Show Gladstone Honored HAWABDEN Oct Gladstone and his wife today received Mrs T D Sullivan wife of the Lord Mayor of Dublin and a deputation of Irish ladies appointed by the women of Ireland to present the exPremier with a mammoth petition in favor of Home Rule September 21st had been appointed as the date of the reception but it had necessarily to be postponed because of the serious illness of Gladstones daughter who is at present almost recovered The petition bears the signatures of 500000 Irish women Great crowds have flocked hither all day in view of the event Accompanying the deputation of Irish ladies were deputations representing the municipal councils of Cork Limerick Waterford and Clonmel The place was perfectly alive with visitors who were accorded the freedom of the lawn During the formal ceremonies Gladstone Mrs Gladstone Herbert Gladstone Rev Stephen Gladstone Mrs Helen Gladstone and Rev Henry Drew the exPremiers son inlaw met the deputations as they entered the grounds and conducted them into the library When Gladstone with his family emerged from the house to receive the deputations he was greeted with hearty and prolonged cheering by the multitude of visitors on the grounds Arrived in the library Mrs Sullivan read the address of the Irish women The Mayor of Cork Mayor of Limerick Mayor of I Waterford and Mayor of Clonmel then presented Mr Gladstone with th freedom of those cities and thanked him for his chivalrous and splendid efforts to restore Irelands Parliament expressing eforts pressing the hope that he would soon visit Ireland to receive from the Irish peeple at their homes the thanks they all felt towards to-wards him When Gladstone replied his voice was somewhat husky He said he believed lieved the deputations and Nationalists members of the House of Commons truly represented the Irish as a people At my age however Gladstone said in reference to the request that he visit Ireland the question of visiting Ireland and the question of Ireland i beset with uncertainties Whatever may be my condition whether of bodily presence or absent from among them the Irish people will always largely have my interest and my affection |