Mr W. K. REDMOND M.P. IN THE ODDFELLOW'S HALL.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1311, 17 October 1883, Page 2

Mr W. K. REDMOND M.P. IN THE ODDFELLOW'S HALL.

+ By special request Mr Redmond on his return from Westport on Saturday last delivered a second lecture in the Oddfellow's Hall on the subject ci the " Coercion Act " and its working in Ireland. The Hall was well filled and Mr P. Brennan having been voted to the chair, briefly introduced the lecturer. Mr Redmond said that after he had lectured here the other evening he was 1 informed by some of his friends that i it might be desirable that he should deliver a second lecture, as in any case he would have to spend auother evening at Reefton on the way back from Westport to Kumara. It was most unusual for him to speak a second time in the same place, but seeing that he had to stay here he could not better dispose of his time, and he would 1 therefore proceed to deal with some » points which lie had omitted to refer to on the formf-r occasion: He did not 1 purpose to speak at any great length , as he had travelled hard and worked a good deal since coming to the West Coast, and on Monday evening had to deliver a lengthy and impoi*tant address at Kumara, He purposed to take for his subject thiseveniug " The Coercion Act " introduced into the ■ House of Commons by Mr Foster, I Chief Secretary of Ireland, in 1881. i The measure was introduced, as it was ; said, for the purpose of checking ; crime, and the maintenance of law and I ( For rest of news see fourth page.)

o_lJi_-_- m. Js-Land., ..Now. .as he^(tbespeaker) happened to be ; onp of .those Irishman irp'oii whom .had 'b.en 1 con-; fined the ho-or'df dJrrest, he -Was in "a josition to show' briefly that 'Mr Fos-_ t-ildid not us.- '.he 'Act so much to luaintain: law „hd bVder as to crush the perfectly legitimate, and 'constitutional agitation of the liind League,- which had already made its influence felt in its -efFoi-t. to crush; lalidlprdls'ui: /■ Sirice lie (the: speaker), came ito- A.i*tstralia she had been asked to give an account of the arrests under .tbe: Coercion Act and . ia.inany places he .had already done, so. He did-not, however^ propose that evening to occupy .their .time with a lengthy; account of his own arrest; It: was, ins usual course when speajkingpn this ,'to divide his lecture. intatw,9'par.t- r v In. ,the first part he. sought to provt-ii thj-tj^Mr Foster was riot justified by ;the circunistances in introducing such a criralf^nd drastic measure, and tMt, h e did r pt us^ it sq, m^qh , for th e jfturpose,Gif, ipa'iriia'ning law and order,j as 1 0 -cyii'sn' the Land League. ; These, sumefits formed tlie first part ,pf the lecrai^, and the' second part went *? desenbe how the speakei^^him^el^ihad, suffered by Mr Fosters unwarranted and iniquitous Act, He would confiue; himself strictly 'that evening to the first . division of the lecture. ; o ltwas needless for him to dwell at any great length, upon the disas't: O-sefTepts of the Coercion Act, because no person could reasoffably » _' surprised that its ope-l'atipnr-w'is followed by crime and out- t rage' .0 „ large "extent." Mr, Foster derqai^ed^the.Act to put crime down,, but just as the rebellion in Wexford in 1.778 ; was .oaused by the atrqeious v cts of the troops introduced , sg , ,the Coercion Act, introduced, to check crime, really had^—rwhat it was, only natural it should— quite th,?; opposite effect, and crimes and outrages, which had never been heard of before the. appointment of Mr Fpster as Chief-Sec-, retary of Ireland, became . alarmingly rife, . It was a. melancholy fact that there had never, be**n a single