The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-05-31
From Our Own Correspondent
OUR IRISH LETTER.

-t.l... DUBLIN, May 9th, 1874.
This week have to record victory for the
Irish party in the House of Commons. On
Friday evening last Mr.. synan, the junior NJ.
P. for Limerick county. at the request Of Mr..
Bait brought forward the question of the Irish
Fisheries and moved a resolution approving OF
loans being made by the exchequer to assist in
their development or rather to prevent their
utter extinction. Mr.. Synan, and the other
gentlemen who spoke on bis.side, had no diff
Guilty in sho wing that the fishery industry was
like every other one in Ireland-rapidly decay
ing; and that in Scotland, where for fifty years
it had been nursed by bounties and grants of
all kinds, it was quite the reverse. And, in
deed, nobody attempted to question the facts
stated or the justice expediency of the
demand put forward for loan out of the In
perial treasury-no one bnt one two Scotch
members who ungeRerously sought to prevent
Ireland from getting the same help as their
own country. One of these, Mr.. MLaren, the
member for Edinburg, was crushed to powder
by the gentleman who replied to him-Mr. A.
NJ Sullivan of the Nation, "whose copious
Irish eloquence," in the words of the aut-Irish
London Daily Telegraph, "is reviving a lost
art in the House of Commons" But though
not even the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Sir
Michael Beach, attempted to meet the action
of the Irish members by denying the Justice
of their case, he nevertheless advised his fol-
lowers to vote against it, promising to consider
the matter with view to making very tri-
fling loan out of an extra parliamentary fund
This promise, he thought, would be accepted
by the Irish members, and accordingly the
great body of British Tories in attendance
went away thinking there would be divi-
sion. But the Irish members would not be
satisfied with their lame and impotent offer,
and, urged thereto by few Scotch and Eng |
lish Liberals anxious to give the government
. fall, insisted on division being taken. The |
result was that they had 81, and the govern
ment 95 votes. When the numbers were an
nounced, the Irishmen raised such cheers as |
are but rarely heard in tho House of Commons
and, on the other hand, the government party
were wild at q defeat which, although it could
easily have been prevented and no donbt will |
be retrieved, was yet damaging as involving
sacrifice of prestige. Disraei himself 10 said
to have changed color-a most unusual thing
with him, and to have gone immediately and
soundly rated the party whips" who, with
a majority of forty in a House of $50 members,
allowed him to be 80 easily beaten-and that,
too, by the Irish Home Rulers. This victory
has given spirit to the Irish party, but it will
have no practical result otherwise; for when
a bill is brought forward to carry out Mr..
Synan's resolution, it will assuredly be either
voted down or talked out. The good effected
is that the Irish party have been encouraged
to proceed sturdily with their work, and that
the British members have been taught that
Ireland has now determined act of repre-
in Parliament.
Mr.. P. j. Smyth, N. P, the well-known
nationalist, isrthe first deserter from the Home
Rule ranks This gentleman was one of the ]
first to join the Home Government Associa- I
ton, whose principles are identical with those I
of the present Home Rule Lesgue, of which t
he is at this very moment o member also. Q
myself heard him speak at many meetings of t
that Association, and stand by without dis v
senting while Federal Union with England 8
was being advocated. Fer two or three years c
he pursued this line Of conduct, and in the n
summer of 1871 he got elected for Westmeath In
Tor which he at present ats. In the autumn S
OF last year he suddenly began to write and t.
speak in favor of simple repeal of the union h
with England as against the Federal project. I
Let even on those occasions he distinctly said a