The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1911-11-02

leled oppression, they have retain
ed the hope of a separate and dis
tinct nation. Now what is the
Historic Titleg
The Irish Parliament was CO.
equal and coordinate with the
English Parliament. We first find
the Irish Parliament in 1895, and
until 1896 that Parliament was alb
solutely supreme.
In 1896 what was known as Poy
nings Law, was passed by the Irish
House., stipulating that the heads
of all Bills should be submitted to-
the English Sovereign and PrivyI
Council, but it was an Irish act, and
did not sacrifice Irish independence,
or recognize the right of England
to make laws for Ireland. The
Irish Parliament remained co-ordi-
nate with the English Parliament
and this was the position ecognized
and unquestioned until 1419 when
the English Parliament passed an
act claiming that the English Par
lament had right to pass laws
for Ireland.
This act was strenOusly resented
by Ireland, and never recognized
| for an hour, so that in 1882 the
freedom Of the Irish Parliament
was obtained by that act which
Grafton had passed into Law, the
act of George 1st was repealed, and
the act of George III declared as
follows:
Be it enacted: That the right
claimed by the people of Ireland to
be bound only by laws enacted by
his Majesty and the Parliament of
.. that Kingdom, in all cases whatso-
ever, shall be, and are hereby de-
cIared and ascertained forever, and
at no time hereafter be questioned
or questionable"
Eighteen years after that declar-
! alton it was disregarded, and the
Irish Parliament that had been in
existence for FIVE hundred years was
blotted out by the Act of Union.
! Mr.. Lecky the great English
Historian says: The sacrifice
of nationality was enacted by
the most enormous corruption in
the history of representative in
stitutions. Itwas demanded by no
!. considerable portion of the people.
, It was effected without dissolu-
, tion, in opposition to the over
! whelming majority of the repre-
!, sentatives of the counties, and con-
! siderable towns, and to innumera-
BILE addresses all over the country.
''The union was crime of deep
= est turpitude which by imposing
! with every circumstance of infamy.
= a new form of government on 9
!, reluctant and protesting nation, has
violated the whole cause of Irisf
> opinion" and the Irish have pro-
> tested, they have protested by in
> > surrection, they have protested by
7 a never ending agitation, they have
! protested by their representatives
= and their protests are louder thar
! ever, today. The foregoing is Ire
;, lands Historic Title to self-govern
! ment, but she has another right
e England's failure to govern.
e Let us take a. few examples
It First-that greatest of tests, pop
le ulation. Since the year 1875 th'
St Irish population has declined b,
,e fifty per cent. In1845 Ireland hat
It three times as many people as Scot
% land, and half as many as England
ii she had one third the population o
" the British Isles. In sixty year
,e she has lost 4 900, 900 of her popu
e. lation, ninety per cent. of whicl
IN were between the ages of ten an
Of forty-five.
" Next take civil liberty. Their
It. has been a coercion act for ever,
tn year since the union, and even tc
sh day there stands on the ,statut
#, books, law, applicable to Irelan
re only, giving the Lord Lieutenan
We power at his will, of suspendin
lis trial by jury open discussions, an
is the right Of public meetings
IS There have been since the Unlor
" three armed insurrections,s and tx
day the Irish, it is admitted, al
ut thoroughly dissatisfied with tn
it's system of government.