The Saint Paul globe., 1904-06-19

parliamentary cOfnIllSSlOn appointed
some years ago to inquire into the
financial relations between Ireland and
Great Britain, found that Ireland was
overtaxed by a few millions of pounds
yearly, and that since the union
6 G200,000.000 had been unjustly drawn
from Ireland. Then there was a long
fight and strong right to compel Eng
land to pay back the debt; but once
again might was right. This year
tri1e less than half million pounds
extra taxation is being asked at Ire
lands door. "But If we ask more from
Ireland this year." the government
said, 1--WE are going to reduce the cost
of Irish administration, and SO tighten
our sisters burden" Mr.. Wyndham,
the Irish chief secretary, came for
ward in parliament the other day with
a compensatory scheme. He proposed
to reduce the salary OF the Irish lord
chancellor from $4,000 to G $4,000! If
their sense of humor does not save
them, their magnanimity will be the
death of the British government one
of these days.
The administrative system in Ire
land is usually manned by paying an
EngllShman possessed of titular ap-
pendage a handsome salary for doing
nothing gracefully; and hiring three
Scotchmen to help him, appropriately.
In our own princely way, too, we usu-
ally disdain to pay our officials the
beggarly pittances that are doled to
like men in the poor countries around
US. Whilst we give our lord chancellor
$4,000 year, poor England can only
afford to pay her lord chancellor Gas
lord chancellor) a pitifuI 5000. We
1O7.d oY+ @
and s. 1,006 extra q think it is) for the
trouble and expense of taking his car
pet-bag across the channel. In the
parliamentary vote on supply | cannot
at the present moment recall just how
much ''the king, lords and commons"
have to vote each year to keep the
secretary to the private secre-
tary Of the chief secretary for
Ireland in bootjacks, but / know it is
much about the same figure that is
given him for ironing his night-caps.
Small wonder We are rich!
Cork city has been disfranchised.
William O'Brien, who represents it,
did not take his seat in the house of
parliament once during the specified
period. Hence the disaster. For the
present anyhow, Mr.. O'Brien seems to
have done, in disgust, with political
life. 1t is we'll for Mr.. O'Brien. Per-
haps it is well for the country. Will
liam O'Brien was an earnest man and
a sincere man. He did very much
that was good for Ireland. He did a
little that was harmful. His most
grievous blunder was in opposing Maj.
MacBride, of the Boer Irish brigade,
when his name was put forward as
parliamentary candidate in Mayo. In
electing as their parliamentary repre-
sentative the man who was at that
moment leading the Irish brigade
against the English in South Africa,
the men of Mayo had one of the grand
est chances ever offered of drawing the
attention of the world to the fact that
they were part Of the British empire
against their will. Mr.. O'Brien will
fully destroyed this chance. His ac-
ton was objectionable, and, it is like
ly, will not easily be forgotten by the
best section of Irishmen. If Mr..
O'Brien now turns his attention to lit
erature he may do something for which
Irishmen may be thankful to him.
West Waterford was disfranchised
in '89, owing to the absence Of Mr..
Pyne from his seat in parliament. In
'88 an English banker disappeared, and
the universal opinion was that he had
committed suicide. Mr.. Pyne, talking
on that subject with friend in Lon
don one day, said: Il am sure the
man has not committed suicide. He
has simply gone away and does not
want anyone to know his whereabouts.
If ever disappear, please don't be in
a hurry to consider me dead. If you
do you will one day find out your mis-
take" Within twentyfour hours after
he had this discourse with his friend,
Mr.. Pyne left London for Ireland, and
the following morning there was pas
senger reported missing on cross
channel steamer and Mr.. Pyne's lug
gage was discovered on board, but of
Mr.. Pyne himself there was no trace.
Parliament waited in vain for him to
turn up, and finally disfranchised the
division of West Waterford. Nothing
further has ever been heard of Mr..
Pyne.
The news of the pope's bestowing
honors upon the Austrian students
who refused to duel reminds one that
dueling died a hard death in Ireland.
A century ago it was in it's heyday
here and many a tragic and many
humorous incident connected Herewith
saved DublinerS from dying of the
blues. That part of the Phoenix park
known as the Fifteen Acres was the
favorite resort of gentlemen who loved
to make their appetite by smelling
powder in the mornings. A man of the
law named Bushe once challenged his
foe to meet him Gin the Fifteen Acres,
be the same more or less" He meant
to give his friend, the enemy, no legal
lOOphOIe whereby TO escape. Bryan
MacDermott, the last of the Romans,
lived broken -heartedly to see dueling
decline Bryan, it is related, used to
sit by his open window in one Of the
fashionable thoroughfares of Dublin
and drop pebbles upon the heads of
those passing, and if any man resent
ed the familiarity he challenged him
forthwith Some of the Dublin wags
one time forced two timid gentlemen
to duel with each other, and they load
/ ed their pistols with red currant jam.
Both of them fell plump at the first
fire. Each man wiped his face with
his handkerchief, and looking at the
material he had wiped away snrieked,
II am murdered; my brains are all
over my facet"
1t is whispered that the wonderful
progress Of the Gaelic league has been
giving the government serious thought.
They were at first inclined to ignore it
as being merely an epidemic that the
wind of next year would blow away.
They are finding to their amazement
that it is being prolonged far beyond
the epidemic stage, and that it is un-
fortunately injecting even many of
those who are looked upon as Eng
lands faithful garrison in Ireland. The
rumor in the air now is that the treas
ury has resolved to put down it's foot
and to pay no more money specially
for the teaching Of Irish. IL this re-
solve be reached, it will be the finest
help forward that the Gaelic league