Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 24, 11 June 1903, Page 9

Irish News

ANTRlM.— Belfast Tramways The Belfast Corporation is making arrangements to purchase the undertaking of the Belfast Street Tramway Company, whose lease expires in 1907. A scheme for purchase and arbitration is being drafted, and if the company agrees to it the transfer may be carried out at once. If the company does not agree, the Corporation intends to promote a Bill in the next Session of Parliament. CLARE.— An Over-Zealous Policeman The lesson received by Sergeant John Cole at Ennis Quarter Sessions the other day (says the ' Freeman's Journal ) will serve to remind him and other members of the Royal Irish Constabulary that they are the servants and not the masters of the public. Without any apparent cause the police officer interfered with a District Councillor, and that gentleman having protested against being addressed as a ' ruffian and a scoundrel " he was at once arrested. A charge of drunkenness and disorderly conduct which was preferred against him was dismissed, and the roles of plaintiff and defendant were reversed at the Ennis Quarter Sessions, when the jury brought in a verdict- of £100 damages against the overofficious sergeant for illeeal arrest, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. This decision, it is hoped will have a useful effect in compelling men like Sergeant Cole to remember that after all they are not above the law and that their uniform does not always protect them from the consequences of their petty tyrannies. DONEGAL.— Motor-Car Service At a recent meeting of the Donegal County Council a letter was read from Lord Leitrim stating that it was his intention to establish a motor car service between Strabane and Rosaprenna Hotel, each car being capable of carrying fifteen passengers, their luggage and mails. The route decided upon is via Letterkenny, Kilmacrennan, Milford, and Carrigart. As it would greatly add to the success of the service to prepare the surface of the road by steam-rollin- he askod the permission of the County Council to use rollers on these roads. He also asEed to be held indemnified against any breakages of pipes or bridges. The Council decided to grant permission to steam-roll the roads, but stated they could give no indemnity with regard to breakages, Mr.' Haima pointing out that Lord Leitrim could use the roads with a steam-roller in the same way as the owners of traction engines, who were not liable for breakages, except in cases where warning regarding the unsafe state of bridges was given. DOWN.— A Memorial It has been decided that the memorial of the late Lord Russell of Killowen, which is to be presented to the town of Newry out of the surplus funds subscribed for the main memorial, shall take the form of a bust of the late Lord Chief Justice, from the chisel of Mr. Joseph Swynnerton, a sculptor well known in Rome and London. DUBLIN.— A Marquis in Court The Marquis of Downshire appeared at Dublin Police Court recently to answer to the charge of having negligently managed his motor car in Lower Dorset street, Dublin, whereby an olderlv woman named Elizabeth M'Geo was knocked down and received injuries which proved fatal. Mr. Tobias, representing the AttorneyGeneral, stated as the result of the investigations which had already taken plare in that court and before the coroner, the Crown authorities had come to the conclusion that the unfortunate event which led to the woman's death was an inevitable accident, and the charge would accordingly be withdrawn. A Missing Heir In the Rolls Court, Dublin, recently, in the case of Colclough, deceased, Mr. Mvles Kehoe, K.C., applied for directions as to what steps should be taken, by advertisements or otherwise, to ascertain whether John Colclough was alive or dead John Colclough, who was the son of Thomas Colclough. senior, Dublin, had left Ireland for New Zealand in 1881. It appeared that he had been sometimes known by the name of Spam, and he had not been heard of since 1893, his last place of whereabouts being a place called Gisborne, a considerable distance from Wellington, New Zealand. The property involved was the farm of Adamstown. They did not allege that Messrs. Scallan had not done their best in the matter in order to trace him Mr. Ignatius O'Brien, X.C , on behalf of Mr. Roonev. trustee of the settlement of the first marriage of Thomas Colclouph, said everything had been done, but the advertisements did not state that John Colclough had also been known by the name of* Spain, and they agreed that it would be well to have further advertisements embodying that fact. Mr. Leech. on behalf of Thomas Colclough, a brother of John Colclough, submitted that tho advertisements already issued and the stepstaken were Sufficient. The Master of tho Rolls said John Colclough appeared to have pursued a very curious course. He adopted a name that was not his own, and that was not inserted in the advertisements Although everyone had done what they could it was absolutely necessary that there should be a further advertisement, but it. shoiuld be worded in such a way that he must be brought forward if he had any claim to make. He had never offered a reward for such information be-