legislative measure of reform introduced for Ireland that had not* been ; preceded by me of coprqion such as, that of 1881, Eve.y .ppe, .of. thq i; refqrms granted to Irel.nd had been preceded by some galling Ai*t: of • oppression, "and if Mr Gl idatpne ' had npti; received the. full measure of credit for his efforts, to: better, jljig condition of the tenantry,; the circumstance was due tp the fact, that thja^people \pi Ireland were incensed and prejudiced against him on. account of Mr Foster's. Coercion Act/ which 'preceded ' : liis '"'; (Gladptone's) Land Bill. l Foster asked for* the Coercion Acfy to^he<*k T - crime and outrage., He said he only r^wainted to put down the^yillage tyrants and dissolute ruffians, and tp break up the lairs. •of savage . men. ; ■ This was the class. of men he t wan ted to imprison 1 , and now let, us see how he kept his word tp the House of : Gpnimons. Some months after the. -Act was. in full swing — after hundreds 6f men -were imprisoned without trial we find Bishop Nnlty writing to the authorities on. the arrests; describing themi not- as -the village. -tyrants. and idissolnte rnfiians, hut the . flower of . the industrial: and agricultural oJassfS/of.' Ireland.;; He (the speaker) did not require tp go into a lengtlyf^re^ta^iqn, ; pf. ,-_yic > FoSter^s statement, .th^tj only,- wanted to im--prisop ; the'. l 4is^6iure russans ;and village tyran.s o^'Trelano!. '/He. wp^ld leave- the'meeting to judge for them-' f elves; * 'Mr JBfostei was*' an man, and a maii 1 cruel' and- harsh in ifeis . ; ; an tipa thy, to • ■>. th c : v , Iri sh and thoselpresenfcfcoiild judge whether' his (Foster's) reprfr___t»t_ons-, -or thos.' of Bishop^Nulty were most likely to bd correct", Tn order, however, to endeavor to pro J&> some justification fpi* the-in-trcduc_o_ of thP Coercion Act', ; Mr Foster 4aid certain statistics before^ the House of Commons as collected by;the Crimes 'Corhmittee in Ireland. 7 '- He (Mr Foster ) wanted ■to 'Obtain ; the vote_ of th. House for his measure of coercion for Ireland, and he knew, as we all'/ know, ttiat Finglishmeh and Scotchmen are not in the habit of consenting; tp ;-extreme legislation such as the Coercion, Act without some justification. .(Englishmen and Scotchmen in the* House of Commons 'would riot pass such ah Act hnless it was shown them that it was necessary for. the maintenance of law and order. How was it then that the measure did pass ? It was . 1/ecause Mr Foster laid on the table .4 fictitious statement of !crime and outrage , in Ireland. The Chief Secretary.endeavored to make out the condition of the country was very much worse than it' r really ! was, and gave a grossly exaggerated statement of the cririie's coufrnitted by the Irish people. 5^ 'He thought he could convey an idea of this'by'qu'o.iiig-' a--c_se With which he was personally conversant. Mr Foster stated tfiat^he cderc-0_ was necessary for the County of Wexford, where crime^ waa Yrery pre^val eiat^ and where no less than 56 outrages of a gross character had; been committed within ; a: shbrt time previously. Now; the speaker's-fathei' happened t6 be One, of the * i'ep'resentatives for, 'the ; 'Coim • y of Wexford in the Im,neriai Pallianient, and the Ip.afi-i* dp.d V.his brother lived therein*! Is.ißfj. :*r)iey ■ ccnsequeritly ought; together ' tp .knOw something bf w_}ati>!W_nt. ..on? in that county. Nobody _new better'what was passing there, and they Wefe'-perfectly ignorant of any; such condition of things as represented by Mr Foster. 1 lad there been either ,;crim^. .^i", , Qu.ti*age.. /there they \yqufd>J*aye; been tiieyeryjfirst •>& hear of ir, for iliey were working'.! in the i_iteh?st,*'of the 'pe'o_)le- : of ' Ii .land, and coi_tairtly a'toongki^' -^thern,' ' a'Wd therefore,* up^n- thafc*;' T ;sl_:jement'' 7 lieiri^ made-'ts^^ i t an d. t^e hieeiing WPi4d sf p, hpwi ,fai ? *j,t was. Had ; here bepn 56 ou tragep^of a g'*o*-R. charnctei" committed » in- that county it would no doubt have been justification enough for some steingent

