Home Rule for Ireland

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 38, 21 September 1905, Page 19

Home Rule for Ireland

To the Editor

Rev. Sir,— ln your ' Notes ' in. the last issue of the 'Tablet,' speaking of the deplorable state of Ireland, you say 'Cher great areas of the country the right of free speech" an 1 public meeting is abolished. M dinners ot Parliament dare, not attempt to address thedr constituents., unless thoy are satisfied ■to ha\e their faces broken by bludgeon-men in tho uniform of the Crown , and the liberties of the subjects aro at the meicies of packed juries, of judges who are appointed chiefly for their political leanings,' etc. This, though sketched in >a few words, is, indeed, a nvelanchioly pictuie of the state of dear Old Ireland. But what makes it more melancholy stijl is the fact that it falls short of the reality. Of course it would ha\e been impossible in such small space for e\en the Editor of the ' Tab Jet 'to give an adequate description of the conditions' that now prevail in Ireland. With such facts before their minds, I think the Irishmen of Now Zealand would be httlo ibetter than renegades if they 'do not join their fef.low-wuaitrynien in the Austiahan Commoiir wealth, m Canada, in the United States, in England and Scotland— in the world all over— to obtain Home Rule for their natne land. His Eminence Cardinal Moran, tin at distinguished Churchman and Irishman, initiated Ihe most practical scheme to secure support for the Irish Parliamentary Party m its campaign. Speaking to 20,000 people last St. Patrick's Day in Sydney, his Eminence suggested an annual Home Rule Tribute from the sea-divided Gael of £2(1,000 to be forwarded to the Party and to be contributed a s follows :— lreland, £10,000 ; United States, £5000 , Canada, £3000 , Australia and New Zealand, £2000.' Since then Cardinal Moran has carried out the part of his suggestion that relates to Australia. The bogey that Home Rule for Ireland would mean the dismernbersJiip of the Empire is regarded as the merest myth by his Eminence. And, in this connection, who is more loyal to the Crown, or who' better qualified to form a true estimate \of what would be good or bed for the Empire, than the learned Cardinal-Archbishop of Sydney ? Nearly sixteem years

ago the present Chief Justice of New Zealand,- J&r Robert Stout, stood side by side on platforms in Dumedin and Invercargill with John Dillon, advocating Home Rule for Ireland. Who will say that the Chief Justice is now, or was then, disloyal ? Or who will deny that he has the ability to ■•form a true estimate of what is good for the Empire? I hope you will pardon me for suggesting that you through the columns of your paper, make an appeal to New Zealand for assistance to the Home Rule Tribute. You tiave omly to ask, and I am certain you shall receive.— Yours, etc., „. T J. F. O'DONNELL. fet. Joseph's, Queens'town, September 18. (According to Mr. W. Redmond, an Irish Parliamentary delegation to these colonies is among the possibilities of the near future. The only thingi 4 we are aware of that might stand in the way would be an early dissolution of the Imperial Parliament, which, judging by present appearances, is an unlikely contingency. In the meantime (as reported in our last issue) Uie H.A.C.B.S. are moving in the matter, and to them, ami to all Irish organisations in tdie Colony, we commend tho eloquent appeal of our esteemed amd warm-hearted correspondent —Ed. ' N.Z.T.)