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

Butt On the obstruction question:
To the Rev. Joseph Murphy, &C, Ferns:
LONDON September 81, 1877.
Me- Dear SRI am greatly obliged to you for
accepting my apology for not having sooner
replied to the letter yon addressed 10 me De-
fore the prorogation. l sit down before IesV
ing London to fulfil my promise of writing TO
YOU on The subject which is generally known
az "the policy of obstruction" cannot DOT
feel that at some time not FAR distant snsil
be called on in come form fully to discuss that
a uestion with the Irish people. IL would be
I'm possible in the compass of this letter to
treat the subject at length. can oniy sug
to lie Oh the very surface of tue question.
That must after ards enter on fuller dls-
cussion ID DO objection to my briefly placing
before you my views, nor yetto the paoiioa''on
of those views, which you desire
II i understand rightly, the course OF con
duct, or ''poiicy," recommended for onr adop.
,ioa is, that the Home Rule members Should
take part in the dIscnsston OF Sil Eogish ana
Imperial measures in such o way as to impede
and Inconvenience the general progress o. the
business OF the House. IL is with tins onJeot
that the interference is proposeo' ana from we
approving references to the proceedings % laSb
session we m ust understand that they are 10 De
the model-it may be an Imperfect one-ot
the course which is suggested for the fatare.
am sure that Such q course, or any IhlBB
like it, would be fatal to Irish interests IN Far
lament. In the FIST place. it is obvious taaS
it would alienate from US the sympathy apd
support of that large and incrsUsTus ctass OF
English and Scotch mem bers VITO, on general
Irish questions, give Us their support
OF the extent to which even the action OF
last session Effected this 1t IL difficult Tor aoy-
one not in the House of Commons, and in con-
slant intercourse with its members, to form an
adequate Judgment. A very strong feeling
was excited against the whole Home hule
party by the acts of some of it's members. which
were Interpreted obstructive l am quite
sure that this feeling exercised disastrous
effect upon every division we attempted
know it did so both Mr.. Shaw's motion
for HONE Rule and on Mr.. Meldun's on tho Bo-
rough Erapeh'ss. from personal commnnica-
tion made to me by members who excused
themselves for not voting for those motions
On the second reading OF the University Bill
it unfortunately produced mIschieVous re-
suit Upon that Bill had every expectation
of considerable English support had the
assurances of that support both by speaking
and voting from quarter OF the House from
which it would have been peculiarly vatna bic
l mean the advanced Liberal English mem bers,
who are strongly opposed to W hat ID called de-
nominationsl ed ucation, bat were ready to state
that az to Irish education the question was
one upon whioh the wishes OF the Irish people
bill was fixed for Thursday. July Goth. It
fell certainly on evil days. On Tuesday, the
Oath, there was one of the exciting obstruo-
tionists contest-two motions for aoJourument
in which the numbers were one against LAY. In
the course of an angry discusslon, the Chan
cellor of the Exchequer actually moved that
an Irish member had been guilty Of contempt,
and the very day on which moved the second
reading of the bill he placed on the table of
the House the resolutions by which he pro-
posed to secure the progress of business.
All this WAS fatal to any English support
Tbnas who had promised ms their votes and
their speeches came and told me- lt was lmpos-
sible for them, in the face Of the strong feel
ing that was produced against the whoie
IRISH party, to give any support to tho bill.
The discussion, however, went On. About 1oU
members remained to listen 30 my statement.
After debate, II which l venture To think
| all the argument and reason was on our eide,
| the bill W as thrown out by majority OF 200
| to So Only three English members voted
! with ue-one of them, l believe, by mistake.
| did not, however, regret that discussion. l
| believe We succeeded IN placing the question
! IN it's Irae light bsfore the country, aud we
| were able to exhibit great preponderapce
| of Irish representatives IL lis favor lnciuu
ing tellers, The numbers were 81 to IL Nc
! Minister spoke, with the Dscessary exception
of the lrish Secretary; and l must say The
tone CT mis- speech very singRlariy contrastec
with the spirit of tho observations made hI
the ChaucclIur of the ELcheqner, bo;n In rs
ply to the Dublin depusattop, ahd sobSe
queutly in the House of Commons IL wa
understood tha6 Irish affairs had occupied thu
attention of a Cabinet council that day; bu
the great Irish question was not how to re
dress the grievances of Ireland, but how
repress rhe obstructiveaees Of Irish mem
bers.
i can only say that sure the discussio
on that bill would hava lad very ditferen
8 result if had presented it with the weigh
1 and authority of united party-.f oircuu
, stances had not at the moment slieuated frol
. US all parties in tho House-and if our thought
g and exertions had been exclusively gwen 6
= the great object at issue, instead of beln
= turned away from it by the miserable subJso
J. | that distract u.s. =,
= This " as not the only question upon whic
1 was made bitterly to feel the evil eff 1ots Z
. the course that was pursued. l had mat
d many efforts to have discussion of the lat
@ question, by q motion for an address to II
!. Crown to irqnire into the working of the LaI
/, Act. short time before this my lamentt
j. friend, Sir. Colman OLoghlen, had obtain'
g an opportunity, of bringing forward such
q motion. He told me that he had been ASSURE
4 of the support OF some Influential Liberia
- and that they led him to hope for that of &
q entire party. In one of our last interviews
ID told me that they had found it impossible
10 induce members to vote for the motion in &
al then temper of the House, and that with gre
l. reluctance he had determined on giving up
q motion.
m have selected these two incidents of t
session partly because think they ought
be generally known. and partly because III
strikingly illustrate how completely poll
or of obstruction will ALLEVIATE from US sympAt
le and support.
in But this involves another and o very serio
T. matter. If once this policy of obstruction
ID entered upon it will be impossible to cal