, 1882-06-30
Davitt Talking in Boston.

Boston, June 21.-Between seven and
eight thousand people gave Michael
Davitt loud and prolonged greeting as
he appeared tonight on the platform in
Mechanics Fair building, accompanied
by John Boyle and OReilly. Mayor
Prince presided. When the applause
subsided Dayitt read carefully pre-
pared address in calm and dispassion-
ate language. 1t was representation
of the wrongs and grievances of Ireland,
and the remedies which should be ap-
piled. He explained his address was in
tended rather for an American audience,
and it was an appeal to the understand
of the American people through their
press. The position of the American
in the contest is purely judicial one,
and the public opinion in this country
will only consider the facts and statis-
tics as presented by the Irish Land
League. The speaker then presented
statistics and argued that landlordism
as it stands today is wretched, COM
plete and unmitigated failure, and it
has resulted i'll the peasantro being COM
PEELED to live in one-roomed huts, in
ferior diet, amid agrarian crimes of
murder and disaffection. He then pro-
ceeded to show that for the last seventy
years million of dollars has been ex-
tracted yearly from the labCrand soil of
Ireland by some ten thousand individ-
uals, who contributed scarcely anything
to the country themselves. Side by
side with this vast decline OF Irish
wealth during the last Gentry have been
not less than five fiamines. Upwards of
two million of our people starved dur
ing the periods of these famins, and mil
lions of pounds have been abstracted by
a few thousand landlords, and yet Eng
lishmen cannot understand why why we
want this state Of things abolished. The
speaker showed that one-fourth of the
land of Ireland is under cultivation,
and explained the various plans sug-
gested for remedying these evils, all Of
which, he thought were so much in the
interest of landlords themselves. My
plan of settlement is this: Let the gov
ernment issue bonds or raise public
loan of g140,O00,000, bearing three per
cent. interest. Let this sum be compen-
sation to landlords for lands which their
ancestors seized from the people OF Ire
land without any compensation what
ever being rendered. Let the land tax
of ten per cent. or about one half, be
paid to landlords, to be substituted for
such rent and to be paid to tho State for
the loss Of a liberal revenue. Let Ire
land have the right Of self-government,
and let Ireland be administered by an
Irish parliament. A peasant proprietor
ship offers nothing to the industrial nom
agricultural masses of Great Britain and
Ireland. Nevertheless il this solution
Of Irish agragrianism is resolved upon, or
undertaken by the government in pref
erence to my scheme, / shall neither be
insane enough or criminally stupid
enough to thwart the settlement of u
burning question by any blind idolatry
of my own views, The time has already
vindicated my past efforts in the cause
Of Irish land reform, and can we'll af-
ford to wait for the approval Of which
am confident There will be room for
my plan for the final settlement against q
people, who, am proud to feel, do not
mistrust me, and in whose behalf it is
my most cherished wish to devote my en-
ergies, and, il necessary sacrifice my life.