The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-10-29 00:00:00

IRISII DEMONSTRATION IN HYDE
PARK:

- t
protession

-
. A mdnster demonstration, consisting of
it
and a meeting in. Hyde Park, Was made 6'n Sunday
afternocti by Mr. Parnell's sympathisers in London,
at the instance of the National Land League of Great
Britain. The objects, as stated in the handbills
which were distributed in the course of the morning at
the doors of all the RoMan Catholic places of worship
on both sides of the river, was "to denounce the
cowardly and lawless action of the Coercion Govern-
ment in imprisoning without trial Mr. Parnell and the
other leaders of the Irish people, and attempting to
suppress by force freedom of speech and the right to
agitate for redress of grievances in Ireland."

The place appointed for assembling before proceed-
ing to Hyde Park was that part of the Victoria-
embankment between Waterloo-bridge and the
Charing-cross Station of the Underground Rail-
way, and soon after two o'clock contingents with
bands and banners began to arrive and took up their
places while waiting for others who had to come from
a greater distance. The hour appointed for setting
out for Hyde Park was two o'clock, but it was nearly
half-past three when the procession began to move.
At its head was the Poplar Land League, carry-
ing a banner which claimed for it the dis-
tinction of being "the parent branch " of the
local Land Leagues of London. A few men
on horseback marshalled the ranks and directed
the movements. Almost every one in the
procession wore a green rosette or badge of some kind.
The contingents, which 21 us ter e d about ten in all,
formed only the nucleus of a very large gathering,
which was swelled as it went on its way by accessions
from all sides. The route followed was by Trafalgar-
Square along Pall-mall, where in passing the Reform
and Carlton Clubs some cheers were given, up St.
James's Street, and through Piccadilly to Hyde Park.
The line of march was crowded with spectators on
both sides, and in Hyde Park the arrival of the pro-
cession was awaited by a multitude apparently attrac-
ted by curiosity, and probably outnumbering fivefold
those who took part in the demonstrations. It was
computed that in all not fewer than 40,000 persons
were on the ground.
It was about a quarter past four o'clock when the
Procession halted on the north bank of the Serpentine,
and there broke up into six different meetings, which
were addressed by speakers from as many waggonettes.
The following resolutions were read and passed en bloc,
amid loud cheers :

"(1.) That this meeting protests against the arbi-
trary and tyrannical action of the Government in in-
carcerating the chosen and trusted leader of the
Irish people, Charles Stewart Parnell, and the other
members of the Land League, and against their
further detention; (2) that we express our abhor-
re.nce and strong condemnation of their inhumanity in
disregarsling the critical state of Mr. Sexton's health
and in re-arresting Mr. Dillon, whose life, by their
own admission, would be endangered by further. im-
prisonment; (3) that we denounce the unconstitutional
attempt to coerce and intimidate the Irish tenant-
farmers, by the lawless and brutal attacks of the
police upon defenceless people, into accepting a worth-
less and impracticable Land Bill; (4) that this meet-
ing exhorts and encourages the Irish people to meet
force and intimidation, not by violence, but by a re-
plute, passive resistance, and to abide by the teach:
ings of Da.vitt, Parnell, and their other imprisoned
leaders, until the demand of the Land League, the
land for the people,' be conceded; (5) that in conse-
quence of the recent efforts of the Government to
suppress legal and constitutional agitation in Ireland
by the proclamation of the Land League, the legality
of which they but recently admitted, and in acord-
ance with the: manifesto last issued by the executive
of that body, we affirm that it is the bounden duty of
the tenant-farmers to pay no rent until constitutional
government is restored in Ireland, and if they adhere
to these principles, we pledge them every assist-
ance even to taking the places of those who may be
arrested."

The principal speaker was Mr. O'Donnell, M.P.,
who, in the course of his remarks, observed that they
had met to protest against the wholesale overthrow of
the liberties of Ireland. Alluding to the arrest of the
leaders of what he called "the Irish constitutional
movement," the interference with the right of public
meeting, and the prohibition of gatherings of farmers
who wished to discuss the best method of protecting
their interests under the new agrarian legislation, he
next proceeded to relate some instances of the ill-
treatment of the populace by the police. While
recently in Ireland, he said, he had been an
eye-witness of the unchecked brutality with which
officers of the Government were allowed and en-
couraged to treat the people. He had seen respect-
able men and helpless women and children struck
down on the Dublin pavement. Indeed, had not the
leaders of the popular movement exerted their in-
fluence to the utmost to induce the people to bear with
any provocation rather than give excuse for the em-
ployment of the military, the outrages committed by
the police would have led to bloody and terrible scenes
in the streets of Dublin. He denounced the Premier,
whom he repeatedly called "Judas Gladstone," for in
sisting at Leeds on the necessity of upholding law and
order in Ireland, seeing that he himself, during the
administration of Lord Beaconsfield, had been a noto
none sedition-monger and an enemy of his country, as
he had done the dirty work of Russia. He taunted
Mr. Gladstone with asserting that the Land League
were preparing test cases in order to deprive the people
of Ireland of the benefits conferred by the Land Act,
while the Landlords' Defence Association were allowed
without let or hindrance to prepare test cases with a view
to protect the interests of the landlords. He chal-
lenged the right hon. gentleman to summon Parlia-
ment at once and to defend from the Ministerial
benches the conduct of himself and his colleagues, and
he concluded by declaring his determination never to
cease his exertions to secure the rights of Ireland and
the possession of the land for the Irish people.
Cheers were given for Mr. Parnell, Mr. Sexton, Mr.
Dillon, and others, and the several meetings, which,
with the exception of occasional interruptions leading
to slight collisions, had been orderly throughout, then
terminated.—Monday's Times.