The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-02-23
THE GALWAY PRIEST PROSECUTIONS.
DUBLIN, Jan. Both, 1873.

DUBLIN, jan. JUN, 1910
Now we are in for some exciting events!
The Galway Priest Prosecutions, so long de-
layed are all but commenced Quite suddenly,
the day after wrote my last letter, there was
n motion made in the Court of Queens Bench
by the Most Rev. DR.. Duggaus' counsel ior
leave to change the venue from the County
Galway to the County Dublin. 1t was grant
ed although opposed by the Crown Counsel,
and next day Mr.. Palles opened hire by moving
in the same court that the juries should be
chosen under the old system, and afterwards
by sending to five of the traversers notice that
their trial might commence on that day week.
This sudden action has rather taken the pub,
lie by surprise; for Mr.. Palles had allowed
two months after the Propagation of Parlia-
ment to elapse without taking any step what
ever in the matter, and since November when
he filed the criminal informations against the
priests he has been addressed in vain, times
without number, for particulars of his charges
without which the defence could not he pre-
pared. But suppose the fact that Parliament
opens next week and that both the friends and
enemies of the clergy, would have protested
loudly against his dilatoriness, stirred him
up. Whatever it was that did stir him up, 1
am bound to say that since he was reused, he
has displaved extraordinary activity and n ter
rible earnestness. He has thrown !. touch OF
bitterness and vindirti>. ness into his advocacy
which leads me to think that his defeat in
Derry and his being baUfhcd i'll Louth, nave
told heavily on his temper The fact is, sup
pose. that he, knowing that whether the
priests are acquitted or not, he will be polite
ally damned, he tnlGk KS ne lnlSuC as well 40 MS
best against them; it IS rs good to be han ged
for stealing sheep as it is for stealing lamb.
But to return. His motion for selecting the
uries Yves not opposed, and was granted Mon
Iav Mr.. Butt applied /" for trial at bar'-that
is, a trial before the four judges of the Queens
Bench instead of before enc. AS this one
would be Chief Justice Whiteside, and as he
is biGoted and prejudieed Protestant and
partizan Judge while his three colleagues are
Catholics and men of sense and fairness lex
cept in purely Political trials,) you will see
that the bishop and his acknowledgements would
have gained much if the motion were granted.
But it was not granted, and it was opposed by
the good Catholic" Palles. Then there were
some other applications, but ultimately this
preliminary skirmshng subsidized by the fix
ing of next Monday weekGthe 10Th OF Febru-
four incriminated persons, Father Lotus,
curate of Dunmore, County Galway. shall
not fail to keep you az coTantwlth the progress
of this vile business.
The lon pected conference of the farmers
of the South to take into consideration the
present state of the land law, and the ameil-
orations that are still required in them, met in
Cork last week, on the day on which l was
writing to you, and was very large and inf
entail gathering. Nearly all the Farmers
| Clubs in the country were represented IN one
way or another, and SIX members OK PIriia-
pronounce the great Land Act great failure
! and to demand once more ixity of tenure at
valuation rents. Nor was Home Rule unno-
| and other gentlemen strongly declared that
no Parliament but an Irish one, could ever
| give Ireland what she wanted.
This mention of Home Rule reminds me that
! two important Home Rule meetings have been
held during the week in Ulster-one in Cup
pagh Tyrone, the other in Belfast on Wedne s.
day The principal speaker at the latter was
Mr.. A. NJ. Sullivan. who delivered an animated
| sneecil pitching into (amongst others) Palles
and ex perienced particularly warm recep
! ton. j. J. c.