* maaßuve oi ■ ■ repression j- but when analysed what did .the y.iincl. , That 48 out of -the 5G 'were proved conclusively to have been threatening letters, by-some one or two persons, and followed by no results whatever, and so that altogether there were only 'eight outrages committed in* tlie. whole county"; yet, according to Mr Foster's dishonest.and dishonorable statistics it went tb the world that 56 outrages of a| gross" character were committed in Wexford. Because. a\ few scouiidi;els tliouglit; prober to iyri^ .^^P^b.or -of foolish threaWning letter's which ed to nothing,, and which .-> .-probably, -.were" never intended; to leadtdany-hing, his people of Wexford were held; up to the ■infamy ",bf ''-tbtf world/- fend * disgraced ' /iW.-h'-'ftr^S^ , ! better ' : ' ; _stvmate < " 'might' pf. ;hpw tbe^Chi^Secr^afy^s^ellfid, liß_"c4cri'fl&-?|f^ in the House bf Commons ,rtiy ;>Mfe Ay; M. .SiiUivans /s.lljbsjberviaiJ. inisjtrbcrted' .the police to.p.re^l€tf•Ste^' cn * , 6 f ' tli,6 ■' outrages con>mit,J^ t i»'''^)' i P^ dnrhigf-. the two pieviou'si y^trsfandifrom.-Chi-' • statement 7- Re-■feh-ing tyjityft SnUivsu)saiid/figures made an as^is^pgayray, bitt ■ the, astonishment gave; w&y to demion and onger when dt was, found .that t6 suit the'rekrn the most tri'vijil O.ffences; .w-ire n)^gni'_i,.4; a*Hd!;>?t';d(Swu ;M bmV rag_S.' rt In order to, illii'st'rar./ ,this, he would quote in full : Mr. Sullivan '^remarks. ; I .He , ?aidV,";it, wajsfts if: (Tom D6oley Jia/l:;- gonesi'to* C the widow Moloney's hou-e^'airfd- lieateri 'her son for ■calfing' ; hTm' , *^a'^esV'' 3 - : ''Nb\V; ; at^-' cording tto Mr Foster,. the . box -oa ■ the ear was .ope. o.utrage ; to do it .ag^i^,,,a'.s«?c/)ii'd' s'j he^,'brcak.- ;- -ing of/ a pane f; glass;,u a i third-; jand/ the upsetting. l^ a ' pai l " ?ofi mill k.r^a .fom-th?'; (Lau^hteru'lfT';Now,:.when :Mr LaboU.herie; f |fHf teetti^rf6'i; r Nbi;J;hi .ai^p^ni.-i^hD^^V''^ •^■^h 1 ?' - _rs^(6|ll^..th^ .of :Cp._^mpns;tb.Vhis ; styie ! pJE. 'f.pilincjAip ,- the agopy,'vI D arliamfen t scarcely credited ii.it, ' But Mr Foster! said therd was:more.in those outra«e3' than mot i the- eye by the _erO:-ups.ettihg-ir>f. a pailofimilk* an'ddie 'would not answer for the peace of Ireland if' such oftences were f underrated' by the •House (great laughter). Stxroueh^for-Mf F6stfer's; justification ' y exaggerating th. crimes; before the world. Sd much' for i tie! miserable proofs he advanced'to y the paising of his iniquitous Act. : Let ud see: now what were the .powers^ of^the ' 'policed : and. 'what were they >that^tlioy should .have, snclvt extraot_inary! (arid ! 'dangerous f authorityrover-the reputations afid .liberty:,- of their fellow men. -.<■. -The police: had the power to'siipb : i*eßs news- ' papers^ ;- to:;isoppre_3 i!the 'right :of _*cc speech, to break up meetings',' to enter the houses in" proclahii.d A districts 'i and senrch form? •top' to -bolttoni for arms ' when! ctheyrj/ roustl .have 'known .that thereof were .