THE IRISH ENVOYS

New Zealand Tablet, 4 May 1911, Page 810

THE IRISH ENVOYS

ARRIVAL IN WELLINGTON

MR. REDMOND'S VIEWS ON IMPERIAL POLITICS

The Irish Envoys— R. Hazleton, M.P., W. A. Redmond, M.P., and J. T. Donovan—arrived in Wellington on Monday by the Rotorua from London. They were welcomed (says the Wellington correspondent of the Ota (/o Daily Times) by Mr. Martin Kennedy (who has arranged the New Zealand tour), Dr. Cahill (president of the reception committee), and other members of the committee. I had a brief chat with them on board the steamer, and subsequently obtained an interview with them at the Grand Hotel, where they will stay while in Wellington. All three Envoys are young men and unmarried. Mr. Redmond, stout, clean-shaven, and young (he is only 25), is the image of his father, who when he first visited New Zealand was younger than his son now is. Mr. Donovan, who has a pleasant Irish manner, was here on a similar mission some four years ago, so he is already known to many,New Zealanders: Mr. Hazleton is the'third member of .the party, and perhaps the cleverest. He' is certainly very earnest. u A number of people had assembled to witness their landing,' and these cheered the three delegates as they set foot upon New Zealand soil. Mr. Redmond, who seems to be the chief spokesman, said the delegates were looking forward to a successful tour through New ZeaHnd, and hoped to get a considerable sum of money. They needed funds because the last two elections within the space of one year had cost the Irish party £20 % 000 >r and now the Unionists had raised a fund of £IOO,OOO to fight Home Rule. The party was delighted with the result of the hist general election. The Liberals were returned with p majority, the Irish Party had a larger majority than it had in the former Parliament, and the coalition against the Lords was a very strong one. Wales is solid for Home Rule,' Mr. Redmond remarked, ' and there is only one Scotch member against it apart from the University members. To say you are in favor of Home Rule means you are in favor of Home Rule for Ireland, and to say you believe in Home Rule for Ireland means you believe in Home Rule all round. At the last election Home Rule was made an issue of the Liberal Ministry, and their present majority of 130 stands pledged to carry a Home Rule Bill. If the Parliament Bill is passed this year, the Home Rule Bill will be introduced next January. There is a pledge to that effect.' , Will not the Unionists make a great effort to haw Home Rule excluded from the operation of the Parliament 'They have already tried and failed. Lord Lonsdale's amendment was defeated. Clause 2 of the Parliament Bill provides that if any bill is passed by the Commons and sent up to the Lords in three consecutive sessions it will then become law without requiring the sanction of the Lords. If the House of Lords throws out the Parliament Bill it will make an even bigger blunder than it made in rejecting the 1909 Budget, for Mr. Asquith has as good as said that he has in his pocket guarantees from the King that, if necessary, enough new Peers will be created to pass the Parliament Bill. That would mean a permanently Liberal House of Lords, and that is something which the present House of Lords does not want to bring about.' And when you get Home Rule what will the Ulster people do? .-.■:.: 'They will be Home Rulers, too. The. Ulster faction has opposed every successive Land Bill and every concession and reform until such have been obtained against their efforts by the Irish people, and then they have been the first to take advantage of those very measures. .. It will be just the same with Home Rule. Once we have a Parliament in Ireland there will be no anti-Home Rulers in the country. Already Ulster is beginning to come into line. My own election in East Tyrone last December 's *>ne of the indications. It is art Ulster constituency, and I am a southerner, and was quite a stranger there before the campaign, yet I was returned by a majority of 140 on a 99 per cent. poll. A large proportion of those who voted for me must have been Independents, Orangemen, and Presbyterians. Similarly there was the ' election of Mr. Joseph Devlin (who visited New Zealand with Mr. Donovan four or five years ago). He was returned for West Belfast by a majority of nearly 500, and that electorate also, is largely composed of Independent and Protestant voters. : J y Ti/r ™ be i Split i in tllft Nationalist ranks being mentioned, Mr. Redmond remarked that in consequence of a statement made by Mr. O'Brien before the election it was taken for granted that he would capture thirty seats from. th Nationalist party. Never was a greater shock felt by the Tories and the anti-Irish politicians in England than when they found that only eight O'Brienites had been elected, and all for constituencies in and about the city of Cork where Mr. O'Brien's personal prestige : and influence were supreme.

