Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-11-15
FURORE OVER AN Inn
Two Counties Of Ireland Upset on
Licensing Small Tavern.
LAW AND CLERGY IN THE TURMOIL
Army Of Magistrates vex Their So.
pient Legal Minds.
GRAPPLE IN VAIN WITH PROBLEM
Catholic and Presbyterian Protest the
Renewal of License
P0PULACE Is IN GREAT STEW
All This civil, Political and Religious
Hubbub ia Created over one
Little Inn on Country
Road.
Army Of Magistrates vex Their So.
pient Legal Minds.
GRAPPLE IN VAIN WITH PROBLEM
Catholic and Presbyterian Protest the
Renewal of License
PoPULACE IS IN GREAT STEW

Cracken let the men of Down and Antrim
against the English troops, has there been
such excitement IN these two counties as
has been created during the last few weeks
over the proposal to relicense the Goat Inn
81 Millown. County Down. Nothing else
has been discussed in the two counties for
weeks. and when the magistrates met at
the Newtownards Quarter Sessions few
days ago TO arrive at the momentous de-
cision 1t seemed as il half the population
OF the two counties had come to the town
to see the final struggle.
or one thing there can be no
doubt. and that is that half the
magistrates of County Down came TO
take part in It. Down is well supplied
with justices of the peace. There are
about $50 OF them all told. and usually
dozen or so appear to serve at the Quarter
Sessions. This time 13l magistrates ap-
pcared on the bench to decide on the fate
OF the Goat. That is to say. they were
nom.nnlly on the bench. but actually, of
course the bench would not hold them.
They filled the we'll of the court, crowed
'he counsels benches and overflowed into
.he corridors and dressing rooms. Most OF
them. OF course, heard nothing of the argu-
ments by the twenty odd barrsters and
solicitors engaged in the case. but that
did not matter, for every magistrate had
his mind made up how he was going to
vote before ne left home, Up to the last
moment motor cars. jauntng cars and
wagonettes were dashing into the court
house square bringing belated magistrates
Modest Little Inn.
rhs cause of all this bother was a modest
looking little inn on the main road just
five miles from Belfast, and its geographic
cal position had everything 10 do with Its
Importance. Under the Sunday closing law
liquor can only be served on Sundays to
bona flde travellers. who have travelled five
miles from the place where they slept on
the Saturday night and the Goat did
roaring Sunday trade. A line OF street cars
had It's terininds there. and at intervals OF
few minutes all day long on Sunday troll
s;ey cars, laden to the feotboards. set down
thel- loads OF thirsty passengers at the
door OF the Goat. The scenes about II be-
came so disgrneetu that the license was
revoked n couple OF years ago. Witnesses
declared that It was surrounded all day
Sunday by crowds of drunken. fighting
'rawdies. and there seldom was half an
hour without n dog fight in the road in
front OF the inn. People lay about the
roadside for half miles on each side of
the Goat in nude semi-nude condition,
aud tho police declared that they were
helpless because the nearest station was
three miles away and they could not take
a man who was fighting drunk so far.
Letters were received by the magistrates
protesting against the renewal OF the lic-
ense from the Catholic and Anglican bish-
ops of Down and Connor and from the
moderator OF the Presbyterian general as
sembly. as well as from all the clergy of
all denominations for miles around The
owners cf the house a large firm OF Bel
fast distlliers were represented by famous
counsel. Eventually the magistrates de-
cided against renewing the license by "a
vote OF lei against to 20 for.
several Collisions Occur.
THere were several collisions between the
G1atites ana the anti-Goatites in the
streets Of Newtownards after the decision,
and eventually the police, who had been
strengthened by drafts from all parts of
the country. cleared the town and drove
the pArtisans cut into the country, where
they were allowed to fight 1t out to their
hearts content.
A proposal Is beins made in certain union
lst papors TO reduce the representation OF
iceland In the British Parliament. and It is
based ON the apparently specious ground
that Ireland is very much over-represented
IN proportion 10 its population. This Il
true. but the decline In population is due tC
British mlsgovernment and when II was
-uuder-represented in 1883 and a propose
was made to increase the number Of its
members of Parliament II was defeated
then on the ground that the representation
was fixed by the act of union and could
not be altered without repealing that act
Another proposal which may be much NOR,
likely OF realization is that the next union
list government should give Ireland hom,
rule IN all but imperial affairs. retainins
the Irish members at Westminster. but re
dIcnS their number to correspond TO TN,
population This would probably not b,
objected to very much. and Il is pointed on
that II tke real seat OF Irish government
were in Dublin, the Irishmen would be yer,
EelGom seen in London.
Labor Party "a CoRtest.
Another sign OF the change which is com
ing over political feeling In the north is tn
announcement that the labor party has ar
ranged to contest the next parliamentar!
elections In North anu East Belfast Thes
divisions have been stronsholds Of unionisn
snd orangeism. but they are largely work
ing class, and the workingmen Of Ulste
are getting tired OF being used 10 pull tn
landlords chestnuts out OF the fire. Tn
labor representatives who have been nOmi
nattd are Protestants but home rulers, an
while the fight will not be made on ma
tiOnal issues but purely on the labor ques
uon. they can be trusted II elected to vot
with the Irish party on an questions sf
testing the restoration Of ireland TO It
proper position among the nations
The Donegal islanders who refuse 10 pa,
taxes are again 10 the fore. Al the L.lffor
quarter sessions a few days ago Mr.. Ed
ward MeFadden, the tar collector. apple
10 the Judge 10 allow him to serve sum
monses Cor nonpayment OF rates on IN
ISLANDERS OF Cola. Inishmain and Inishove
BY post lie declared that he found
almost Impossible TO set a toatman 10 TAX
him 70 the lslanas 70 serve the summonse,