-tone.' ■ But the l*Wtlrst." aiid : riib.t.flagrant Was- the ■-•powe'r' given thehi I- to' arrest aud imprison without' -fcrialf* all Phn'd sundry' persons, -vhoin t they might 1 1 designate as '.' suspects." It. was.pr^e of \ i the foundations of thei. British 'Oonstitu- ! tion thatiin : man-'shail'be arrested 1 or 1 imi prisoned till shown to be guilty !of'~sl)tne 1 i Offence. Now, under Mi- Foster's Act 1•■ thousands of persons" werb'-'-ui'restedl and 1 without trial, without reasOni aid. cause of- suspicion, and merely 'upon j .the statements andirepfesentations 1 of 'the ,I, police that the persons so arrested were I about to commit offences. He would like f*to kndw if the people in e\v< 'Zealand ; knew.'Ctthat this kind of thing had- been I d<me{".'T Could' --'thiay,' living 1 ■--i'n'f' '-'a """free 'country and en^ying'-the blessings Of free ..Institutions, imagine sueh 1 a- state of 'things, "With- hundreds of 'the pick 1 of^ the peopld.'thrust into gaol -and kept' there as long as the-authorities tho ight proper. It was beyond all doubt that tho majority of ■ the people in the coltfjii_a' did • not really *;■ '_ri. defßt*t_|d the position at Home. What '; Wciul-^be said, out here if, at a period [pf I grfeat, political agitation, when a demand, j-.was m*ici]e for an 'important^ i , ef<>r.ii) 1.-l)j^pl .-l)j^p ; 3 ! dreds of'tho'clergy aha.. pS'oie3sionj|l ''class [and pT-dniinent pubifc iiien were^e'nt- to gaol in'shoh-a manner-?-' '^'df if ; Would' b^ I follow.d'at once, by something akin tore [ volutjonl .A m ongst th.«?ao cirrestp'd "in Ireri land _were_fpur members of Parliament, I several priests, and others of all profesi aions and- callings. It had been pleaded :' as some excuse that the men so ' impiisihied j had not been treated "as convicted {criminals; It .was. a fact that they were , not recjiured to do'; thahual -work ; but it ] would' havo been 'more. co_fo_a T ble for I them j- s apd more charitable,, had they been I made to' work, rath ef 'than ! trpSt'"rlieiii'as ..j had been done. Tliefe was'nb Kfei , _ ! ttibor j for Parnell but worse still — he was covdemried'to solitary confinement for 18 [ hours -out of ?the 24rin 'a^cel'l 12ft x' 6ft; \ with no f uruitu-t , G;^littl& > ventilat'io f ij; -a/id I no light by whibh -to readi " Uiidefsiich j circumstances were Parnell, Dillon; and 1 } himself- detained trial *-* With tto , room to exeroisei-audUiothing to qccbpy the attEohtinn- '.*tc.pt to think f of thu 'gre-alt benefits which accrue* to Iriallnieh^'iby being British- sui'jects, and participators in the Constitution. ""Mri Foster said- he did not want to interfere with i legitimate agitation . A ll he re'quired''\i__ to maintain law and order, and 'tlK*'ha_<-j_ of those arrested theii -bbgh.' to show whether he was ti*ue to his word! But if we looked at the names of those who , were the first to feel the effects of the ; ' Coercion rA<?t, ; ■ it; would ( (lie . f(>und. ;that they were certahilyr <npt those- who were most likely to ' break the law and cause , disorder, . .for, 0 ; out < >£ every 1' > were men r of influence 1 'and ; position, though hl- ,, veterate .enemie'i.of landlordism ; 9 wtp^ every" TO of' tho_'e iihprison.ed.hiid'- fa K_ii -• ant active part In a strictly .bbbtifutidnal agitation: against, the landlords-? ■& outof every It ) t wei*e publicly, identified with^the ! Land 1 eague, and.>yh9,- either; with theit* voices,, their pens, or influence had, gpntrii'Uted. largely to the cause of th^' i and .1 eague'7in Its demand forlana reform. He Was -able- to prove that'the'inWimprisoned were arrested not in the interests of law- and order— not eveiiiin the'interest of the Crown, but simply through the influence and in the interest of the land? lords, . and , thia . in . n* auy capes simply ,be^ , ,f*)u*Be they ..'refused to "pay the. exorbitant rent 'dehi'inded. 'He did hot niak'e „thes6 statements lightly,'' and wodld .quqte ' from a* Work recently published - .j.:.'/. '' '** "' (To'be continued.) ' .: ; '