The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-11-27 00:00:00

THE BOYCOTT EXPEDITION.

Writing on the 21st, the Dublin Correspondent of The
Times says : _

The work goes bravely on at Lough Mask, and the
conduct of the Ulster men, as well as their efficiency,
is a theme of general praise. Their diligence, energy,
and skill might be imitated with advantage by the
labourers of the west. All hands were busy yesterday
threshing in an open yard with three threshing
machines and flails improvised for the occasion
to accierate the work. A supply of ordinary flails
has been telegraphed for to assist the threshing
machines. It seems like getting horses to help
the railway, but the machines are not adequate to
the service required, and the men are determined
that their task should not only be well done, but
done quickly. They mean really to deserve the title
which has been given to them thP "Boycott expedi-
tion." All in camp are in good health, and bear the
inconveniences and hardships of their abnormal life
with exemplary patience and cheerfulness. The air is
bitterly cold, so that water freezes in the tents; but
brisk exercise keeps up the animal beat. The soldiers
and constabulary, who are not so actively occupied,
feel the frost more severely; but there is not a
murmur of complaint, and the utmost good feeling
prevails among all ranks. The constabulary have a
hard time of it, being kept constantly on the alert,
with little rest or respite. Their commissariat, how-
ever, is well attended to, and all that is possible
is done to mitigate their discomfort. The thoughtful
good-nature of many persons who have sent news-
papers and songs for the entertainment of the labourers
and others in camp is gratefully appreciated. They
will begin to-alorrow to draw home Captain Boycott's
hay from some out meadows, and as this, like any
other work upon their farm, must be done under the
protection of an escort, the cavalry horses have been
sent into Ballinrobe to get their shoes prepared for the
service. The roads are so glazed with the frost that
until rinking is added to the cavalry exercises the
most expert rider would fail to pilot his horse safely
upon them with ordinary shoes. The camp is strictly
kept, and no one admitted to any part of it who cannot
give the countersign or produce a pass. These precau-
tions are the more necessary. as some Land Leaguers
have had the effrontery to endeavour to get in by false pre-
tences. Accounts from Lough Mask to-night state that
the aspect of the camp to-day presented a striking change
from the busy scene of yesterday, all being perfectly
still. A cold, cutting wind had succeeded the frost
and is more acutely felt. Divine service was per-
formed to-day by the Rev. Mre Brodie, rector of
Ballinrobe, and was very numerously attended by the
labourers and other men in the camp. The continued
hostility•of the people to Captain Boycott was shown
yesterday, when some cattle were being driven in to
Claremorris under an escort of constabulary in order
to be conveyed to Dublin for sale. When the police
were ob3ervedand it was found who the owner was the
mob hissed and hooted with great bitterness. An
escort of fifty men, with a.cavalry patrol, will accom-
pany the labourers to-morrow to 13,-,ng in Captain
Boycott's hay from a farm situate seven miles away.

ARRIVAL •OF MR. MICHAEL DAVITT FROM AMERICA.
Under date Nov. 21; the Cork Correpondent of The Times
writes :

Mr. Michael Davitt arrived yesterday from New
York in the Cunard steamer Batavia. He is the
bearer of presents to Mr. Parnell from his American
friends, including a handsome gold ornament with a
shield and crest and the freedom of the city of Chicago,
with an address handsomely illuminated and framed.
Speaking of his work in America, Mr. Davitt said he
had established branches of the Land League in nearly
every important city in the States, from New York to
California. In New York there were branches of the
League in every ward. He was everywhere well re-
ceived, and beyond doubt public opinion in America
was favourable to the Irish land movement. All the
Press in the States, with the exception of the pro-
British Press, had pronounced a verdict of condemnation
against landlordism. All the Irish-Ameriean and
Catholic organs had endorsed the programme of the
Land League. As an instance of the great interest
which was evinced in America with regard to the
movement, Mr. Davitt stated that several of thedead-
ing American papers had taken steps to be supplied
with special correspondence during the winter
months. The question had taken great hold of the
American Press. They must compete with the land-
lords' organs in Ireland and England in moving the
favourable opinion of the American people. The
people in California were deeply interested in the
movement, beeause there was a system of landlordism
growing up there with which the people were
becoming dissatisfied. He explained that his object
in coming home at this period was that he had pro-
mised to be back in November, knowing that the
crisis of this movement would then arrive, and he
thought that, as an official of the Land League, it was
his proper place to be in Ireland during that crisis.
While he admitted that a good deal of work was yet
to be done in America, he thought that such progress
had been made there, that the interests of the move-
ment would not suffer by his absence. He believed
that the result of the present agitation would be the
entire overthrow of landlordism. He expressed his
belief that the prosecutions would be abandoned, as
they were under the last Administration, but in the
event of their being proceeded with and a conviction
being obtained, he thought the movement would he
carried on, probably with more earnestness than
before. Nothing short of the total abolition of land-
lordism would settle the question.

