The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-06-21
From Our Own Correspondent
OUR IRISH LETTER.
DJRTJN Nav =

DUBLIN, May Goth. 1874.
The trial of the Galway Election Petition i
over, and the result is what every one VIII,
knew Lawson, the judge, expected it would
be. Mr.. O'DonnelI, the uuquestionable choic,
of the priests and people, has been unseatet
and reported to the House of Commons, to
gether with two priests-the Vicaz. General O
Galway (Father Dooley) and Father Cummin
for undue influence and intimidation. Never
since the creation of the world was there
more unjust decision or a more fragrant out
rage on Justice. 1t is a ruffianly Judgment, ant
1.-The man who PRONOUNCED it can have no egarG
whatever for oath. 1t is ffIse and partisan
J. and 80 are tho comments of the English press
Z and their Irish correspondents. deliberate
attempt is made TO deprive Che clergy of the
Catholic Church of their civilrights, and since
the town of Galway, like tLeGcounty, will not
I. consent to abandon its clergAsn political mat
Il tiers, an attempt is made to disfranchise the
borough. The most awful ayfhg 1 ever saw OF
] heard of is now being had resourse to by the
/ English journals to Willy Che priests and peo
sple of Galway, and SO prevent the House OF
Commons from issuing a Rew writ for filling
up the vacancy in Galway; but when the
House reasseunbles after Easter am in u posi-.
true light by some n.embersSof the Home Rnle
party.
The charges against MIR. ODonnell L have
stated in previous letter. According to Judge
Lawson himself, the charge of treating fell to
the ground. No evidence worth a farthing
was produced to Sustain it, and accordingly
this perjured judge had to pronounce it I'M
proved. The next great charge was that the
nil IS;.l n
Evilly) acted as an agent of Mr.. O'DonnelIs
and was the prime agent of the whole election.
Even if he was, one should say it was no great
harm. But having been reported" to the
House of Commons two years ago by Judge
keogh, and falsely reported as guilty of
having practiseG nmduc influence, he is de-
prived of his rights as a voter for seven years,
and his acting as an agent for candidate
would vitiate, according to law, that candi-
dates election. Well, what was proved
against the Bishopl Absolutely nothing, ex-
icept that he did not interfere in the election
at all, aud that he revised a letter written by
his Vicar General TO Joyce, in which the stock
ing knitters were referred to in severe and
caustic but perfectly just and proper terms
This was positively all. Yet the politicians
wanted to make out that the Bishop after all
was at the bottom of the whole affair." and the
Judge agreed with them. Did you not take
q mental interest in the election was u ques-
ton put to the Bishop, as if he should not even
think about the matter-as if his very thoughts
were not his own! And the Judge went so far
as to say that although the Bishop acted up to
the letter of the law, he did not act up to the
spirit of the law, because be did not desire his
priests not to interfere in the election But if
he had done so, would he not have interfered
in reality and broken the letter of the law
Buff he had done SO, he would have inter
fered most effectually for Joyce; from which
it appears that in Judge Lawsons view it
would have been all right if he had gone for
J Joyce, but deadly sin to have gone for ODon
nell and an evasion of the spirit of the law to
have acted up to it's letter! This charge also
broke down, and SO Lawson was obliged to |
admit. In fact, he was obliged to admit that
Mr.. O'Donnell and his friends committed moth
ing that could be called an illegal act until |
the day of the polling; and what happened |
thenf Stated truly, what happened was this {:
The whole town turned ont for O'DopneI, The
trades marched IN procession to the polling
booth. They were shouting for O'DonnoIl and |
shouting down the men Oh the
other side. The priests were amongst the
people, exhorting them to do their duty and
70 mind their condolences. The only row that
occurred during the day was caused by Joyce's
who practiced gross intimidation
IN the poorer voters, their tenants. And SO
5he day passed on, and erery man echo toas there
10 record his rote, recorded it. Well, what was
sworn : Joyce and three of his relatives and
most intimate friends swore that the people
were violent, drunk, disorderly, riotous, and OBJ
'tructive of the voters, and that Mr. o Donne1l
md the priests-particulsrly Fathers Dooley
Ind Cummins-were leading them. On this
violence Lawson pounced with delight, aud
that no man could be pointed
mt who was prevented from voting, notwith-