'"'Would you care* to say anything about the attitude of the Nationalists in regard to the Coronation? We have had cablegrams about v it. .O ; ?. V ' We are not taking part in any ceremony. , We are holding aloof, as we "have always done in the oast from any ceremony of the kind, and as we always shall do until we get Home Rule. When the King visits Ireland he is assured of a most hospitable and hearty welcome, but there will not be any official welcome. This is a matter of principle, and the principle will never be departed from. It is not a matter of any sentiment against the King, nor against the English people; it is simply a protest against the Constitution as it stands at present.' Mr. Donovan mentioned that when he toured Australasia in 1906 with Mr. Joseph Devlin, they collected £23,000 for the Nationalist cause, including £SOOO from New Zealand. To-night the delegates are being entertained at dinner by Mr. Martin Kennedy, and to-morrow they will be formally received by the Mayor, and will lunch with his Grace Archbishop Redwood. To-morrow night they will be the guests of Dr. Cahill at dinner at the Wellington Club. On Wednesday they will lunch with the rector of St. Patrick's College (the Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy) and the faculty, and at night they will address a public meeting at the Town Hall. , 1 ' The Mayoral reception to-morrow will not be a public function. Only the delegates and members of the local committee will attend it in the Mayor's room. Subsequently the delegates will call upon the acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. Jas. Carroll). Mr. Martin Kennedy has received a telegram from Auckland stating that at a preliminary meeting there £420 had been subscribed. A telegram from Hokitika states that an enthusiastic meeting was held there, and it was decided to invite the delegates to address a public meeting. In the larger centres it is probable that all three delegates will address meetings, but in connection with the meetings at the smaller towns, the delegates will separate, Mr. Hazleton taking one series of meetings and Messrs. Redmond and Donovan the other series.

THE ENVOYS. The Belfast Irish Weekly, writing of the departure of the Irish Envoys to New Zealand, gives the following personal particulars of Messrs. Hazleton, Redmond, and Donovan: Mr. Richard Hazleton, M.P., is a native of Dublin, where his father has been for many years a prominent commercial man. He is just over 30 years, having been born in 1880. He was educated in the famous College of Blackrock, and began to take an active interest in public affairs at a very early age, for he had barely attained his majority when he was elected member of the Blackrock District Council and the Rathdowne Board of Guardians. Even previous to this he had taken an active part in National affairs, and he was one of the speakers at the first United Irish League Convention,, which was held in Dublin in the year 1900. He took a keen interest in municipal reform and also in the Gaelic League movement. In 1906 he contested South Dublin against Mr. "Walter Long, and made a gallant fight against a certain amount of Nationalist apathy and a register stuffed with Tory 'lodgers.' The sudden death of Mr. Thomas Higgins on" the night of his election for North Galway created a vacancy in that division in 1906, and Mr. Hazleton was immediately returned unopposed. His battle against Mr. Healv in North Louth in January, 1910, when he was defeated by only 99 votes, and his subsequent victory over Mr. Healy in December of last year, which was followed by an election petition, will be fresh in the public memory. Mr. Hazleton is one of the ' promising ' young men of the Party, and this ' promise' is based upon considerable actual achievement. He is a fluent speaker, and an able writer on many subjects. It will be remembered that he arrived home from a voyage to the Argentine on the eve of his election for North Louth in December last. Mr. William Archer Redmond, who won East Tyrone last December by a majority of 140 after a vigorous battle, is the son of the Irish Leader. He comes "of a race of patriots. Redmonds were hanged for their part in the struggle of 1798. His grandfather,, who bore the same name, sat as member for Wexford County from 1872 until his death in 1880, while his uncle, Mr. William K. Redmond, has been for nearly 30 years one of the ablest, most active, and most popular members of the Nationalist Party. The Member for East Tyrone has just passed his twentyfifth birthday, and he was called to the Irish Bar last year. His first public speeches were delivered in Belfast in'support of Mr. Joseph Devlin during the West Belfast contest of January, 1910. In the interval between that and December he had taken so active a part in the National struggle that the East Tyrone Executive, under the guidance of Mr. W. J. Harbison, unanimously selected him as the Nationalist standard-bearer when Mr. T. M. Kettle's professional duties necessitated his resignation in December. « Young Mr. Redmond threw himself whole-heartedly into the contest, and his return was regarded as one of the great victories of the General Election. His maiden speech in the House of Commons was the subject of sincere congratulations from all sides.