Speaking at a land meeting held near Mallow,
county Cork, Mr. Michael Davitt said nothing tended
more to insure their cause with the American people
than the casual acts of violence which injustice
prompted some to commit in some parts" of the
country. The landlord organs here and in England
took care to colour these occurrences so as to represent
them as directly resulting from the agitation and the
teachings of the Land League.
On Sunday,- at Strabally, a land meeting was held,
at which about 10,000 persons were present. Bands of
music attended from various places. The Very Rev.
J. Magee, D.D., presided, and said he had pleasure in
doing so, as the people were only in pursuit of their
lawful rights. He counselled them to act on the
principle of legally combining in their efforts to
secure fair rents until Government was prepared to
bring in a Bill that would be a practical settlement of
the land question. Dr. O'Neil of Athy, proposed a
resolution to the effect that the absolute • power of
landlordism has been at all times the fruitful source
of poverty and discontent, and that the people of
Ireland can never be prosperous or contented until
the tenants are the owners of the soil they cultivate.
Mr. P. Cahill seconded the resolution. Mr. Lalur,
M.P., also spoke, and resolutions were passed calling
upon the tenants to pay no higher rent than Griffith's
valuation, and not to take any farm from which a
tenant had been evicad.

Writing from Dublin on the 23rd, the Correspondent of
The Times says :

The Boycott expedition reached an interesting
stage to-day, when the first trophies of victory, in
the form of 57 sacks of the newly-thrashed corn,
were despatched to Cong for shipment to Gal-
way, and thence carried by train to Dublin. This
morning being tolerably fine, it was resolved to
take advantage of a bright interval in the weather
to cart in the oats. Eight carts were loaded by nine
o'clock with the help of the soldiers, and the singular
cortege then marched to Cong. A guard of cavalry
escorted the eight carts. Then came the labourers,
with an escort of the Irish Constabulary; then i fifty
men of the 86th Regiment, under Lieutenant
Howe; and after. them Colonel Twentyman, w'ho
is ever ready to take his share of any duty, however
disagreeable. With him rode Mr. H. Robinson,
wearing the wide Tam O'Shanter cap which is worn
by the leaders of the labourers, and has obtained
for them the name of the Tam O'Shanter Brigade.
The procession was closed by a party of cavalry,
and behind this a rearguard of Hussars. On arriving
at Cong they unloaded the carts, and delivered the
sacks of oats to Lord Ardilaun's agent for con-
veyance by steamer through Lough Corrib to Gal-
way. Thence they were to be brought by train to
the Dublin market. The procession then wound its
way to the meadows, and in about an hour they had
the carts freighted with hay and brought it into
camp. In the meantime the weather had changed
for the worse, and rain fell in a continuous downpour,
which drenched the whole party to the skin. All
bore it in the best spirit. The country-people,
however, do not show their good humour, but evince
a sullenness to the strangers which is not a usual
characteristic of the Irish peasantry. It is ex-
pected that the work will be all done on Thursday,
anl the expedition will then return to the place
whence it came, and by the same route, sleeping at
Ballinrobe, and marching next day for Claremorris,
en route to Dublin. Military, constabulary, and
labourers will all lee glad to receive orders for marching
home, but are determined to leave no work undone.

" Boycotting " has extended to the county Kil-
kenny, and is at present being applied to a tenant
who, contrary to the wish of his neighbours, paid his
rent in full. It appears that the tenants on the Glen.
more estates, Kilkenny, having resolved to meet the
agent and offer him Griffith's valuation, one of them
withdrew and paid in full. The fact soon came to the
knowledge of the others, and at present no person will
either speak to him or have any dealings whatever
with him. The Ross shopkeepers have refused to serve
him with the necessaries of life. He has written to
his landlord, asking him to peturn the money, as
otherwise he will be comPelled to give up the land and
leave the country.

An extraordinary occurrence has taken place in the
vicinity of Castleblakerwy, county Galway. Some
^OO farmcri az,zemblcd whoro a tenant farmer waz
recently evicted, and commenced building a house on
the land from which he had been turned away. A.
number of masons, carpenters, and thatchers com-
menced working at midnight, and by six o'clock in
the morning the house was finished, after which the
tenant was reinstated in the holding. A large force
of police attended, but did not interfere with the
work. Subsequently a meeting was held, at which
the people attended in large numbers. The following
resolution was passed: " That, as we believe Ireland
can never be prosperous until every vestige of land-
lordism is swept from Ireland, we hereby pledge our-
selves to support Mr. Parnell in his just and noble
struggle against the worst landlordism that has ever
cursed any nation."