The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-01-12
TIM HEALY IN PARLIAMENT
A Sarcastic Speech In Debate on War
Estimates.

commons, Il. NJ. Healy, M. T., the on
ly Irish Nationalist in attendance,
made rafting speech bristling with
sarcasm, in which he said in part:
with regard to the return of the
troops, the Yeomanry, who had left
their wives and children at home
were to be told to uphold the British
flag while the Guards and the House
hold Cavalry and other favored regi-
ments We're to be brought home to en-
JOY the plaudits of the multitude and
the kisses of the duchesses. Naugh-
ter) Even in the scale of pay melted
out there was a contrast. The coloni-
ais all along had been getting five
shillings a day, but the Dublin Fusi--
liers and the Yeomanry only got one
shilling a day.
"Look at it from the point of Ire
land! If Ireland had a separate par
lament and sent a contingent of
troops to the front they would be get
| ting five shillings day, but as they
We're portion of the British empire
they only got fourteen pence. laugh
ter.) His gorge rose, he would not say
his mouth watered, when he heard
the menu the Secretary of War had
read out. Naughter.) The poor peo-
pie of Ireland, whose daily fare was
potatoes and salt, and who represent
ed the poorest portion of the domin-
ions of the queen, were asked to pro-
vide sixteen millions Of money that
the New South Wales Cavalry might
have quails on toast Qaughter) and
aspic jelly on board ship at the close
of their present picnic in South Africa.
We got into this South African mess
against. the advice of every one on the
spot. He would not be surprised if
the War Secrctary's speech became
the manual of De Vets horse. Laugh
teri"
After remarking that England osten-
in the Transvaal to 5000 German He
brews, that had "cost the bones of So
900 English, Irish, and Scotch sol
dicrs," and dwelling OH the ill-treat-
ment accorded to Gen. Sir William
Butler, who had told the government
the truth concerning South Africa,
Healy proceeded thus:
"The English government had now
left this region under the command of
a man, Lord Kitchener whose boast
was that in Northern Africa he OK
cluded after Omdurman every press
man from that region. ministerial
cheers.) He was to exclude them from
South Africa as well, although every
dispatch was censored. But the Beers
would have the history of the war.
there would not be IL Boer from ST
Helena to Ceylon who would not have
an account of every farm that had
been burned and it's value. All that
| they would hear in this country from
Reuter-, however. would be, he sup
posed, about the establishment Of the
municipality at POtchefstroom, that
the franchise would be extended to
white men from the cape to the Z;ln-
best, and that in Pretoria some five
gentlemen, four of whom, he pre-
sumed, would.be- contractors to the ar
my, We're heard singing God Save the
Queen U.aughter.)
$40 rule a people the first thing was
to get hold Of their point Of view.
(Hear, hear.) But. as in theatre in
case Of fire, they We're deliberately let
ting down an iron curtain, so that an
Opaque medium might be interposed
between their eyes and South Africa.
1t was either because they dared not
see, or because their generals would
not let them. If the country was so
rich and fertile that it flowed with
milk and honey, why this demand
that the poor Yeomanry should be
sent home? The c. I. VS. who were
all young men and unmarried came
home; none of them We're anxious to
stay in the neighborlood of Potchef-
strOOm.
when England was kind enough to
join Ireland's debt to hers the utmost
they could squeeze out of Ireland was
E5,OO0,0OO, and her population was six
or seven millions: today her popula-
tion was little more than four millions
but her contribution during the last
| two years had been f9,250,000. Since
the war began the emissnries of the
Chancellor of the EXchequer had pro-
cecdcd through Ireland with rigidity
| and an cNactitude that left nothing to
be desired from the point of view of
the right honorable gentleman, and
now they are aslled-apart from the
morality Of the war-to join in voting
this money for war which benefited
no one in Ireland but Il few horse
dealers. Their soldiers had been
among the bravcst ministerial cheers)
as their wives and children and the
poorhouses in Ireland would know.
"Why did not England hold out to
the Beers some hope of amity and fu-
ture contentment by pointing to the
splendid manner in which she had
managed Ireland? naughter.) They
said to De Wet and BOthn. Come on