Distinguished Guests Visit

Austria's colonies had plenty of land. As long as people were willing to cultivate it, Franz was happy to let them go five years without paying taxes. He would even provide them with farming tools, seeds, food, lodging, medical care, education, and the security they needed.

Yet even with such generous terms, Franz couldn't persuade many Europeans to develop the colonies.

California and Namibia were the exceptions, thanks to their rich mineral deposits. In theory, a few years of work there would earn someone enough to return home and start a small business.

That was why Franz was recruiting people from Japan and India so aggressively. Both countries had large populations and little land, and fierce competition for resources. They not only put up no resistance but even offered lower prices to maintain long-term trade and expand cooperation.

Still, the colonies hoped to attract more white immigrants, whose language, culture, and race would differ less from their own.

In fact, Franz would gradually reduce the number of Irish people in the colonies. One reason was to make colonial society in Austria more stable; the other, naturally, was to send them back where they came from and destabilize British society.

Archbishop Rauscher's sermon in Queen's Village had been a great success, but after speaking at such length about the future, ideals, and methods, they still needed to offer something tangible.

For example, enough grain to see them through the winter, along with draft horses and carriages—luxuries to them.

After the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829, the British had lifted the restrictions on Irish people owning horses.

Perhaps the Irish needed an injection of some starting capital. Besides, Franz and his party no longer had any use for the draft horses and carriages.

Their plan was to leave Ireland as quickly as