The Irish Envoys

New Zealand Tablet, 22 November 1906, Page 22

The Irish Envoys

A meeting' was held in the Board Room of the Agricultural Hall, Dunedin, on Tuesday evening for the purpose of taking steps to accord a fitting reception to the liish envoys, Messrs. Devlin and Donovan, on their arrival in Dunedin.

Mr. J. B. Callan, .who presided, explained the object of the meeting, and said he had no doubt whatever that the public meeting which would 'be held when the Irish delegates, Messrs. Devlin and Donovan, arrived here, would be very' successful. The Irishmen of Dunedin, and the bulk of the Scotchmen anrf Englishmen were in favor of Ireland's demands, .and he was' encouraged in this belief by the fact that previous meetings were most successful, for example that of 1885, when Messrs. John and ..William Redmond were here, and met with a "splendid reception, and, were treated in a very fair and impartial rnan.ner by the press of Dunedin. It was the '"same in 1890 on' the occasion of the visit of Mi*. John Dillon and Sir Thomas Esmonde, and also" later an' when Mr. Davitt visited" the Colony. The delegates have . been . sent out to the colonies to make known the claims of . Ireland and to collect funds "to ' help the Irish Parliamentary Party. The\only "way that"lreland can .succeed' in getting her • demands" granted' is by r sending a strong and powerful ,body ! to the House of ; Commons, to advocate her claims! 1 ' cannot . leave their business without .'getting sOme Parliamentary^ grant. To keep *'up~ this representation meant a -.great deal' of money, and unless National representatives were supported the other side would see' that we were weak, and no attention would be made' to the demands of Ireland. To carry out the object- for

which., the .meeting, was called , he ,wpuld , suggest the appointment r of a good. , working committee, with power to take all -steps necessary for' the' reception^ of Messrs. Devlin 'fend Donovan/ and ■ also to' make ■ ' the necessary arrangements : .for < s . ,the holding ' of, a public meeting in Dunedin. Judging , from the -, past-he -belt oved that the meeting , would be a' most' successful and enthusiastic one. " ' ■ ... , . 4 On the motion of Mr! C. A. Shdel a committeeon the. lines suggested by the chairman was set up Rev. Father Cleary said that he had been in communication with the delegates for "the last three ■ months, .and the latest information he had received was to the effect that "Mr. Devlin would leave 'Melbourne for the Bluff on November 28, and that Donovan would come around by "Wellington It .was possible the delegates might be in Dunedin between December 5 and », so that it was necessary the committee should be put in working order at once. He moved that a secretary be appointed. After a conversational discussion Messrs. T. Dcehan and C. Columb, jun., were appointed secretary and treasurer respectively. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the business.