anyone giving satisfactory proof of "jSS Col Sough's KERRY.— Bravery Rewarded Q rt^f th * c l* st in London of the Royal Humane ass sar&r&srs? &ra k G rs IE v "« overflowed its banks, when the horse got out of ritiJ ? h '^ and ' ?l? lu *K in £. overturned the cart into the dyke on the roadside. Clifford held on to the wheel while the horse got loose and swam out. Owing tothe JSS'hiS fniSS'^S' th * c CUr u rent ' two attempts to leach him failed. After four hours in this perilous S^fi on the four i 0i 0 ! 11 ' by lasting themselves together his PcS ' sucoeeded m reaching "him in time to save KILOARE — Death of a Priest By the death of the Rev. T. Molone^ P.p., Clonaslee, the diocese of Kildare and Leie-hlin has lost a useful and zealous priest, and the people of his parish a revered and beloved pastor. For some few years past Father Mok>ney had been in failing health, though he suffered from no particular form of disease. LIMERICK. -The Late Dean Mahoney The Very Rev. Dean Mahoney, S.M. (writes a Dublin correspondent) was attended in his last hours, and indeed, during his . long illness, by his friend of many HU'v he £ UF & n ?J' of lh&l h & Marist Fathers, Dublin, the AnrTi^hr- D + r. w atters, SM - The funeral took place on April 15, at Pallasgreen, County Limerick. Preceding the funeral were the Office for the Dead and Solemn Requiem Mass. The Very Rev. Canon Power, PP. rT y w£?fr ded b M High^ Mass *■£* sun ? by toe Ver y Rev Dr Watters, S.M. ; deacon. Rev. James Humphreys, C.C. ; sub-deacon, Rev. John Duggan, C.C. ; master of ceremonies Rev John Power, P.P. A large number of local priests attended. The Society of Mary was represented by the Very Rev. James A. Moran, S.M Provin- ? • i A\f ? ea , ns brother and sister and connections and friends filled the beautiful parish church. Before comm ™ g ** c venerated remains to earth, the Very Rev. Dr. Watters, S M., addressed the large assemblage, and after outlining the Dean's career and enumerating his many works for the glory of God asked his sorrowing hearers to mingle their prayers with his for the hapr^ repose of the soul of the deceased. The Dean was a great missionary priest, and no higher eulogy could have been paid him than that contained in a letter from Archbishop Redwood, of Wellington, who, last year in expressing the hope that the holiday that he was about to take in Ireland woVild restore his health, spoke of ' the great works which he had undertaken and carried to success for 27 years in the archdiocese.' MONAGHAN.— The Clan MacKenna Mr. P. T). MacKenna, St. Mary's Hall, Belfast, who is at present engaped m makine researches with a view to compiling an historical sketch of the Clan MacKenna of Iruagh, County Monaghan, writes, asking the assistance of the ' N.Z Tablet,' that he may be enabled to elicit important facts ' from fellow-clansmen as well as from others interested in Irish historical investigation. Scattered as members of the MacKenna family are throughout the United Kingdom and the British Empire generally as well a s in France, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Italy, the United States, and the Spanish South American'countries, and intermarried with other families of many nationalities it is not unreasonable to expect that valuable information, in connection with historical events of the last few hundred years, should be forthcoming. The nature of the information most useful in the compilation would comprise family documents, biographical sketches of remarkable individuals, bearing or allied to the name, monumental inscriptions, etc' WATERFORD.— Manuscript I ost Mr. Justin McCarthy. Mr. William O'Brien, M.P., and other public men have started a fund to indemnify Mr. M. F. Sheehan, of Ballyhussa, County Waterford, for the loss of the manuscript of a valuable work, containing a sympathetic and exhaustive series of pen pictures of life in Ireland. The manuscript was posted at the Newtown Post Office, County Waterford, being addressed to Benziger Brothers, New York, the well-known firm of publishers, but, unfortunately, it never reached its destination. The Postmaster-General has declined to reimburse Mr. Sheehan for his loss, on the ground that his Department is not responsible for the safe transmission of any letter or parcel which is not registered. GENERAL American Sympathy Mr. Thomas B. Fitzpatrick, of Boston, national treasurer of the United Irish League in America, forwarded recently to the national trustees in Ireland 10,000 dollars to aid the Irish Parliamentary Party in maintaining- its position in the House of Commons, and safeguarding the rights of the Irish tenants during the discussions on the new Land Bill. This makes the fojhrth instalment of a like amount, or 40,000 dollars in all which the League has sent to Ireland since the Ist of December. According to the ' Boston Pilot,' it is the intention of the national officers and national executive committee of the organisation to maintain a steady sup-

