The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-06-15
THEIR POSITION Defined.
Parnells Answer to Addresses from
the Municipal Bodies Of
Ireland.
TRIBUTE TO HIS COLLEAGUES
And to People Whose Pulse Has
Throbbed IN Sympathy With
Their jExertlons.

Their hxertions.
The presentation Of addresses from
The municipal bodies Of Ireland to Mr.
Parnell, congratulating him on tile col
lapse of the Pigott conspiracy, came of
on The evening of May %, in the West
minister Palace Hotel, London, Eng
The deputations present were: Dublin
Corporation, Cork Corporation, Cork
Harbor Commissions, Limerick Corp0'
ration Waterford Corporation, Kilken
ny Corporation, Drogheda Corporation,
Sligo Corporation, C.onmel Corporation
and Wexford Corporation, each repre-
sented by the Mayor and chief officials
MI. parnell, who, on rising. was re.
ceiyed with cheers, answered the ad
dresses AS follows
NV Lord Mayor of Dublin and May
ors Of Cork. Limerick, Waterford, Kill
kenny. Clonmol. Sligo, Drogheda, and
Wexford, and also Chairman OF the
Cork Harbor Board and Board of
Guardians Of Waterloo, and gentlemen,
teel highly honored by this the most
signal mark Of represen tatiye trust from
ireland which I nave yet received in my
public career ('Hear, hear''} 1t is
noteworthy that the power which you
have used today to do me honor was
only obtained by the corporations in
Ireland in recent years, and after much
opposition from the governing factions
in that country. 1t is noteworthy, 1
say, or account of the arguments which
were used against this small concession
Of local freedom, they were the same
arguments which have alwas been used
against any concessions of whatever
kind 10 the people Of Ireland great or
small. recolect them we'll when MIR.
Butt, in tie Parliament OF 1875, was
pleading for his Municipal Privileges
Bill, recollect that he was repeatedly
told that this small concession would
be used as All engine to bring about the
separation of the two ountries-that it
was an attempt, in a small way, to pro-
mote disintegration and to DESTROY the
authority OF the Queen in Ireland. All
the stock arguments with which you are
so familiar were trotted out against
this extension of municipal privileges
to Irish corporations. Those arguments
which have been used against that
measure Of reform were used against
the Church Act They were used
against the Land Act, and today they
are being used, and have been used,
against Mr.. Gladstone's Home Rule
Bill OF 1885. Well, gentlemen, we have
gained this privilege and We have gained
other things despite those opposltions,
and have no doubt that just rs they
are offering us LARGE concessions IF local
government in Ireland In satisfaction
of our demand for National Self-Gov-
eminent, we shall gam further conces-
sions in the extension of the privileges
of Local Government until we have
achieved the crowning triumph of all In
the restitution of our Parliament. in
College Green.
You will continue to use your local
privileges as you have used them in the
past, not for treasonable purposes, not
for purposes Of disintegra5lon, not with
the intention Of upsettiug the authority
of the Queen in Ireland, but for the
welfare Of your country, for her advan-
tages and FOR the purposes Of obtaining
her legitimate freedom. The majority
of the Corporations of Ireland have
used these privileges for this purpose,
and they viii continue to do SO, and it
an extension Of local government be
gwen to the Irish counties, / have no
doubt these Irish counties, following in
your footsteps, will use this extension
of these privileges in the same way and
for the same end (cheers). You have
touched upon the proceedings before the
special commission appointed to inquire
into the charges and allegations made
against us. I may say against the Irish
people-by the Times. You have con-
graduated me upon the signal discovery
OF the forgeries and of theirauthors and
paynasters, or some Of their paymas-
5ers It has been a great victory un-
aoubtedIy ('tHear. hear'0 "a provident-
ial victory (cheers) I never doubted
that we should be able to disprove those
forgeries. but l did not suppose that we
would have so sjgnally dlsproved them
at so early stage in Our case for the de-
fense did not hope that, but, my
Lord Mayor, should have preferred to
STIGMA
OF these letters upon me--cowardly,
mean and contemplate as these letters
wererather than submit my country