Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 27 March 1913, Page 39

Irish News

GENERAL. Right Rev. Dr. Higgins, Auxiliary Bishop of Tuam, has been presented with an illuminated address and a pastoral cross and chain by his late parishioners at Cummer. At the Sligo Corporation meeting a letter was read from the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire, stating that an illuminated address was being forwarded for presentation to Miss Mollie Hanney, Grattan street, for the heroic rescue of her little sister from burning. The Convention for the selection of a Nationalist candidate for the East Waterford vacancy was held on February 4 at Kilmacthomas, and Mr. Martin J. Murphy, of Tramore, was selected, and signed the pledge to sit and vote with the Irish Party. The Castledawson Hibernians sentenced at Derry Winter Assizes by Mr. Justice Wright to three months' imprisonment in connection with the riot during the passing of a procession were released on February 4, by the exercise of the Viceregal prerogative, after having been six weeks in prison. A strange story of an Irish landlord named Plunkett, who disappeared twenty years ago, leaving no directions as to whom his tenants were to pay their rents, was told at Athy Quarter Sessions, when Mr. C. E. Roper Leeson Park, Dublin, sued the tenants for arrears due. The tenants some years ago, it was argued, paid the head rents under compulsion, so that the Statute of Limitations did not apply. In the action brought against the Irish News by the managing director of Messrs. Workman, Clark, and Co., shipbuilders, Belfast, to recover damages laid at £IOOO for alleged libel, the venue has been changed to Dublin. The words complained of appeared in the newspaper under the heading ' Belfast Shipyard Pogrom,' the writer, who signed himself ' Simplex,' stating that Mr. Tom Murphy, who had been twenty years a faithful servant of the company, had been dismissed for being a Catholic.

THE LORDS AND IRELAND.

The voting of the Catholic Peers on the Home Rule Bill (remarks the Catholic Times) should dispose of the argument which is so often used by Unionist speakers to stir up fanaticism in Ulster that it is a measure intended by the Catholic Church and all faithful Catholics for the crushing out of Protestantism in Ireland. The following Catholic Peers voted in the majority of 326 against the Bill:—Duke of Norfolk, Lords Denbigh, Gainsborough, Westmeath, Llandaff, Braye, Gormanston, Clifford of Chudleigh, Kenmare, Killanin, Lovat, Mowbray, Seaton. Among the 69 Peers who voted for the measure were Lords Acton, Granard, and Mac Donnell. When Lord Llandaff as Mr. Henry Matthews, first sought a seat in Parliament he contested Dungarvan as a Home Rule candidate. Lord Gormanston explained in a letter in the Times that he is not opposed to the principle of Home Rule. He considers the present measure unsound and therefore voted against il with Lord Killanin, in whose speech deploring the Unionist attacks upon the Catholic Church he entirely concurred. Lord O'Hagan, who does not profess his father's religious or religious faith, voted for the rejection of the Bill, and the Marquis of Ripon, whose father was such a sterling friend of the Home Rule cause, also voted in the majority. It may be taken for granted that of the Lords who voted against the Bill not one did so on the ground that it would prove injurious to Protestantism in Ireland.

THE VICE OF INTEMPERANCE. The majority of the Irish Bishops deal with the vice of intemperance in their Lenten Pastorals. Cardinal Logue says he regards a parish without a temperance society as a neglected parish, doing little credit either to the pastor's zeal or the interest he should take in his flock. He advocates the creation of a sound public opinion against drunkenness which would dis-

grace and ostracise the victims, and for that purpose he commends monster temperance meetings. The Archbishop of Dublin says self-denial being the duty of all Christians, the faithful, especially at this holy time, should avoid drunkenness, a degrading vice, and the cause not only of many and most grievous temporal calamities, disgrace and beggary, s.ekness and sudden deaths, but also of the ruin and everlasting damnation of souls. The Archbishop of Tuam remains that there has been a steady and general improvement in the matter of temperance, especially in the West. Right Rev. Dr. Gaughran, Bishop of Meath, says strong prejudices against total abstinence are fast disappearing, and the cause of temperance is making progress. Right Rev. Dr. O'Neill, Bishop of Kilmore, says that the temperance movement has stirred the heart of the country, and that its prospects of permanent success are becoming more hopeful every day.

GOOD ADVICE. In the course of his Lenten Pastoral the Archbishop of Cash el says that the people of Ireland have a brighter outlook than heretofore, and please God, under a Home Rule Government, which was sure to come soon, their prospects would become brighter and realisable by that energy, industry, and skill which would be always indispensable to success. He exhorted the people to strain every nerve of energy and industry so as to live and thrive and settle their families' in Ireland, where, while they may not become rich, they can be very comfortable, surrounded by the richest gifts of nature and grace in an atmosphere of faith and piety within easy reach of all the means of sanctification and salvation. ' !

