Wlft 1. iAtDAf 1. t)i> tuAint t)ei|teAt) postiiAiji 2 6 a T), 1914, Leit-pi3itiru Vol. I. L I. Monday, October 26th, 1914. One Halfpenny. Ematras, Monaghan; M. Sheehan, North London; acter, and that the enrolment should proceed strictly Pierce MbCann, Dualla, Tipperary ; Daniel O’Mahony, on the basis of locality, avoiding all party and sectional IRISH VOLUNTEERS Castleisland, Kerry; J. Brown, Cordal, Kerry; Sean divisions. '-«r O’Sullivan, Coy. A, Cork; P. Barrett, Coy. 33, Cork; The Provisional Committee bound itself by resolu­ FIRS! CONVENTION Patrick Cotter, Coy. C, Cork; A. Welden, Coy. D, tion at one of its earliest meetings that all money Cork; T. MacSuibhne, Coy. E, Cork; T. MacCurtain, received by public subscription or private donation Coy. F, Cork; Liam Seartain, Coy. G, Cork; D. Faisit, should be expended on the purchase of arms and THUSLSM AND UNANlMTY Coy. H., Cork; J. Murphy, Newcastle, Galway; M. ammunition for the Volunteers and in ncu other way O’Beilly, Castletara, Cavan; Sean Franklin, Manches­ The Committee has faithfully adhered to this resolution ter D. Coy.; M. McMahon, Tralee A. Coy., Kerry; Aus­ until the present day. it!o.H OF AIERICA DECLARES FOR tin Stack, Tralee B. Co., Kerry; E. O’Connor, Tralee In spite of every discouragement, private and public, THE 1ISH VOLUNTEERS. C. Coy., Kerry; M. J. O’Connor, Tralee D. Coy., the Volunteer movement made rapid headway in all Kerry; James Curran, Sion Mills, Tyrone; — Lowe, parts of Ireland, and it soon became plain that those / Manchester A. Coy; J. K. Etchingham, Gorey, Wex- who discouraged Volunteering and flouted the project, The First Conlntion of Irish Volunteers w/held in ford; P. Hughes, Dundalk; Sean MacCormack, Drum- only proved their own want of unity with the spirit and he Abbey Theare, Dublin, yesterday, Mr. Mac raney, Westmeath; J. Hanify, Kilconeiran, Galway; instinct of the Irish nation, and their incapacity to 'jeill, Chairmariof the Provisional Commpe, pre­ P. Daly, Dollymount, Dublin; — Byrne, Galbally, understand or interpret the national mind. siding. yt el^en o ’clock about 160 debates had Tipperary; P. Donnelly, Cooley, Louth; P. Mehin, I now turn to the question of the Government’s assembled, a laie number of whom wore hiform. Athlone, Westmeath; J. Herbert, Castleconnell, Lime­ attitude towards the Irish Volunteers, for I have not rick; Art O’Connor, Celbridge, Kildare; J. P. Hickey, the least doubt that the secret hostility of the Govern­ LIST OF DELEGATES. A.S. Corps, Dublin; — Monteith; Creaslough, Donegal; ment is at the root of certain later developments. "he following imembers of the ProviP^al Com- Major MacBride, Wrestport, M ayo; John Carroll, H os­ No sooner did it become known that a serious move­ Initee were prelelit:— Eoin MacNeill, Uayathghaille, pital, Limerick; Sean O’Connor, Edenderry; King’s ment was on foot to establish a national defence force I f f . Pe a j ' s a , MacDermott, M. J Judge, T. Co.; D. Walsh, Mitchelstown, Cork; W. J. Derham, for Ireland, than the Government launched its double Skerries, Dublin; F. Lawless, Swords, Dublin; P. S. Proclamation against the importation of arms. The Doyle, Inchicore (1), Dublin; W; O’Gorman, Inchicore Government had placed no obstacle in the wav (2), Dublin; S. Farrelly, Grocers, Dublin: A. Heron, arming the Unionist Volunteers during the two pre­ Tfe, L. Mellows, Derrydonnell, Galway; P. Bracken, Tullamore; S. vious years, though the Unionist movement was an e following is the list of delegates/11^ the corps MacCarthy, New Boss; W. Walsh, Waterford; W. open threat against Home Buie to which the Govern­ ^represented:— Sears, Irish Volunteer ” ; — Newman, Newbridge, ment was pledged, and professed to be faithfully iis Smyth, Magherafelt, Derry; Scpas O’Briain, Co. Derry; S. Sinead, Wexford; J. Murphy, .New Boss pledged. BalhveAmjfe Westmeath; Dr. Crowld Ballycastle, (2), Liam Cooke, Bathdangan, Wicklow; W. Magill, I now ask did the Government consult their Irish Mayo Micli^H Cahill. Foynes, Lherick; James Dunmore, Galway; Thos. Kilgariff, Milltown, Galway. allies, as everyone must expect, upon this remarkable Carrol, Horwiq, ^Lancashire; D. Denjhy, Bathmore, departure in their Irish policy? If they did, what was Berry ThomasM Byrne, Anglesboraldmerick; Sean the response? CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT. 0 Cia|hain, B Iff yf err iter, Kerry; J*nes M ‘ Elvogue, I made a vigorous public protest against the Procla­ T)onagiimore, rJy -one; F. Thorntoi Liverpool; P. Mr. Eoin MacNeill, who was received with loud mation. I pointed out that it was a return to arbitrary Bavin, Coy. B., fManchester; Jamef Dalton, Coy. A, cheers, made the following statement:— measures specially directed against Ireland, in other Limerick; >1. .P