The Irish standard., 1896-01-04


i escape the consequences of a rebellion
/ he had been plotting while the LOya
| Orangemen went down in arms to crust
I Out sedition in Tipperay. Mr.. McGee IN:
! terrupted by stating that according to {
! speech made in. the house OF lords by
Earl Derby, the rebellion was put down
| by the Catholic clergy of Ireland Tho
/ only part the Orangemen took in it was
! that one Mr. McDermott. Of Belfast, had
received large sum from the govern
ment to raise a regiment of volunteers
| in Ulster, and that he suddenly disap-
peared with the money and was never
seen in Ireland nor heard from since.
| Down in Quebec, one Mr.. Dennis was
| forever standing up to interrupt Mr.. Nc
! Gee or some other member Mr.. McGee
called the attention of the house to "the
| rising man. The correction, however,
had but temporary effect, until one
| night, after vicious Interruptions, Mr..
| McGee said that honorable gentleman
must have had III view to initiate his
protonym in that he came to the capital
without his head"
1t was IN Quebec that one Of Mr.. Nc
Gees best parliamentary speeches was de-
| livered on the ever recurring topic OF Or
anga Incorporation. In the three hours
discourse he bava the whole history OF
Orangeism, from its origin III 1875 and its
first grand master, Thomas Werner, down
to it's then grand master, at that time a
prominent member OF 'ohe house, Hon.
John Hilliard Cameron. Among other
amusing incidents he stated that he had
just been furnished with a book most Diff
ficult of possession by anyone outside Of
the Magic circle of initiated members. 1t
was the. Orange ritual.
Here l read he said. taking UP the
book. ''that the application for member
ship is blinlfolded in the chamber,
then he is conducted by the tyler to the
door Of the lodge room where he is pre-
sented with a, bowl containing w. and w.
There is no footnote stating what these
initials stand for, but I should fancy they
mean-whisky a1ld wa,ser(great laugh
ter)-then the applicant IS told TO dip his
hand in the bowl and sprinkle with its
contents the Intel and the posts OF the
dcor---and this makes me believe the
bowl dones not contain whisky and water
at alI--(renewed laughter.} The canal-
date is then led ito the middle Of the lodge
rocnl-and made to klpeel down on mis-
bare knees. Now. can you fancy the fas-
tidious member for 1'orOnto-John IL.
Caneron-rolling UP his trousers to kreel
on the floor r?-Qaughter)- imagine the
Hon. Postmaster General-Sidney Smith
sinking domw without even an empty
mail bag to place between his knees and
mother earth %
Thomas Darcy MCGEE was not more
than one year in Canada before he con-
ceived the idea and made plans for the
confederation Of the British provinces.
In conversation [ had with him one
night in Toronto, remarked that he was
gaining unpopularity for himself in Low
er Canada by joining in the Reform cry
Of Rep. by Pop. I should explain that
when Lower Canada had much larger
populat on-200 ,00O-than Ontario, she
was satisfied with the same number Of
representatives, But when OntaT 10 S
population grew to- be 100000 more than
Quebec, the Reformers raised the cry that
Ontario was unfairly represented, and
asked for change. The French Cana
dians and the Conservative government
opposed the change. s'The complaint
must be of short DURATION sad Mr.. Nc
Gee, Gin few years we shall have all the
British provinces united in one grand
confederation, when changes must occur
and adjustments be made constitutional
that will satisfy all the provinces" This
conversation occurred in. 1857, exactly ten
years previous to the events foreseen and
foreplanned in his poetic, or rather pro-
phetic eye.