A SUCCESSFUL POULTRY FARMER. There are many more men than women (writes a London correspondent) engaged in poultry farming, and of the 44 candidates for the Poultry World's prize of a poultry farm in Kent for the best poultry farmer six were women, and one of them gained the prize. Mrs. O'Grady, the winner, is an Irishwoman who began business about eight years ago with three hens and a rooster. She has now a large farm near Cork, with 6000 birds. The competition was arranged by voting in counties, and the elected farmers were examined in London by twelve poultry experts. The questions were chiefly on the management of stock and laying out of a farm and preparing a balance sheet. Then four birds, each with a disease of its own, were produced, and the candidates were asked to diagnose the disease and prescribe the cure. The majority passed the last test successfully. The winner, it may be added, sells ho eggs in her business.

PERNICIOUS LITERATURE DENOUNCED. The Most Rev. Dr. Walsh, Archbishop of Dublin, in the course of his Lenten Pastoral, states:—Unhappily it has often been our duty to point out that there are in this city and diocese, as elsewhere persons calling themselves Catholics who, by taking part in the sinful traffic in publications of a debasing, seductive, or otherwise irreligious character, lend themselves to the diabolical work of undermining both the morals and the faith of our Catholic people, doing this for the sake of worldly gain, without heed to the warning words of our Lord, ' What doth it profit a man to gain the whole world if he suffer the loss of his soul V Let it be clearly understood that such unworthy members of the Church, as long as they persevere in their evil courses, are unworthy to be admitted to the Sacraments. Over and over again, for years past, our Catholic people have been reminded that, to a large extent, the remedy for the evil is in their own hands, and that, if they are in earnest about it, they can soon make the trade in such publications an unprofitable one. It has frequently been suggested to them that thev "->« +*"'<> most effectively by not leaving a penny of their. money for the purchase of —harmless, or even good, though it may be in itself—in any place in which publications of a demoralising character, whether exposed to view or not, are known to be on sale.

SIR J. G. WARD ON HOME RULE. A cable message states that Sir J. G. Ward was present and spoke at the St. Patrick's Day dinner in .London. He eulogised Mr. Redmond's wise and courageous leadership, and emphasised the fact that the oversea Premiers at the last two imperial Conferences, wherever they were born and whatever their respective creeds, were strenuous supporters of Home Rule for Ireland. Sir Joseph believed that Irishmen at Home were equally as loyal as those overseas. Incidentally he remarked that every Irishman in New Zealand willingly bore his share of the cost •of the gift Dreadnought. He attributed the remarkaole success of Irishmen in the overseas Dominions to the fact that they were trusted and that the insult to their manhood was not ever before them. It would be a great thing if Britain gained the goodwill of 25,000,000 Irishmen outside of Ireland. The needs of the Empire required that the festering sore near the heart should be healed immediately. It was a thousand pities that the Ulstermen differed, but the majority had rights equally with the minority. Many Ulstermen in New Zealand were living in amity with other Irishmen. If there was any interference with the Ulstermen's liberty or religion the British Government, which gave self-government x would take it away, and it would be backed by public opinion over the whole world. Mr. Redmond, who presided, proposed the toast of Ireland as a nation. He said the opposition to Home Rule was dead. Universal regret was expressed at the fact that the Parliament Act was delayed in passing. Mr. Holman denied that self-government was a big blot on the Englishmen's reputation for honesty and fair play. The history of the self-governing colonies had shown that they were ready to support the Empire every time that help was needed. It was wrong that a boon should be ruthlessly withheld in the very heart of the Empire. He concluded by hailing Mr. Redmond as the true leader of self-government. A RECORD ATTENDANCE. The record attendance of the Irish Party throughout the 233 divisions taken on the Home Rule Bill is an example, which is scarcely needed, of the high spirit of loyalty and discipline by which they are animated (says the Glasgow Observer). Mr. John E. Redmond, the leader of the Party, did not miss a single division, an unparalleled record. Honored place with him is taken by Mr. Thos. Scanlan, the able and trusted member for North Sligo, and Mr. Willie Doris. Mr. W. J. Duffy and Mr. J. P. Hayden only missed one division, and the record of the Party as a whole is one of enduring credit. It is interesting to contrast with this the attendances of the eight All-for-Ireland members. Mr. Wm. O'Brien was absent from 181 divisions, and voted against the Government (and, of course, against the Home Rule Bill), in three divisions. Mr. Maurice Healy was absent from 167 divisions; Mr. D. D. Sheehan from 189 divisions; Mr. Gilhooly from 125; Mr. Guiney from 88; Mr. J. Walsh from 147; and Mr. Crean from 83 and those of them who were present followed their leader and voted against the Government three times. The comparison is instructive.