GENERAL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 16, 18 April 1907, Page 28

GENERAL

The New Zealand Mission Our Irish exchanges' publish the following cable message from Mr. Mjirtin Kennedy, Wellington; * tci - 'Mr. John Redmond, M.P. :— ' New* Zealand mission a great success ; sending £4500. as first instalment to loyal, pledge-bound Party. Exclude 'dissentients and factionists from participating.' Commenting on the~ success of Messrs. Devlin and Donovan in this Colony -the Belfast 'Irish Weekly' says-:— Having secured nearly £20,000 for the National Cause in Australia, Mr. Joseph Devlin, M.P., sailed for New Zealand in December, and he was followed by lAs cclleague, Mr. Donovan, a month later. Both are on their homeward journey now : before them, under oceans and .over continents 1 , comes from New Zealand a message to the Irish Leader of hope' and good cheer— and with the message £4500' as the Island Colony's < first instalment ' resulting from Mr. Devlin's labors. This is more like a magician's work than a man's. There are more Irish- people in some baronies at home than in both islands of New Zealand ; and the spell thrown over the people of that land in the farthest South by the Belfast tribune of the nation must have been of a potency rarely felt in this country nowadays. The ends of the earth are with Ireland, and Ireland is being fought for at the earth's ends : but it is upon the work at home the issue will depend. The Parliamentary Fund In response to the appeal issued by the Most Rev Dr. O'Donnell, Alderman O'Mara, and Mr. John Redmond, M.P., nearly £2000 was subscribed up to February 22 to the United Irish Parliamentary Fund. The University Scheme While awaiting full details of the Bill for placing Irish Catholics on a footing of equality with their Protestant bretfifren as far as higher education is concerned, it could scarcely be expected (writes a Dublin correspondent) that the 'people would publicly announce their entire satisfaction with the Government's 'scheme Nevertheless the proposed settlement, as outlined -by Mr. Bryce, has been favorably received, and resolutions welcoming it have been adopted by important and thoroughly renresentative gatherings. The Senate of the Royal University, which might* naturally be expected to object to »its own effacement, has, in the very handsomest way, withdrawn opposition to the scheme in the interests of an early settlement. -Dr. Windle would, no doubt, like to get a university for Munster, but' he wishes the Government's proposal God-speed. Galway Queen's College asks to be included in the "plan. Belfast Queen s College is satisfied, and well it may be The lay professors of University College, Dublin, have adopted the following resolution of the Catholic Graduates' and Undergraduates Association :— "The Government's scheme of Irish University reform, designed to secure educational equality for Catholics, through the foundation of a great college in Dublin as a constituent college of a remodelled Dublin University merits our strongest support ; and we affirm our .conviction that to be in consonance with Catholic ideas and acceptable to the Irish people, such new college roust be granted (1) whatever Faculties in Arts and Science, equipment academic privilege, and public endowment ""any other constituent college of the common University may possess • and (2) the fullest possible measure of autonomy.' ' Population Returns The December returns (says the Dublin ' Freeman's Journal ') shciw again a small increase in the population of Ireland. This is the first occasion that we can recall when two successive quarters sho-wed that the number of emigrants had 'been exceeded by the natural increase of the population. The births registered duriner the quarter numbered 24,529, the deaths 18,182, and the emigrants 5263. There is thus an estimated increase of ™ ■ 'xi an ' d this liotwi thstan^»ing. an increased death-rate We thus seem to be approaching, at least, a balance of population. The significance of the returns is em> phasised by the steadily decreasing rate of decline in the population from year to year.