The Irish standard., 1906-12-01

lin that a. private conference took
place last week between Mr.. John
Redmond. Mr. Johu Dillon. the Right
Hon. James Bryce and Sir Anthony
Mcdonnell, says n correspondent of
the True Voice. This would imply a
desire OH the part of the government
to consult tho opinions of the Irish
party leaders on the coming legisla-
ton. Whether tho government will
be guided by such opinions is quite
another matter. However favorably
disposed members of the cabinet like
Mr.. Morley and Mr.. Bryce may be,
they have to reckon with the Rose
berry influence. which will almost GER
tainly endeavor to minimize their eff
FORTS: and to draft measure that
will confer merely II shadow of power
OH this Irish people. The issue de-
pends on whether the convinced Home
Rulers in the English cabinet are
prepared to fight .strenuously for
principle. IL not, j.. is safe to proph
esy the. introduction next, session Of
a. practically worthless measure. Jf
they stand their ground. there is d
fair chance that the bill will be valu-
able enough to warrant It's acceptance
as In installment OF Justice.
Mr.. John Dillon's criticisms of the
Land Conference have called forth %
characteristic reply from Mr.. Will
liam O'Brien, who evidently inlagines
that any body Of which he has formed
a part is lnfallible and above criti-
cism. He imputes all sorts of dis
honest motives to- Mr.. Dillon, and
charges him with trying to block the
reinstatement Of the evicted tenants,
Mr.. O'Brien's fulnlinations would be-
amusing IL they Wee not so contempt
ible. He promises furthep "'revela-
tions' In the Forthcoming libel action
against tho Freemans Journal. What
good purpose he inagines can be full
flcult to say. His leading counsel in
the libel action WILL it is said, be
Mr.. Timothy Healy. Time was when
Mr.. O'Brien would have lost a; hum
dred lawsuits sooner than invoke the
aid OF Mr.. Healy, but sll that Is now
changed.
Sunday, October 14th, witnessed q
fine demonstration in Dublin to honor
the memory of Father Mtllew, the
Apostle Of Temperance. The process
sion was organized by the committee
of the Father Mathew Memorial Hall
and their labors were most success
full. The result would seem to indi-
cate that the temperance movement
is. making good headway. The licens
ing bill, which will be a. substantial
advance III the direction Of lessening
the temptations for excessive drink
ing, is just passing through it's final
stages. It's passage through the
HOUSE. OF Lords was jeopardized by
some proposed amendments, which,
however, have now been withdrawn.
The death of Colonel Saunderson,
the leader Of the Orange party, is a
severe blow to the Irish Unionists.
His influence. however, had been
steadily on the decline since the
growth Of the Independent Orange
mems. Association, led by Mr.. Sloan,
M. P. and Mr.. Lindsay Crawford
Bigoted and fanatical though he was.
Colonel Saunderson was by no means
unpopular amcng the members Of the
National party. Away from the po-
litical arena. his better nature assert
ed itself and won him many friends
among his opponents. Mr.. Walter
Long, the member from South Dublin.
is now supposed to be the chief hope
OF Irish Unionists. The intellectual
poverty of this precious collection is
thus suhiciently exposed. The i'm
. ported Enxlish squire seems to be the
.