The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-04
Observation-Disclosures
SOMETHING ABOUT THE LITTLE
MANx ISLAND AND IT'S FOLKL

/ -%ASA oAAA4L on NoGLi AAAb SSu Oh
the Irish Sea - An Ancient Land
Where Liberty Has Never Lost It's
Swsy-Patriarchal Laws and Olden
Ceremonials-A Thousand Years of
Home Rule.
(CopVri0htl
DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN, Nov. 19.-"Dear
little Isle Of Man." ELAN Vannin Veg Veen,
is the fond title by its natives OF one of the
most diminutive and interesting island
countries to be found in the civilized world.
II is sturdy little Bit Of sea grit land,
set in the turbulent Irish sea almost equi-
! distant from England, Ireland and Scot
land, forever withstsnding the fiercest of
ocean currents and the widest Of ocean
storms The hardy little nation inhabiting
it has as ceasslessly bid defiance to the mael-
stroms Of conflicting interests of men and
governments seeking its thrsll, and from
almost prehistoric time has preserved so re-
markabls a national Independence, that to
this day 1t comprises practically the only
folk on British soil who enjoy the full BEN
ehts Of self-goyernment.
Briefly told the little Manx nation has
had three periods of bistury-a period of
of British dominion. In the tenth century
the Vikings came. They had Just overcome
Iceland and established their Morse kingdom
there. When they found the Dear Little
Isle Of Man." they made short work of taxi
ing complete possession. The women were
dark-haired, fair-skinned and blue-eyed
The Vikings were freckled and bleached as
to hair and eyes. The Manx nation of to-
day sprang from the union Of these hand
some Celtic women and these huge freckled
men.
The latter were led by one Orry. He is
called King Orry now. Whether ne was a
sea-rover or the son of a Danish or Nor
wegian monarch does not matter. But he
became King of Man and the isles. He was
great without the title. He gave the Manx-
men their first constitution. It was quite
like that which had Just been given to Ice
laud. 1t was a good one, too, and the proof
of it is that with little change it has ex-
listed to this day.
King Orry divided the island into SIX
ship-.shires They are the Maox ,'shead-
ingsn or representative divisions of the pres
ent time. Each sheading elected four men
by popular vote to a lawmakiug house
called the House of Keys, probably from
the Morse Keise or chosen men. They
were the peoples dele gates, just as they are
to-day. Then King Orry gave the church
a share in the government, but prevented
Ats LI6 bsAhbllSlou u 4IAWhlu
court where church and state sat together.
Two lawmen, called deemsters. one for the
north and one for the south, we're appointed.
These were equivalent to the Icelandio
speakers OF the lawr These
remain unchanged. Orry then had built.
after the manner of the lava lawrock Of
Thingvellir, an artificial mount Of laws.
The House of Keys sent up laws to the Tyn-
wald court. or the latter sent them down.
Assent in joint session, and the kings sane
| ton concluded tho making of law. but
laws were never operative until the king,
| the court and the House of Keys had CON
vened on Tynwald hill and promulgated
them by reading them first in the language
| in which they we're written, and second in
the language OF the people.
Every essential feature Of this patrierchRl
and repres sntative government established
early in the tenth century exists in its or
| iginal simplicity to-day. The Manx are
| the only Morse nation left that can show SO
close and strong n binding TO the days of
the Sagas through an unchanged govern
ment system. And the folk of this little
island are the only people acknowledging
complete British dominion who are in no
way interfered with from estminister,
and who enjoy the actual practical blessings
of home rule.
ireland battling for similar privilege of
| self-government, Scotland FESTIVE under
conditions, well enough in their day of
| making, which now prevent her dealing
with pressing church and economic ques-
| tians, Wales constantly almost in revolt
over her burden Of tithes, aud Wesleyan
Cornwall glowering over her lost prestige
and uncongenial relation to an order Of
| things out of all sympathy with nine-
tenths Of her people. can almost from their
| shores look upon the misty mountain nights
of this self-governed Utopia. All are I'M
Ii 4 =
| ing island folk have held intact for more
than thousand years On this line of
consideration Mainland is unique and is
| well worth any ones attention and regard.
The island is divided into ten electoral
districts. comprising King Orry's original
six sheadings al Glanfaba, Middle, Rushen,
Ayre, CART and Michael, each of which re-
turns three representative the city of
Douglas with three, and the town OF Ram
sey, Peel and Castletown, tho ancient capt.
tai Of Man, with one each. These twenty
four representative s constitute the House OF
Keys, corresponding to our House OF Rep
resentstives of Washington.
A brave and bloody history has the little
island had from King Orry's time down TO
its uureserved cession by its then reigning
duke to the crown, for a consideration of
94l6. 800, in 1895. The system Of govern
ment is interesting from its simplicity.
Electors must have a property qualification
in the sheadings of 9l0 occupancy, OF 98
ownership. In towns voters must possess
ca occupancy or ownership qualification,
and this gives all women unmarried, widows
or spinsters, the same vested right right
which, although vexin2 to women suifra-
gists, is rarely exercised.
There is an upper house called the Coun-
Gil, whose powers are similar to those of our
Senate. 1t is composed of the lord bishop
of the diocese r'Sodor and Man" who has a
seat but no vote in the British House of
Peers, the attorney general. the receiver
general, the two deemsters or judges whose
offices, almost a relic Of Druidism, are pre-
cisely as constituted by the Morse King
Orry, tho clerk of the rolls, the water
bailitf, the archdescon and vicar general
over which the lieutenant governor,
crown appointment, presides.
The deemstcrs or judges who have au-
thority to determine all causes, subject to
appeal to the government staff, are still re-
quired to take the same curious oath as
when the ancient "breest laws those not
reduced to writing until 14l7 and orally
handed down from one deemster 10 his sue
oessor, prevailed. They swear ''by this
book and the holy contents thereof, and by
the wonderful works that God hath rniracu-
lousy wrought in heaven above, and In the
earth beneath in six days and seven nights
without request Of favor or friend