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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 18, 2 May 1907, Page 28

lie interest. We were informed by cable that the verdict was in favor of the plaintiff, but the damages were assessed at one farthing for each of the six libels. TYRONE— A Closely Contested Election The North Tyrone election, which resulted in the return of Mr. Redmond Barry, the Nationalist, by a majority of only seven votes, was in many ways' a remarkable contest. While at the general election, when there was a Liberal majority of nine, the percentage of voters who polled was 92.5, the percentage on this occasion reached the record of 97.09, ngures which give some indication of the hard work and perfect organisation of' the forcesi of both political parties, and also of the great interest manifested in the election. As "an instance of the complete Nationalist organisation, it is claimed that that vote was only one per Cent, short of the possible. One man came from Gibraltar to vote, several crossed from Efo2;land and Scotland, while one Church of Ireland missioner just returned in time for the poll. One old man of over 100 years of age was driven over eighteen miles lo the polling 'booth. The result was received with the wildest * cheering, and, as - the Right Rev. Mgr. McHueh remarked, forms .practically the last knock at the door of ascendancy in Ireland. WEXFORD— Death of a Venerable .Priest The Very Rev. Dean Busher, of Newtownbarry, who died on March 6, was born in 1825. He had a clear recollection of the resistance to the tithes in hfis native place, when thirteen people were killed and many wounded. The terrible famine of ' forty-seven ' and ' forty-eight ' he also recollected and the sufferings of the people. For nearly fifty-seven years he labored hard in the diocese of Ferns, and did much to promote religion and education. GENERAL The Fontenoy Memorial August 25th has been selected as the date for the ceremony at Fontenoiy, when the memorial to the Irish Brigade will be unveiled. The letters from the burgomaster of Fontenoy show the interest that is being taken locally in the memorial. Fontenoy has, from the beginning, been insistent upon its claimsi to the custody of the monument; and it is evidently proud of the decision that has recognised those claims. Church Property Insurance Company After paying the usual 5 per cent, dividend and transferring £1357 to reserves account, the directors of the Irish Catholic Church Property Insurance Company have been enabled to distribute £1000 out of the net Profits between the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland, ufider article 90 of the articles of association of the company. _ I The Friend of the People Speaking at the annual dinner of the St. Patrick's Club, at Oxford, the Chief Secretary for Ireland said that he was told since he went to Ireland that everything in Ireland was both political and religious. He was also told that no Chief Secretary enjoyed the complete confidence of anybody in Ireland, and he could assure them that although he was president of six bodies, he enjoyed the confidence of no single native in Ireland. Mr Birrell considered that English ideas had far too large a place in the Government of Ireland. Touching on the .education question, he deplored the state of affairs in Ireland at the present time, stating that over one million sterling was required to get buildings in anything like a decent state. He thought Ireland was at last awakening, and that the time would come when she would be a happy and a prosperous country, when there would be no • Chief Secretary left to reply to the toast of Ireland. Ireland, he said, had been described as a priest-ridden, country, but the priest had stood by Ireland in the time of her adversity, and was it likely that Ireland would turn against the priests now ? Ireland was beginning to take a lively interest in things' both intellectual and historical ■anil he believed had a great future before -her. '