The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-11-18 00:00:00

MR. BUTT, M.P., AT GLASGOW.

A very crowded meeting was held on Tuesday night,
in I flasgow, to hear Mr. Butt, M.P., dilate In "Home
Rule," especially in reference to Mr. Gladstone's late
speech at Aberdeen. The crowd anxious to obtain
admittance was very great, and not one-half were
gratifies'. A street fifty feet wide in front of the
principal entrance was packed by an interested but
orderly crowd. At least an hour before the advertised
time the private entrance was quite besieged, and
many ribs suffered, though not seriously. Mr. Butt
himself had the greatest difficulty in obtaining an
entrance.
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The Chairman (Mr. Ferguson) had for a time to
apologise for the hon. gentleman's absence, stating as
an excuse that Mr. Butt had had many a fight in
election matters and otherwise, but the toughest had
been his attempt to enter the City-hall of Glasgow,
the obstruction being caused by crowds. In opening
the meeting the chairman said he was for Home Rule
by legitimate means, if possible; if not, then he was
prepared for illegitimate means.
Mr. Butt in his opening remarks said that the vast
crowds present were a good omen for Ireland. He made
his appearance in the hope, anti his object was, to
place both before the Irish inhabitants of Glasgow, and
indeed the Scottish inhabitants generally, is plain state-
ment of what was sought in the new movement for
nationality of which the last year had witnessed the in-
auguration. Ile had faith and confidence enough in
I the strength and power of the Irish race to know that

if they honestly took up that movement, determined
to carry it through, they would do it. He had also,
he sail, faith in the wisdom of the British people,
that if they made, not the aristocracy, but
the masses of the English people who had no in-
terest in opposing Ireland, understand that
they sought nothing but what was fair and just, their
voice would be turned in their favour in demanding
fair play and justice for Ireland. An historical narra-
tive followed, and in the course of his remarks
he maintained that the Irish people could not have
free institutions in Ireland without having a parlia-
ment of their own, anti having a grievance, if the
English Minister disregarded it, the people were
really likely to have another insurrection to remedy
it. They had been told that the Church question was a
great grievance, and that its abolition would satisfy
the Irish people. How little they knew of the Irish
people who said that ! Ile wished to speak of Mr.
Gladstone with every mark of personal respeA, and
he beVevell he had in his heart - and he (Mr. Butt)
only wiled he would carry it out to the full ex-
tent—the god 1 tif Ireland. (A voice : "lie will.")
lie lielieved they were under a Minister anxious to
1141 good to Ireland. (Hear.) At Al eTtleen Mr. Glad-
stone had asked. What do you want? The answer
was, we want free Got eminent, witl t which no
country is prospermis. Ile saw that 'lay in a Scotch
usher, and in the Lotts Mallow, something not very
civil to himself ; but, besides, it was actually Fail I
that the verdict lately given in Dublin called for the
suppression of trial by jury in Ireland. on that jury
were some of the most respectable men in Dublin.
They were not sympathisers with crime ; seven were
Protestants, and all of them were men of whom no man
in Dublin would believe they did no tt decide honestly
and according to truth. (Cheers.) This.he was very
unwilling to say; but no mere conventional etiquette
would prevent 'him doing justice to his countrymen.
He maintained the verdict was a just one (that is,
he said, right). If that trial had taken place be-
fore an English jury—judging front the verdicts
English juries had given—there would have been no
hesitation in arriving at the same result. What he
objected to was this, that English and other papers
decided on evidence they did not hear, yet still they
were calling for suppression of trial by jury in Ireland.
Surely no English Minister of the present day would
be mad enough to make such a declaration of war
against the whole of Ireland. (Hear, hear.) Ile
believed in his conscience that if Irishmen could carry
on a federal union they would achieve all that the
most ardent Nationalist could wish. It was the only
chance of enrolling themselves together. What, then,
were they to do ? They ought to lay their case, and
to spend Koine time in doing it, before the English
people, and in that name he included the Scotch. lie
had such confidence in the English masses, in their
political wisdom and gener city, that if they appealed
honestly to them, they would join Irishmen
in their demands for Ireland. (Hear.) He hoped that
at the next general election the National party would
be able to return at least 80 members pledged to Home
Rule. (('heers.) He concluded by hoping that an
association would be founded in Glasgow for obtaining
Home little for Ireland ; but, in the meantime, the
local Irishmen SIM /Uhl wits k every way they could, by
argument and reason ; but on the day of action they
should remember that they had the electoral franchise,
and that they ought not to give it to any one who was
not in favour of flume Rule. (Loud cheers.)
A vote of thanks was awarded to Mr. Butt at the
dose of the meeting.