The Irish standard., 1908-02-22
At Great Meeting Recently Held in Ros-
common, Cattle Driving Was
Earnestly Defended.
Catholics and Nationalists of Derry Demand
Fair Representation in Municipal
Government.

who had taken part in it had broken
the law. Had it not been for the cattle
driving the people of England would
not have known that there was a land
question at all. They had shown Mr..
Birrell that an amendment in the land
bill was necessary. AS for the future
use of the hazel under the leadership
Of Mr.. F'itzgibbon they could be best
guided. Dealing with the claims for
home rule, he said that it was the only
possible condition under which the peo-
pie could prosper, as, do what they
would at present in the interest of
progress, they ran their heads up
against the place from which the jewels
were stolen. In his opinion a general
election was nearer than it was thought
to be, and what the people had to do
was to marshal their forces so as to
secure for the country in the near fu-
ture a Gladstonian home rule bill. He
advised the people neither to trust
Mr.. Birrell nor the Liberal govern
ment. Let them trust themselves.
There was a saying in Connaught,
Money down." They would approve of
what Mr.. Birrell had to offer them
when they saw the money down on the
counter.
The eerrymander !" Derry.
Attention has just been called to as
complete piece of gerrymandering
as has ever been known in America,
says l.. X. Cullen. The population of
Derry is about 10000 and Of these 25,-
900 are Catholics and Nationalists, but
there are only thirteen Nationalist
members of the City Council to twenty
four Unionists. There is not even
Catholic street sweeper in the employ
of the Council, and the first question
asked of an applicant for municipal
employment is What are your relig-
ion and politics?" The Irish party has
decided at the present session of Par
Lament to demand redistribution of
the wards Of Derry which will give the
majority of the population chance to
secure its fair share Of representation
in the municipal government.
Mr.. Rafferty,, the coroner for South
County Dublin, has had the courage to
start a campaign against one Of the
most cherished traditions Of the coro-
ner's jury-that all suicides are insane.
The verdict, Suicide while insane" Of
course, dates from the days when sui
eide meant the exclusion of the suicides
body from decent burial and the for
feiture of property, and had its origin
in the desire of the jury to see sub
stantial justice done in spite Of the
law. Now, however, there is no such
excuse and Mr.. Rafferty, began, his
campaign a few days ago by refusing
to receive verdict of suicide while
insane" in the case of soldier, in
which the evidence showed great de-
liberation and careful planning. The
jury was stubborn and the coroner
locked it up over night. but in the
morning it refused to alter its verdict
and the coroner discharged it. He is
sued a permit allowing the body to be
buried. but SO far t4e cause of death
has not been officially determined. Mr..
Rafferty, declares that in future he in
tends to have verdicts in his court rem.
dered in accordance with the facts.
A step in the right direction has Just
been taken by the formation in Dublin
Of an Irish General Insurance COM
pany, the first company of it's kind to
be launched by Irish capital and man.
aged by Irishmen. One of the features
of English rule in Ireland to which lit
tie attention has been drawn is that
most of the surplus wealth is invested
abroad.
There are few countries in which a
larger proportion of the population is
possessed Of independent means and
nearly every penny of their capital is