The Irish standard., 1897-02-27

e. Palmer, is that she carried no yards
whatever on any of the four nasts.
though she is Of very large tonnage, and
is close on $40 feet long over all. She
was consigned to Messrs. John Weather
i'll & Co., 8 Burgh quay
Remembering that the whole of Ire
land still rests under the stigma of an
exceptional and most drastic English CO.
ercion act, it is we'll to record the fact
that Ireland is the most cri1neless coun-
ital, OF the three kingdoms. In opening
the Dublin city commission, on Feb. S,
the lord chief justice had to notice a
further decrease in the abnormally low
rate of offenses in the city. Only few
ordinary cases were before the grand
jury. Even III the offense of intoxica-
ton there was a remarkable diminution.
Probably no other city OF the same size
in the three kingdoms could boast of so
clean a record.
A meeting OF the members of the Irish
parliamentary party was held on Feb. 4,
in committee room IS, at. the House OF
Commons, London On the motion OF
Mr.. Michael Davitt, SUM OF f2,52o was
a]located for the payment OF members.
It is understood that twenty-one men,
bers have signed the necessary declara-
ton, and will each receive f2o a month,
for six months. It was also resolved, on
the motion Of Mr.. Davitt, to remove Mr..
Vesey knox's name from the list OF
members OF the Irish party, Mr.. Knox
having refused any longer to be bound
by the action Of the ajority.
Hon. Francis Fitzgerald, formerly one
OF the judges of the Irish Exchequer
Court, died at his residence, St. Stepll-
ems Green, Dublin, on Feb. 4. He was
elevated to the bench iii 1850, and retired
in 1881, at the time when parliament
passed measure providing for the trial
of certain criminal cases by judges in
stead OF a jury, new departure which
he considered was an invasion Of the
constitution Judge Fitzgerald was called
to the bar sixty-three years ago, and was
close on s. years OF age at the time OF
his death. He had survived all his con-
temporaries among the distinguished
Irish lawyers Of the early Victorian era,
but not his own high reputation; for, he
is still remembered as one OF the most
learned lawyers and one OF the purest
Judges who ever adorned the bench. In
politics Tory, though without trace
| of bitterness, Mr.. Fitzgerald was select
ed by William Smith O'Brien to defend
him. when tried for high treason in 184S
"a sterling testimony from one honest
man to another. The advocate bore him.
sell in this,-his first and last criminal
case-with characteristic zeal and thor
oughness, but neither his skill nor
Wliitesidc's eloquence could avail to alter
the prearranged verdict OF the packed
court ard jury. Mr.. Fitzgerald was, in
1850, appointed Baron Of the Court OF
! Exclequer, post which he held for
nearly quarter OF a century. When
Chief Justice Wliteside died, the chief
iusticeship was offered to Baron Fitz-
gerald, but he declined it. as he was, he
said. happier where he was. But, in 1882
when the Coercion Act was passed, pro-
viding that, in certain cases, the Judges
should =. try the accused without
jury, Baron Fitzgerald rendered his
resignation, as, he said, the act violated
the Constitution, which gave to all &C
cused men the protection of trial by
jury. Baron Fitzgerald's family is one
OF much distinction His son is all emil
nel1t oculist: his son-in-law is Lord Jus
tice Fitzgibbon; his brother was Dr.
William Fitzgerald, late Protestant Bls}l-
on of Killaloe; and that brothers son is
Dr.. George Fitzgerald, the well-knowr1
Fellow OF Trinity College, Dublin.
| The laudable effort that is being made
at St. Mary's University College to ex-
tend Irish studies among educated Irish
women, are not, we are glad to learn, to
be wholly confined to the ordinary stu
dents Of the college. The Irish classes
will be opel, to all ladies interested in the
subject, and the opportunity may be
largely awaited Of by the ladies Of Dublin
to obtain some knowledge OF the old lam
guage OF their country.
The Dublin death rate continues alarm
ingly high According to the returns OF
the Registrar General the deaths for the
last week III January were 90 over the
average and represented an annual rate
OF mortality of 42.4 per 1000 OF the i'll
habitants.
GALWAY.
Sir Henry Burke, of Marble Hill, has
just returned from long tour in South
Africa, including the Transvaal. Sir
Henry is a sportsman; but it is more
than likely he was not in the Transvaal
merely to stalk" wild game. There is
heap of other kinds of game there, and
Sir Henry's family have always been
| staunch adherents of the government.
| A marriage has been arranged, to take
! place early next month, in Dublin, be-
| tween Mr. Minch, NJ. P, and Miss L. NJ.
O'kelly, younger daughter Of the late
Count Festus O'Kelly, and granddaugh-
ter of the late Count O'Kelly, OF Tallagh,