Widnes Examiner. — 1887-09-17 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

BRUNNER, M.P., AND,.THR. MITCRELSTOWN  AFFRAI%  A meeting called by the North-East Manchester Liberal Association to protest against the suppression of freedom in Ireland," was held on Tuesday ereeing. at the New Islington Elan, Ancoats. The chair was occupied by Mr. W. H. Holland. Mr. Brunner, M.P., said he thought he was- addressing a "square-headed lot," and, he bad, therefore, confidence in submitting to them the following resolution That we claim for onr Irish fellow couratrvmen the stme right of free speech and personal liberty which we would defend at all costs for ourselves ; to resist by all the means in our power the policy of tyranny and bloodshed upon which the Government has embarked in Ireland." He went to Ireland, he said, to protest against the action taken by the Government against William O'Brien (cries of 'Bless him ")—wbo had not broken the law, but bad helped to hinder the eyictione,.which would have been a breaking of the law. He (Mr:Brunner) placed mercy above the law, and be went to Mitchelstown to stand up, ICI mercy, even if it were against the law. He described his I journey to Mitchelstown. the mee ing wbich took place there, and the way in which "the miserable institution of a Government reporter" was forced upon the meeting. The police forced their way through the people up to a certain point, when a person en the platform said, Those- fellows are near eneugh, stand firm." A policeman had no more right in a crowd than any other man, and he (Nfr..Brunner) maintained that this was a perfectly I.gal direction In give 'to the crowd. (Applause ) The attack upon the crowd was absolutely wanton, unprovoked, and brutal' The polite etruck upon the crowd. every blow telling with hideous cruelty; and very spee.iily sticks on both sides appeared, but it seemed to him there were no more men attacking the police than there were police.. Yet the police soon began to run. (Laughter.) He saw one man go out of the crowd and drop three policemen as neatly as possible (Laughter and applause.) Although a magistrate and a law-abiding man, he should like to shake hands with that man. (Hear, hear.) He was a lover of peace, but he thought it right to fight when it came to resisting cruelty. He was hit three times by stones which were being thrown at the police, but be was not hurt in the least. In his opinion the palice who were being stoned were not in such danger as would justify them in firing upon the people. The eight of a policeman•was always an irritating thing to a number of Irish.nen, and what they ought to have done at Mitchelstown was to, bare kept the policemen away. The Crimes Act had been passed by the Government not so much to prevent crime on the part of the people of Ireland, hut to legalize murder on the part of the pollee. They had learned not to put implicit faith even in English policemen (applause) but be had learned most thoroughly to nut no trust whatever in an Irish policeman —(anolanse)—eenecially when he was going through "swear drill." The inquiry was now going on Into this affair. but if the coroner' S jury brought in a verdict of wilful murder against a polic.esnan the Irish people had no guarantee that anything would come of it. And yet the Tories asked them to obey law and order when they paid no respect to law and order themselves. He urged upon Englishmen to go to Ireland and attend the meetings, be. Cause it bad a calming efNet upon Irishmen; an Englishman brought with him a breath of air that dispersed the inflammable gases in the Irish atmosphere, which would create an explosion. Let them go to Ireland to protest for those who were now downtrodden, and for the rights which Englishmen now owned for themselves (Applause) Mr. C. P. Scott seconded the resolution, which was carried.