The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-08

out OF the thirty-two Irish counties. he
does not believe, however, that local cleo
tions under the bill will be conducted on
strictly party grounds. On the contrary, he
expects that Unionist cooperation Will
DO welcomed by the S~Htionallsts, who are
anxious to avert n breakdown in county
government, which would be injurious, II
not fatal, to the demand for nationa self
rule. However that may be, It Is certain
that Mr.. GERALD BALFoUR'S bill will give
the Irish people the complete management
OF their local affairs. II this management
shall prove successful, II will constitute q
powerful argument for the creation OF a
Dublin Parliament.
We pass to what the Unionists have done
for the congcstcd districts, and under this
term we refer to an area on the western
seaboard Of Ireland, which includes certain
portions OF Kerry, Mayo, Galway and Don
egal. Here agriculture Is the sole industry,
but the best Of the lane has been given over
TO grazing, and the people have been left to
scratch the mountain side or to reclaim
patches from among the rocks. Under such
circumstance life is impossible and rent
is out Of the question. Some of the young
men go to England and to Scotland for the
harvest, and some OF the young girls 30
into domestic service; others go to America.
Even in normal times tho diet OF thousands
Of these people Is acknowledged by MIR.
RUSSELL, who knows the congested dis
tricts, to be less nourishing than that OF
the ordinary pauper In tho worst OF Eng
lish warehouses. When the potato crop
fails, there is nothing before the people but
| starvation, unless the Government inter-
venes. It cannot be said that the Untonist
Government has been remiss In the mat
ter. Some years ago Mr.. A. j. BALFoUR
persuaded Parliament to make a free grant
OF SO, $50, 900, since supplemented by u
much larger sum, for railways to traverse
| some OF the districts in question. In 1891
Mr.. BALFoUR established the Congested
| District Board, provided with an annual
income OF S21O,O0O from the Irish
Church surplus, and charged with the
duty OF assisting the people in q variety
OF ways. This board has purchased
small estates, got rid Of the grazing
tenants, and added the lands thus ac-
quired to the inadequate holdings Of ten
ants. 1t has also repaired cabins, made
farm roads, mended fences, and built
schools. Mr.. RUSSELL holds that the Con-
gested District Board should be furnished
with more money, and that the owners
OF grazing land should be compelled to
sell it. He suggests, too, that cottage
industries should be introduced to sup
plement the meagre products that can
be garnered from an inferior soil. A
bill to that end was proposed by Mr..
GERALD BALFOUR last year, and is expected
to be brought forward again at the next
session OF Parliament. The aim Of this
bill is to establish an Agriculture n In
dustries Department, the duty Of which
will be to foster the backward agriculture
OF certain districts and to aid in establish
ing industries that will act as supple
mental thereto.
In one particular the Unionists have failed
to keep their promises to the Irish Catholics
they have failed to give them increased
facilities for higher education. During the
present year MI. A. J. BA1FoUR has tried to
establish and endow a second university
in Ireland on lines acceptable to Roman
Catholics, that is to say, a university
whose doors should be open to all creeds,
but the governing body of which should be
Roman Catholic, just as the Senate of the
University Of Dublin is Protestant. The
attempt had to be abandoned, after two
days debate, owing to the strength of the
mo Popery" feeling in certain parts OF
England and Scotland. 1t will be remem
bered that a similar effort on Mr.. GLAD.
STONES part miscarried for a like reason
The Scotch and English Nonconformist
will not brook the application of public
moneys to the endowment OF a Catholic
university, and a large part Of the Anglican
Church sides with them in the matter.
Mr.. RUSSELL, although himself a Non
conformist, regrets the success Of the oppo
sition to Mr.. BALFoURis plans for an Irisl
Catholic university. He regrets it IN ever!
ground, but especially because he sees tina
it will make a good home rule argument
He cannO say in the future what he hai
maintained in the past, that the Impcria
Parliament is alike able and willing t.
remedy every Irish grievance.
1t looks as IL this particular grievance
would never be remedied at Westminster
and as II Ireland may nave to wait for
Catholic university until she has a Parlia
ment OF her own.