times held, democratic views and aspirations, which we need hardly repeat have endeared you to the people of this fair and progressive country, and believing that we voice the feelings and opinions of the majority of the people of Dunedin — indeed we are perhaps safe in saying that ot all ISew Zealand — would respectfully ask that at the Conference of Premiers in London (at which you will, we doubt not, take a leading part) you will bring the subject of Ireland's discontent prominently before the deliberations of the said Conference. It being without doubt to the best interests of the British Empire that the Irish would be contented and loyal, there is hardly n question about it but they would be if the grievances, whiuh friend and foe admit exisc, were removed. The land question is at the bottom of nearly all the trouble. If the people got the land agitation settled it would go far towards a settlement of all other minor matters. In any country that is landlord-ridden, and in this case many of them not of the people even, we do not wonder that there is unrest, discontent, and perhaps \ ant of that loyalty which a free and contented people can alone give in a whole-hearted manner. And we again repeat that if the Irish people and their representatives were treated with more justice and consideration no people would be more loyal — aye, a tower of strength — to the great Empire of which they form an integral part. Again, Hon. Sir, we must say that we know of no one who i« better fitted by the administration and practice of liberal laws in the country you repres-ent as Premier — we say that no one is better adapted to prove to th^ world what land laws and compulsory f-ale of large estates will do for a people than yourself. We believe, hon. sir, that by taking a leading part in the final settlement of the Irish question you would achieve a signal act of triumph an behalf of still further cementing the bonds of unity in an important portion of the Empire. — We remain, etc