The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-01-28
IRTsH MAIL NEWS.
Dublin Nation, Jan. g.
THE CONTEST IN WATERFORD.

| "A VICTORY tue popular Caubo ubt
been ensured in Waterford. On Tuesday
q meeting, summoned by seven parish
priests and seven prominent lay electors,
with the approval of the Bishop of Water
ford, was held in Dungarvan to select the
national candidate. The accomplished,
eloquent, and patriotic parish priest of
bulgarian, DR.. Cleary, presided, and he
was surrounded by representative men
from various parts of the county. The
proceedings were opened by a speech from
the chairman instinct equally with the
true spirit of patriotism and the genuine
fire of orstory, and then the man was
chosen in the person of Mr.. James Esmonde,
| brother of the late member.
The various steps taken before a choice
was finally made are worthy of universal
imitation, and deserve detailed and pTomi :.
nent mention. 1t was resolved, first, that
every candidate should pledge himself to
abide by the decision of the meeting;
secondly, that every candidate should dis
tinctiy and unequlvocalIy pledge himself
tt the full popular programme, including
Mr.. Butts Land Bill and Home Rule, ss
defined by the National Conferences; and,
thirdly, that every Candidate shoul pledge
himself TO act Loyalty in concert with the
Home Rule party in the House of Commons.
? hese resolutions having been unanimous
" carried, the duly qualified county
electors voted by ballot tor the candidate
they thought best out of those who accept
ed the stringent conditions laid down, and
Mr.. Esmonde having received a large ma
jority of votes, that gentleman's nomina-
tion was then made unanimous. Soch
action as this, we repeat, oughTto serve as
a model for every constituency In the
county, and We have only TO add that no
email share of the creGit of carrying the
programme through is due to the tirmoess,
decision, and outspokenness of the Very
Rev. DR.. Cleary.
TIE CONTEST IN SLIGO.
a meeting similar to that at Duugarvan
WAS TO be held in Sligo on Thursday, but
unlike the Waterford biage, 1t was
not likely to be embarrassed by 100 great
a multitude of candidates. In fact, the
only candidate in the field WAS Captain
King Harman, whose address We perceive
with considerable surprise and regret, Ia
couched in anything but explicit language.
1t is possible that at the meeting on
past record is certainly unexceptiona!,
made his views clearer, and, if We may
judge from the letter of the Bishop of
Elphin, which states 80 emphatically the
determination of the county to have "none
but an honest Home Ruler" it is pretty,
certain that either that result or some
other equally satisfactory, was attained.
THE CHIEF JUsr1cEsH1r.
1t is freely rumored that the judicial
post rendered vacant by the death of the
late Chief ustice Whiteaide has been filled,
and that the Honorable Francis Fitzgerald,
formerly Baron of the Court Of Exchequer,
will on the first day of next term take his
place as Chief Justice of Ireland. We trust
that rumor will in this instaDce prove a true
prophet, and should it turn out that the
Ministry have really chosen Baron Fitzger-
aid to fill the second highest Judicial Office
in Ireland, we congratulate them, and We
49, Al
ment which gives promise that law and not
political service or political tUrpituGe is in
future to be regarded as the essential quail
ifcation for promotion of Irish judges, and
which furthermore shows that TIE Govern
meut are really anxious to reduce TO some
thing like reasonable proportions the over
grown judicial establishments with which
we have too long been saddied.
Baron Fitzgerald is, we believe, the only
iudge on the Common Law Bench IN Ireland
who did not at come period or an 'theT of
his life qualify himeeit for promotion by
political service; he il with one single ex
| ceptiou the only judge who did not pass so
the Bench through the Intermediate stages
OF the Solicitor or Attorney -generalship of
either Whig or Tory Ministry. He bas
never, at p convenient moment, made n
holocaust of the political principles If Il
lifetime he has never stopped to any OF tho
dirty work which is almost lnseparable from
the position OF an Irish lev officer. He has
been all his life lawyer he obtained his
position as Baron of the Court of Exche-
quer by his pre-. eminepc9 as lawyer, and
ever since he was raised to the Bench he
has been known as an erudite, high minded
Judge, whose impartiality is above suspic-
ion ; who has never, by his ntterances from
the Bench, shown to what political creed
he subscribes, and who has been careful
to keep aloof from those semi Judicial,
and semi political Offices with which
too many of orr judges are associa-
ted, to the detriment, we believe, of popular
confidence in their judicial impartiality.
Baron Fitzgerald's name figure neither at
the foot of proclamations from the Privy
Council for the suspension of the liberties
of the Irish people, nor at hOtly contested
divisions and angry disputes between the
Commissioners of National Education. He
has always recognized that his sphere of
action is tho Four Courts, not the Castle,
or in the auti-nati0nal education Offices,
Marlborough street. 1t is understood that
the post which Baron Fitzgerald vacatcs in
the Exchequer will not be filled up 80 that
the Common Law judges IN Ireland will IN