The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-05-16
The Memorable Scenes that Took
Place on the Last Night of
Its Existence.
s.Death of the Irish Nation Will
Only Be the Life of IT, Says
Sir Boyle Roche.
Dramatic Events Told in a Most
Realistic Way by a Close
Observer.

Observer.
Snow! Snow! ,-.
It dropped noiselessly on pediment and
on pillar, on roof and on railing, on COR
nice and on capital. Snow in June had
never before been known in Dublin, aud
heads shook at the phenomenon. It was,
indeed, sight to be wondered at. But
citizens asked each other that day in the
Z streets If it was anyway more unnatural
than that a national parliament should
vote away its life and its liberties.
It was not heavy-a mere thin white
integument to cover the shame OF the
ancient Irish parliament, which met this
fatal day to end its own existence, and
to acknowledge that the purse of Eng
land was stronger than the patriotism OF
Ireland.
Snow! Citizens wondered at the win
ter intrusion. Some speculated that it
did not augur well for Ireland; but the
friends of Lord Castlereagh returned the
skies thanks for their compliment. And
still the white flakes floated down, and
Dame street and Westmoreland, and
Grafton street and College Green, and all
the buildings thereof wrapped their
white robes still closer to their persons.
So evening came, SO night. Then the
great candelabra of the commons sprang
in fame and the members of that honor
able house trooped into the last sitting
of the parliament of the Irish nation,
says the Shamrocks.
The matricide, if we may speak of it,
had been done months ago: and yet, for
what reason it is hard to conjecture, the
Redcoats Of England tonight circled the
building armed to the teeth. The matri-
eide had been done months ago, and to-
might the business was formal; for the
secretary and his men behind him, true
4 as gold, nearly every one Of them brought
: to his side by that most potent metal.
It was, so to speak, merely the scene Of
the execution. Judgment had been pro-
nounced in the early months of the year,
and since then the prisoner had been in
the cell; today he came again into the
glare Of the highways, and was led to the
block. ~
A year ago, what a noise, what busi-
ness, what talk, whas pass and repass of
Joke and story. Today-.today! Was
there ever in any parliament house, or in
j any country in Europe, such jolly and
4 geod humored party as used to meet In
the coffee-room of the Irish commons?
\ Where be their jibes now? Many of
them Jingle tonight in their pockets the
money of the minister, and before Christ
church clock strikes 10 over the city,
they will have given for. it to England
more than they woE of. But it sears
their consciences, this eoin if it does not
burn their fingers! An, there is some
4 thing wrong, surely for the coffee-room
is dismal this evening. Sir John Stuart
Hamilton's great figure darkens the door
for an instant, but though IN the pleas
ant days of the past his wit and humor
made the coffee-room gay, and though
heliked his drink as much as any Of the
circle, he passes on along the corridor.
Sir Edward Newman no more shows his
letter from Washington; and Sir Boyle
Roche, having betrayed his country, has
cr1ly made one bull, shat the death of
the Irish nation, after all, will only be the
life Of it.
& f So there is no good in remaining here.
IN spirit, let us look into the next cham
ber. There sits, with pale face, in the
robes of the speaker Of the Irish COM
mons, the Right Hon. John Foster, for
ever to be remembered for his faithful
ness to the Irish nation-with pale and
anxious face, talking with quivering
5y voice to his no less noble colleague Sir
I Iohn Parnell, chancellor of the excheq-
l1er-the incorruptible. Soon they will
cross the corridor, and enter the house;
h and the last scene will then have entered
s$on It's last phase.
sss There are few members in the coffee
i room leading to Westmoreland street, as
n We pass round under the dim and flick
\ ering candles towards the door of the
81 through which move figures some
4 tvstha conference room and the lobby to
Al1e bar Of the house and to the galleries.
4 There lis q. motley group in the court of
Il Sfpfl1ests. citizens and countrymen; the
d hall lis filled with sedan chairs, and out
II i1lfy1 j. on the piazza there is q trampaing
n nf recoated soldiers and the clanking Of
glish arms.
s r,et lis for q moment look at the house,
ss, Y =, 40, assembled, from the members en-
Il trance behind the barat the Irish house
\ 0fs commons at it meets for the last time
4 at one OF the oldest parliaments in Eu
,,IIe roe III session at its death-bed-at q leg
\ sisiative chamber fit to compare with any
n 81 its day in Europe and infinitely sur
q missing, in beauty and impre ressiveness,1
A ASSt th,a 8chamber by the Thames, in which
@ ~. U. DAYS with William Pitt and Charles
Il siiuxi are wont to address theaassemhed
T3r.3fi17