Coleret, Coy. B,Limerick; James About a year ago the first steps were taken to set words, to coercion, bv a Government that pretended to Ledden Coy. (ByjLimerick; J. A. Lehane, Coy. D, afoot the Irish Volunteer organisation, and a Pro­ disavow coercion and to forward Irish autonomy. The ,limerick; B. m )^Connor, C o y /E , Limerick; M. visional Committee was formed in Dublin for that Proclamation was partly successful. It did not pre­ M’Geourii, Inagjjo Clare'; J. Twomf, Millstreet, Cork; purpose. This Committee was brought together by vent the importation of arms by the Unionists. The L C ’No.an, Com A, 1st BatL, Dvolin; Captain Daly, what I may call a process of mutual invitation. Every, Government plainly connived at the landing of arms Coy- B, 1st Bamf-, Dublin; Lieut.Dolan, Coy. C., 1st possible effort was made to secure a personnel as widely in the neighbourhood of Belfast. But the Proclama­ -BatL, Dublin; W illiam Murnane/Coy. D, ist Batt., representative of National opinion as possible I tion discouraged the subscription of money to buy arms Duolin; John M pholdiee, Coy. % 1st Batt., Dublin; myself came to the Committee a supporter of Mr. for the Irish Volunteers. During six months, the Lieut. Awrighggf Coy. G, 1st Bitt., Dublin; M . J. Bedmond and the Irish Party in the execution of their entire income of the Provisional Committee for all pur­ Staines, Coy. jjfe, 1st Batt., Duliin; P. J. Nolan, Coy. electoral mandate to secure Home Buie for Ireland. poses was about £1,200. A, 2nd Batt., /-^Dublin; Captain Hunter, Coy. B, 2nd It was not to be expected that Mr. Bedmond would The Government also employed its detective fore- Batt., DiblicpM . O’Hanrahai, Coy. C, 2nd Batt., make himself responsible for so great an experiment and even its regular forces to watch and hamper the .Id n ; CaptaJ f T. Markham, Coy. E, 2nd Batt., in the direction of a forward move. W e hoped at work of the Volunteer organisation. Our corrvsprud­ Llblin; (npt:ij a W. W. 0 ’Kelly, Coy. F, 2nd Batt., least for neutrality on his part and no discouragement, ence and postal parcels were opened, delayed t.nd f-orue Jfblin; J i 1 Kelly, Coy. G, 2nd Batt., Dublin; D. but we found it almost impossible to induce recognised times withheld by the Government. The Government lrPhy, Coy f ff, 2nd Batt., Lublin; Captain Sheehan, public supporters of Mr. Bedmdnd to join our number. refused to allow us to form rifle clubs for target practice /'* A, 3rBBI Dublin; lieutenant M. Byan, Coy. This should be remembered in view of the charge that They confiscated all arms coming to us whenever they 3rd Bat!, flMDublin; Micheal O Maol Eoin', Coy. C, our Committee consisted of men hostile to Mr. Bed­ could seize them, and they also confiscated and stir t Batt., lul^Blin; S. 0 Murchadha, Coy. A, 4th Batt., mond ’s party and policy. hold up practice rifles and miniature ammunition, th Iiblin; W j . Cosgrave, Coy. B , 4th B att., Dublin; A few of the original Committee have recently joined property of the Irish Volunteers. m M X atl y, Coy. C, 4th Batt., Dublin; Dan the new Committee formed by Mr. Bedmond. These The course of events since the beginning of March Carthy, y. D, 4th Batt., Dublin; E. J. Kelly, men can testify that not a single act or word of hostility quite explains the whole attitude of the Govern;* ,y- Gr, 4t Bah*, Dublin; Cathal O Dubhghaiil, to the Irish Party or its policy found a place in the towards the Volunteer movement. Having mad? feharm, 4 rim; John Manning, Kiltormer, Galway; whole proceedings of the original Committee. Even of the Parliament Act, which was of prime imp; Kilroy 'ewjuort, Mayo; John Boonev, Athenry, when Mr. Bedmond’s assent to the Ulster exclusion to their own party, and having made full uso [alwaw; Q tain De Valera, D. Coy., 5th Batt., proposal of the Government v fc forced from him in Irish Party for that purpose, the Governmer luffin; J ph Ward, Kiltullagh, Galway; Patrick last March, neither the Commifflee nor any member of cally allied itself with the Unionists to co nan. T)i* Lor, Cavan; John Smith, Larah, Cavan; it proposed to take action, although exclusion would Bedmond, and they succeeded. They compe ( fter, G Coy., Manchester; J. V. raise a very acute difficulty for the Irish Volunteer to accept the exclusion proposal, and he acr y Dublin; W. J. B. Whitmore- organisation. on the public understanding that it would Je L'rf * ’’Wexford; C. Breslhi, 1st Batt., On November 25th, a mass meeting held in Dublin agreement between the narties [ nn J ^ i e Derr; jjc ;, Carthy, South London; Joseph adopted with enthusiasm the project of a Volunteer led to no agreemenLJ^T^V oT Sc ; 1 ladon; J. J. Keegan, Bathfarnham, organisation, set forth in the Committee’s manifesto. ant The illS^ead of keepmg to ' ; J.