The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-02-10
TIE HOME RULE CONFERENCE.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS DECIDED AND HAIR
MONY ENSURED.
Dublin Nation, Jan. 10.

country on the results of the Home Rule
Conference. They are such as to afford
o genuine cause of satisfaction to all
friends OF Ireland. The meeting was
large and influential, it's conduct was
worthy of any deliberative assembly, and
it's spirit wac admirable. A conciliatOry
temper was shown wherever it was right
and proper concessions were made for the
sake of union when the points at issue
were words rather than things but on all
matters OF principle the great body Of the
meeting was firm as rock. Great respect
was paid to eminent and popular members
of the Home Rule party, but by no man
would the vast msjority of the meeting al
low themselves to he o~erruled, aud no
statements or arguments which they re-
garded IA uneound did they allow to pass
without giving expression to their dissent.
AS for disanlon, or mere pHTsonal conten-
ton, they wanted none Cf these things;
their sole desire was to consolidate the
Irish party, in the right way, by bringing
up the laGgards, to inIuse fresi courage aud
spirit into them, End to ensure that, as
body, they shall do better work for Ireland
in tie present session of Parliament than
they did in the past. Aud tor the accom-
plishment of these things they have done
all that was in the power of such a meeting.
To MIR. Butt, in an eminent degree,
thanks arc due for the excellent tone which
prevailed throughout the whole meeting.
He had the opening of the proceedings, and
it would have been easy for him to give
them at the outset a contentious, turbulent,
and explosive character. Some teInpta
tions to such q course might have pre-
septed themselves to his mind, or might
have been suggested to him by others but,
if 30, his WisdGm and hia patriotism raised
him above suCh paltry Influences, and sent
him forward on = Hohler path of action.
We ere unable to assent to everything said
by Mr.. Butt IN the course of the disc nssiOn,
but We know that not only during the
meeting, but pre- Vious to its assembling, he
manifested spirit of concession and con
Citation which we're in tue highest degree
honorable to him. That lie made some
sacrifices of hia personal feelings and
wishes we can well believe, aCG we regard
his action in this respect "a evidence OF the
largeness of his mind and the earneetDess
OF his desire for the advancement of the
great cause with which his name will ever
be associated. Certainly he was met in a
like spirit by other trends of the cause, and
the happy result is seen in the work done
by the Conference and the excellent tone
and temper in which it was accomplished.
The Irish party now goes across to Eng
land with clear instructions from the coun-
try as to it's general course of conduct. 1t
is to maintain its position &s q distinct and
independent party in the House of Com
monsp and to pursue an energetic and Wig
OrOus line of policy and action. Its course
with regard to particular measures is to be
decided at meetings and consultations of
the party, which is then to act unitely on
whatever decisions are arrived at. With
regard to meAsures concerning which no
such pronouncement has been made, indi-
vidual members are free TO act as they
think best, subject always to the obligation
of their Home Rule pledges, and their
accountability to their constituents and the
lCrNT ~ NJ l.
acted on, immense benefit will accrue to
our national movement. If the members
who have hitherto been idle and apathetic
come up, fall into the ranks, and take their
share of the work, great Improvement on
the old state of things will be effected if
the party will frequently meet to consider
what should be tueir course of action on
tho various important questions coming
before Parliament, and, having decided by
maj orlty of votes what that course should
be, will then enter on it uuitedly and res
olutely, excellent results will be sure to
follow. The greater the number of Ques-
tions on which such united action is taken
the better will it be for the interests of our
national movement. But at all events,
outside the questions so consulted on, de-
cided on, and acted on, there will be
! freedom of individual action for Irish
| mem bers, subject to the obligations already Y
| mentioned. For their course of action in
such 'exterior" cases, the Irish Parliameu-
| tATy party will not be responsible, neither
will the leader of that party be accountable
for 1T in any way. The country will under
stand this, the House oE Commons will
soon come to understand it, and then if Mr..
Butt should see anything of which he can
not approve in the individual action OF
some of his colleagues he will no longer
| feel himself under the necessity of deuoun-
cling it in his capacity of leader of the Irish
| Parliamentary party. All this is n clear
gain for the Irish cause. 1t tonds to pro
duce harmony in the working of the party,
and il tends to produce efficiency also.
And thus we have fair promise of a session