The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-10-07

emit with ali notions of representative govern
ment. There 10 no rule that parliament would
not adopt no statute which 1t would not pass,
rather than yield to the dictation OF Few men
who attempted to use the forms OF the House
to destroy it.
is necessary. Both parties have been very
candid One party tells the house or Com
mons: al intend to use the forms OF the
House to defy your authority" The leader OF
the House of Commons replies: EFF you at
tempt it the House will declare you guilty OF
contempt and exclude you from taking part In
it's business Let me ask any obstrnet
what he intends to do il sir Stafford NOrthoote
carries out his threatf If any Irish member
IS declared guilty of wilfnl obstruction. and as
n penalty suspended from the business OF the
House, YOU have no remedy but to submit, un-
lees you are ready to resort to that "Ihma Tatto
to W hich if you were really ready you might
just as we'll have resoIted at hrst l ask OF
every Irishman seriously TO consider all :hst
ia involved in that change from constitutlonal
to unconstit tiorsl action to which We are
asked to assent.
justified are exactly those by which holder
-course of policy rs ndtcated-"C Oh st1tutronst
action has failed" There is no hope from the
justice or the generosity of the British Parla-
ment" England has never conceded any
thing to us except when she has been coeroed."
We must coerce here now by-a policy OF OBJ
struction y! Is this really to be the logical
sequence of these hig h.souudng statements
Is this the inference they draw who cheer the
sentiment?
That issue is: Is constitutional actien to be
abandoned, and are we to enter on an uncon-
-sttutionsl action without knowing where we
are to bs led or how many revolutionary pas
eions We may excitef
have made this letter already too long, but
/ cannot avoid adverting to some OF the rea-
sons which have been assigned. 1t is said
that there is no hope of gaining anything by
constitutional action, and that the present
HOUSE of Commons has oontemptoously re-
fus 81 to listen to the statement of Irish griev-
ances, Both assertions are entirely dutrne.
have set in seveu Parliameuts, aud never re-
member a House of Commons in which there
was shown greater disposition TO coucede to
Ireland equal privileges with those which
England enjoys. Last year our motion for
household franchise in towns was defeated By
the narrow majority of 1876 voted for 1t;
179 against it. Those VINO voted for it were
brought together by no. party influence The
Ministry opposed 1.-THE leaders of the Oppo-
sItion refused US their support. Does the
fact that in spite of this wa nearly defeated
the Ministry prove an indifference in the
House of Commons to the grievances OF Ire
land On the bill for assmilating the mum
opal franchise to that of England the divi-
sion was 148 TO 176 On still more Important
measure-Jbat for transferring the manage
ment Of county affairs from grand juries TO
councils elected by the people-the numbsrs
were 153 to 1Sl. No one acq uei tied with par
liamenJary tactics could fail to see that in the
ordinary of events these divisions IL =
cured the early carrying OF these questions
There are shose among my country men who
viii bslievs me when cay that in my soul aud
conscience am satisfied that il the ordinary
course of events had been allowed to proceed
If the sympathy and support had not been
ahenated by system of vexation from which
can 500 no resnlt-every one OF those meas
| ures would have become law during the pre-
| sent Parliament. The people in our towns
! would have enjoyed by the establishment of
| household soffrage the selection of their own
| representatives and their own municipal au-
| thorities, and the farmers in the country in
electing men to manage their county affairs
| woald have enjoyed, SO far as those affairs
were concerned, a privilege virtually amount
| ing to Home Rule
have failed. 1 have heard it stated as a re-
proach, that the only bill We have carried is
the Municipal Privilege Bill, In sue name OF
| common sense, what did the men who talk SO
expect Did they think that sixty men
| against six hundred had nothing to do but
TO 60 TO WestmDster and bring book
I'p.rty have failed. Whenever the proper oc-
casion arises l shall be ready to prove that
never did a party with the Same rumbere
aud the same resources achieve so much. AT
tue close of the last session we had CONSOLE
dated u party which had won for itself re-
spect and influence in the Housa This IL
Itself was no unimportant service TO OUT
country. We had advanced in their position
in .Parlismeu and public opinion every one Of
the measures for which the irish people are
, suxious We prevented soma bad Legislation
| and we forwarded some good. Since oaI
| party has been formed, with the exception o
i the renewal of the Coercion Acts, not 8
single measure adverse to the interests OF the
+ Irish people has been passed. What chan gs
: we were able to effect 10 that measure il
q would be too long to recount. II never die
8 any thing else would consider it abundsn
. reward tor all the tolls and sacrifices Parlia
g mentary life has brought to me to feel that
8 p!ucked from that Act in an adverse assembl.
the odious power of visiting at any hour o
b the day night the home of the Irishman
# which was then intrusted to the police. It
10 to the presence of united and compact lris
d party that you owe that are not still gu
% during many of the seventies of the o!
d Coercion Act. 1t is to them that you I'VE tha
d one-third of Ireland is free at this momen
ID from any Coercion Act at all. 1t is TO the sam
Q cause you owe it that you still enjoy the benz
d At of Impartial juries, instead Of bsing sen
8, back-as a Tory committee actually recon
,e mended-to the system of selection, or, i
10 other words, packing by the sheriff 1t is.
10 Irish party that you owe it that in the fou
At years during which that party has existe
is Dot single piece OF legislation has bee
passed of which the national sentiment ca
10 complain. And then, say again, we ar
to asked, What measures have you passed. w,
~ who are ffty-seven in an assembly of more tina
" ESQ, and with q Ministry, on the whole. th
IN | the country has aean for VaarR Dot