• Mr. John T. Donovan is an Ulsterman born, but, as his patronymic indicates, he comes of an old Cork family. The name has been a prominent one in Southern affairs for very many centuries. Mr. Donovan has been throughout the course of his political life actively identified with" Nationalist politics in Belfast city. He served a legal apprenticeship with Mr. Thomas Maguire, solicitor, Lombard street; and in this city practised successfully since his name was added to the roll of solicitors some years ago. Just five years back he was selected by Mr. John Redmond and the Irish Party as Mr. Devlin's colleague on the exceedingly successful mission to Australia and New Zealand, which was conducted by the Member for West Belfast and his friend, and comrade during the year 1906 and part of 1907. This mission resulted in the consolidation of Australia and. New Zealand sentiment in favor of Home Rule and in the addition of £23,000 to the National exchequer. Mr. Donovan will, therefore, be in a position to act as " guide, philosopher, and friend to his colleagues during the progress of the present 'expedition,' as he has travelled oyer all the ground previously, and has friends in every city and town and most of the villages throughout ' Australia and New Zealand. He is a member of the Standing Committee of the National Directory, and a general favorite in Belfast and Ulster Nationalist circles.

ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING AT AUCKLAND.

(By Telegraph from our own correspondent.) May 1. A large and enthusiastic meeting to welcome and assist the Irish Envoys on their visit to Auckland was held this evening in the Marist Brothers' School, Pitt street, Bishop Cleary and the following clergy were present: Rev. Fathers Golden, Holbrook, Patterson, and Tormev. The meeting was representative of all classes and creeds. The following resolutions were carried: —Proposed bv Mr. W. J. Napier—' This meeting extends a cordial welcome to the Irish Envoys—Mr. Richard Hazleton, M.P. for North Galway; Mr. William Archer Redmond, M.P. for East Tyrone, and Mr. John T. Donovan, B.L.,—and trusts that their mission to Australasia may prove eminently successful.' Proposed by Mr. J. J. Sullivan, seconded by Councillor P.M. Mackay—'This representative meeting of Auckland citizens affirms the principle of full Self-Government for Ireland, under which our Dominion as an integral part of the Empire has flourished, and pledges itself to assist in every effort made by the Irish Parliamentary party, under the leadership of Mr. John E. Redmond, M.P., to procure this inestimable boon for Ireland.' Proposed by Mr. Hall Skelton, seconded by Mr. Thomas Long That a collection in aid of the Irish Parliamentary fund be forthwith taken up, and shall be continued until the public meeting in His Majesty's Theatre on Friday, June 2; that lists be distributed to those who are willing to assist in the collection.' ■ The collection taken up in the room resulted in £420 being subscribed. The greatest enthusiasm prevailed as various speakers made their points. Cheers were given with greatest vigor. No meeting held here evoked such whole-hearted responses.

WAIHI.

(From oar own correspondent.) April 24. i „ An enthusiastic meeting of Home Rule supporters was held in St. Joseph's Schoolroom on April 23, Very Rev Father Brodie presiding. The question of inviting the Irish delegates to Vvaihi was carefully considered, and it was decided to write to the secretary of the Auckland committee, stating that owing to the present depressed state of the town that the amount raised could not be expected to reach that of Mr. Devlin's meeting some years ago, but that the people would do their best to ensure a successrul. meeting. A committee was formed ,of which Mr. McLean was appointed chairman, and Mr. Collins secretary _ Another public meeting is called for next Sunday to which representatives from Paeroa and Karangahake will be invited.

GISBORNE. . May 1. " At a meeting called for the purpose of arranging a reception of the Irish delegates, £B2 was collected in the room.