The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-05-14
Il ,rning Star and Catholic Messenger.


AlsCkIl4AMEOUS irish NEWS.
The audacious proposal of Mr.. Lambert
the colleague of Mr.. Disraeli, in the repre-
eentation of BuckiDghamshire, to assimilat'
the Jury Law of Ireland to that of Scot
land was under discussion in the House o
Commons ON Wednesday. The arguments
by which Mr.. Lambert strove to induce the
House to agree to his proposal prove thai
that gentleman is just as wise in matters Of
state policy and as well informed about the
state of Ireland as stupid and Ignorant
English squire might be expected to be.
His great point was that in Scotland there
WAS greater percentage of convictions
than in IreIand-the unwarrantabie infer
ence, of course, being that Irish juries, as
Mt present constituted, do not convict SO
willingly as Scotch juries. Assuming his
figures to be accurate, it seems to US that
it would be just as reasonable to infer from
them that there are fewer criminals in Ire
land to be convicted. Mr.. Mcguire moved
the rejection of the bill, and, in doing So,
pointed out that the proposed change, if
adopted, would destroy whatever conf
deace ia felt by the Irish people in the ad-
ministration Of the law, aud that the Ex-
ecutive could always empanel another jury
It one disagreed. Some other Irish mem
sers also spoke against the bill of Mr..
pared to abolish all the forms of the Con-
stitution, and SO Mr.. Dowse was put up to
oppose the measure ON its behalf. He
having done 30, Mr.. Lambert withdrew his
bill.-Nafion, april q.
The Educational Question was brought
Monday last, by Sir John Gray, in a speech
of great power and eioquence. The menu
Der for Kilkenny showed how the Irish Ca
thOlic people were deprived in past times of
every means of educating themselves with
out sacrifice of their religions conyic-
fSOna Ia ohnvvoH wi Of. rkc H..
TO depationalise them and to win them
from their ancient faith-hew the Univer-
sity of Dublin, the Charter Schools, Eras.
mus Smiths Schools, and even the Nation.
al System were, one and all, contrivauces
for effecting these darling objects of Eng
lish policy; and he concluded by demon.
strating the justice of the demand for
educational equality now made by the Ca
tholics of Ireland. Sir John Gray then
moved q resolution to the effect that Par
measure which shall satisfy the educa-
tional wants of Irish Catholics that an
address In similar terms be presented to the
Queen; and that deputation be appointed
to wait upon the Prime Minister to ask him
to carry out promptly the principles in
statesman has himself expressed. Alder
man McSwiney, in seconding Sir John
Gray's resolution, delivered a terse and
weil-reasoned speech, insisting, "a Sir John
Gray did, upon the necessity, if social
order be desirable object in q State, of
religious education being impaired to chill
dren, and pointing out that if the princi pie
be once admitted that Catholics have a
right, if they like, to get religious edu-
cation, there can be really no difficulty in
settling the whole question. The resolution
was unanimously adopted, the Conserve
tive members of the Council being absent.
Undoubtedly, Sir John Gray deserves the
thanks of Irish Catholics for the mastery
manner in which he has stated their case
AN reference to the Educational Question
Ibid.
A very instructive comment on what we
have been often saying with regard to the
in-success of endeavors to recruit the Eng
ksh army here in Ireland of late years has
Just been furnished by public document
ON the general subject of enlistment. 1t is
return of the total number of recruits
enlisted during the year {1s70 we presume)
for the army and for the militia, and the
total number of men who have volunteered
from the militia into the army or army re- |
serve. The volunteers for che militia were |
within score or two of seven thousand |
Irelandf Six hundred and five! OF, in |
other words, one Irishman for eight and
twenty Britons. The next item in the re-
turn is still more striking. 1t refers to
volunteers froE the militia to the line, of
whom there were in the course of the year
four thousand seven hundred odd. How
many of these were Irishf just six-and-
twenty A fraction of company! For
every Thousand English militiamen who
swelied the numbers of the regular army
there were half a-dozen Irishmen. And
now for the direct recruiting for the Line.
What have the bland, bespangted sergeants
been able to dot All over Great Britain
and Ireland they enlisted in twelve months
over four-and-twenty thousand men. OF
these about two thousand-sny one in
aIn Trsc
mark that only one-half of these were able
to pass inspection. The sergeants must
have been driven to take up with the gerry
lowest class of the community, with those
who had dragged on miserable lives in nm
healthy lanes and alleys-who has been
wasted by want of food and raiment, and
made desperate by want of means. Every
second recruit was rejected, and the ret
result from all Ireland for an entire year
was scarce more than a single regiment.
What u serious change for England since
the famous days when Irish heroism upheld
her flag on battlefield aud wave-since