On Wednesday, there was a duel between Major Saunderson, the
Member for North Armagh, and Mr. Matthew Harris, the Member for East Galway. Major Saunderson having quoted a remark made by Mr. Harris to the effect that "the landlords were an abominable class," further quoted a speech of the same honourable Member, made at Galway on October 24th, 1880, in which he said, " When I see this extermination, and when I see the weakness of our people, and when I see tyranny triumphing over right and justice, and when I see my countrymen driven to the four winds of heaven, I say to myself, and I say it here to-day, that if the tenant-farmers of Ireland shot down landlords as partridges are shot in September, Mat Harris never would say one word against it" Mr. Harris begged to explain that before using this language he had told the people how, in 1843-44, he went about from one Ribbon Lodge to another in Westmeath endeavouring to put down agrarian crime, whereupon Major Sannderson remarked that Mr. Harris had admitted what he, Major Sannderson, did not know before, that he belonged to the Ribbon organisation. Mr. Harris denying this most positively, Major Saunderson withdrew the remark, but observed that if he himself had admitted going about from one Orange Lodge to another deprecating outrages, the Nationalists would certainly have inferred that he belonged to the Orange organisation. Major Saunderson then went on to say that the Nationalists had added a new commandment to the Decalogue, " Thou shalt not ask for rent." The landlords were called a bloated class. They were just the reverse. The only class that was not just now in a very depressed condition was the class of professional politicians. He quoted price-lists to show how much higher provisions are now than in 1855, butter, for instance, having risen from 65s. to 95s. a cwt. ; and when asked where, he replied:—" In Cork, which is noted for two marketable commodities, butter and Home-rule Members. It supplied between twenty and thirty Members to the party below the gangway opposite." Major Saunderson's speech was a very telling one for the Irish landlords.
Previous page
