The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-12-04 00:00:00

THE RENT WAR IN IRELAND.

THE PROCLAIMED MEETING AT SLIGO.

A Sligo correspondent, says that in consequence of
the drafting of a large force of police and cavalry the
prohibited Nationalist demonstration was not held on
Sunday. The police and cavalry entered the town
and took possession of the platform which had been
erected. Mr. O'Brien, M.P., Mr. O'Kelly, M.P.,
and Mr. Macdonald, M.P., with the local Nationalists,
succeeded in getting the Mayor of Sligo, who is a
Nationalist, to allow a private meeting to be held in
the lown-hall, where it appears that certain tactics
were agreed upon, in consequence of which Messrs.
O'Brien and O'Kelly, and two other local Nationalists
left in the middle of the night for the village of
Riverstown, where a platform was erected and the
chapel bell tolled. A meeting was held, at which Mr.
O'Brien denounced the Government in strong lan-
guage, and exulted in the fact that they were able to
overvome the Government's unworthy schemes for re-
pressing public opinion in Ireland. The police
threatened to arrest Mr. O'Brien, but he defied them,
and as there was only a small force of police in the
place the authorities thought it prudent not to take
extreme measures. Mr. O'Brien subsequently deli-
vered two short addresses in other small towns in the
neighbourhood, denouncing the trial of the Galway
rioters in Sligo. In the town of Sligo the police did
not allow any of the Nationalist leaders to address the
people, and the streets were kept clear by the police
and Lancers. Dr. Tanner, M.P., attempted to hold
an open air meeting in a field near the town, and had
jus; commenced to denounce the tyranny of the Go-
vernment and jury-packing when the police dispersed
the crowd at the point of the bayonet. At Ballygote
the parish priest, the Rev. Canon llacderrrott, re-
quested Mr. O'Brien not to hold any meeting. He,
however, attempted to address a crowd of people, but
the police threatened to arrest him and dispersed the
assembly.
A largely attended Nationalist meeting was held on
Sunday at Tully, near Castlebar, on the same lands
from which the tenants had been evicted. The Rev.
Canon Gibbons presided, and the speakers included
Mr. Deasy, M.P., and Mr. Mayne, M.P. Mr. Deasy
submitted a resolution approving of the plan of
campaign put forward by United Ireland. He said if
Mr. Dillon and Mr. O'Brien went to gaol the tenant
farmers would have others .t their back. Their cause
was the cause of righteousness, and they would come
out of the struggle victorious, and take their position
among the nations. Mr. Mayne moved a resolution
declaring confidence in Mr. Parnell and his col-
leagues, and pledging the meeting to persevere in the
restoration of a native Parliament. A Government
report was present, guarded by constables.
On Sunday arrangements were made for a monster
meeting at Killeagh, under the auspices of the
National League, for the purpose of reassuring the
tenants on the Ponsonby estate, who adopted the
plan of campaign, of the league's support. Five
members of Parliament—Messrs. Healy, Hooper,
Lane, Fox, and O'Hea—attended, and publicly stated
that their object was to show that the Government
prosecution had no terrors for them. The speeches
delivered were excep'ionally moderate and guarded.
The meeting was not largely attended.

A meeting of Nationalists at Blk Iburn on Moniay
night—Mr. M. Conway, M.P., pr3siding--passed a
resolution "denouncing the intimidating attitude
taken up by the Tory Government in its Irish
policy," and called "upon tenant farmers to stand
fearlessly to their rights by adopting the plan of cam-
paign, in the event of a fair reduction being refused
in times of depression," and then expressed "its
admiration for Mr. ohn Dillon and Mr. Wm.
O'Brien in their championship of tenant farmers and
the cause of Irish nationality.'
The United Kingdom Home Rule League, at a
meeting in London on Monday night, passed the
following resoletion : "That this Council views with
anxiety and alarm the reactionary and repressive
tendency of the Government in superseding Sir It.
Hamilton and proclaiming public meetings, and de-
nounces such changes in the tieatment of our Irish
fellow subjects as likely to occasion great public dis-
turbance in Ireland."

A meeting was intended to have been held at Cork
on Monday night to express public opinion in regard
to securing a fait trial for the prisoners at the ap-
proaching assizes, and to protest against jury packing.
The meeting, however, was prevented by the police,
who dispersed the people on their attempting to
assemble at the Court-house. The demonstration was
accordingly abandoned.
-
PROSECUTION OF MR. JOHN DILLON.

On Tuesday, in the Queen's Bench Division,
Dublin, the proceedings instituted by the Crown
against Mr. John Dillon, member for East Mayo, for
intimidation, commenced shortly after eleven o'clock.
As early as half-past ten there was a large crowd in
the Central Hall of the Four Courts anxious to gain
admission into the court. The moment the doors •
were opened there was a rush of members of the
Junior Bar, who in a moment filled up the seats
allotted to them. In the jury-box were half-a-dozen
fAdies, and in different parts of the court were to be
seen Parnellite members of Parliament, including
Alderman O'Connor, E. D. Gray, J. E. Redmond,
T. P. Gill, Deasy Stack, T. R. Cox, Jas. Leahy
M'Donald (City High Sheriff), Dr. Kenny, W.
Murphy, and T. Harrington (who was accompanied
by Mr. Stead, of the Pall Mail (iazette). On the
arrival of Mr. Dillon, accompanied by the Lord Mayor
and Mr. T. Sexton, M.P., he was received with a
cheer, and on his entering the court there was some
slight applause.
The citation served cn Mr. Dillon, and in response
to which he attended, stated "that an application
will be made on behalf of Robert G. C. Flower, of
Ballymahon, in the comity of Longford, district in-
spector of the Royai Irish Constabulary, to the
Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice
in Ireland, that you may be required to find sufficient
sureties to bo of good behaviour towards her
Majesty's subjects, and that in default of finding
mh
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are hereby informed that you may, if you so think
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and place, to show cause why such application
should not be granted, which application will be
founded on affidavit and declaration in writing and
oath, that Paid Robert G. C. Flower,- filed the 20th
Nov. 1886."
Justices O'Brien and Johnson presided. The
Crown was represented by the Attorney-Gen.v-gl and
Mr. Healy appeared for Mr. Dillon.
On the Attorney-General rising to open the case,
Mr. Healy applied for a postponement on the ground
of insufficient notice. A two days' notice had only
been served on his client, whereas in the commonest
process of law in the court the very least time
granted was eight days, and in some cases 10 days.
The humblest pickpocket, he said, always got a con-
siderable interval of time to prepare his defence. He
bad only been instructed that morning, and had not
had even an opportunity of reading the speeches on
which the charges were founded. He would like to
have an opportunity cf filing affidavits, or even to get
permission to call witnesses.
The Attorney-Getteral said he considered Mr.
Healy's application a reasonable one. Ten days was
the limit of time whith could reasonably be given in
that court. Anothez question was, when would the
court be constituted scam?
After some discussion on this point, it was arranged
that the wi,tnessep thould verify their information
with permission to the traverser to cross-exarcine them
on the adjourned haring. The following witnesses
then verified their Effidavits :—R. C. Flower, distlict
inspector, RIO.; John Mark O'Brien, district in.