port of the men who are conducting the campaign in Ireland, so that friend and foe alike may know that the leaders in Ireland have the support of their kindred in America. The various branches of the United Irish league throughout America are taking active steps to swell the Irish National Defence Fund, the collections for which are now going on. The change for the better which has come about in Ireland has given a great fillip to the work of raising money, and new branches of the organisation are springing up daily. Th*j Royal Visit It is now definitely announced that the King and Queen will spend six days in Ireland in the third week in July. Need lor Improvement Mr. T. W. Russell, M.P., addressing his constituents at Clogher, said the new Land Bill was not a measure to be thrown chit, as was the Bill of last year. The Irish members of every shade would unite to improve it where improvement was needed. It would be a horrible calamity if an act of theirs should cause its rejection. Congratulations We (' Catholic Herald of India ') congratulate most heartily Mr. M. Finucane, C.5.1., on his selection as ono of the three members of the Estates Commission which is to control the operations of Mr. Wyndham's Irish Land Bill. His experience in land questions and the well-known ability with which hp grnppled them as Land Officer of the Darbhanga Raja and as Director of Land Records fully qualifies him for the honorable position to which he is called.' The Future of Ireland Many years ago Cardinal Newman, in an article appealing for a Catholic University for Ireland, mado a remarkable prophecy about the future of Ireland. The passage is well known to students of his writings, and even to newspaper readers, for it has often been quoted. It has been brought forward once, again by the ' Westminster Gazette ' in view of the Land Bill. '1 contemplate," he wrote, ' a people which has had a long night and will have an inevitable day. I am turning my eyes towards a hundred years to come, and I dimly see the island I am gazing upon become the road of union and passage between two hemispheres and the centre of the world. I see its inhabitants rival Belgium in populousness, France in vigor, and Spain in enthusiasm ; and I see England taught by advancing years to exercise in its behalf that good sense which is her characteristic towards everyone else.' Banking Statistics The report on the Banking and Railway Statistics of Ireland for the year 1902, prepared by the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, has been laid on the table of the House of Commons. It shows that the deposits and cash balances in joint stock banks at the close of the \ear amounted to £44,450,000 (exclusive of JL1.H90.000 (Jon eminent and other public balances in the Pank of Ireland) as compared with £42,92.'i,000 at the end of 190 l Tin-, represents an increase of £1,527,000, and is the hiuhest amount ever reached, though the report is aprain careful to point out that these balances are not to bo taken as complete bases on which to form an estimate of the prosperity of the country. The total amount m the Post Office and Trustees Sa\ in^s Bank was £11,470 000 as compared with £10,797,000 at the end of 1901, being an increase of £673,000 tor the rear . £(5O."),0()() of this increase was in deposits in the Tost Off cc Sa^ ings Bank/5, and £68,000 in those of Trustees Savings Bants. The report also shows that the amount to December. 1902, of Government Funds, India Stocks, Guaranteed Land Stocks, and War Stocks, on which dividends are payable at the Bank of Ireland, showed an increase of £1,362,000 as compared with the amount at the close of the preceding year. The Gordon-Bennett Race Preparations for tho Gordon-Bennett race are being actively pushed ahead (says the ' Freeman's Journal ') According to Mr. Cecil Edge, who has thoroughly inspected tho Irish com so, the roads compare very fa\orably with those on which the Paris-Vienna race was held. ' Of course,' ho said, in an interview with a ' Westminster Gazette ' representative recently, ' you cannot compare any roads in these countries with those of France. There you get a stretch of straight road forty or fifty miles long, and jou can put on your top speed and allow your nerves" some relaxation. But on the Irish course, it will be a matter of a man being on his mettle the whole time The longest straight piece of road is not more than nine miles at the most, though in tho whole race of Just over 851 miles there are 221 miles of straight. There are two rather bad hills on tho Irish course, one known as Windy Gap and the other KiLrush Hill, tho bottom of which is the finishing point of the race. The road has a i*ood many sharp corners, though they are nothing like so dangerous as those in last year's race A better road could have been found in England, but altogether it is a course over which a very fair race can be held., and that car which ia tho fastest will win.'