Mr. GREY PoaTEa is a wag. He has really achieved
a variety of feats that would have been accounted not only surprising in themselves, but as incompatible as standing on one leg and on one's head at the same moment, or as grinning through a horse- collar in the part of Hamlet. He has hoaxed all Ireland; procured himself to be the oracle of the West ; made Mr. O'CONNELL pro- claim him the preserver and leader in posse of his country ; and now, with all his might and main, he is " taking a sight " at the credulous Liberator. He has put forth his plan—the plan that Mr. O'Cosszu, was to have awaited. We listen at the shrine of Del- phos, and JOE Garsam.nr speakt. His lawgiving is a quip, a crank, a wanton wile. He promised Federalism—all Europe was bidden to listen till Mr. PORTER should vouchsafe his exposition of Fe- deralism. Hark! be speaks; but behold it is not Federalism at all ! it is only Poyning's law—a veto of the majority of Irish MembeA on bills to be introduced into the Imperial Parliament. Now this might prevent some things displeasing to Ireland; but what could it do for a country which needs something more than mere negations ? Why, nothing. That is the second part of the joke : first, the Fe- deralism is not Federalism, and then, the thing that is to do every- thing is to do nothing. The third jest is, the recommendation of " a truly national militia fur Ireland." This is a novel remedy: others have supposed Ireland to need peace, capital, " justice" of various kinds, conciliation, or thrift ; but Mr. PORTER s notion of the most positve want of Ireland is amateur soldiering. There is "ex- cellent fooling" in all this—it beats Pigrogromitus and the equinoctial of Queubus. But the manner of it is ineffable : who would ever have thought of submitting to the public a scheme of constitutional re- form in the shape of a farce—not a farce metaphorical, but a farce in dialogue, dramatic and ridiculous? Only see the extract a few panes further on. But that is not all : as if in very wantonness of delight at the success of his hoax, this Irish Trismegistus declares that "'he would so much wish to see a good Parliament in Dublin, that he would almost hope this plan may not succeed"! Lie stands a remarkably good chance of attaining that wish ; since the best way not to succeed with a plan is never to try it. So Mr. GREY PORTER is nothing more nor less than a facetious Repealer. But only fancy the amusing impudence of the man—promising Fe- deralism, then producing Imperialism, then saying that hI hopes it won't succeed because he wants simple Repeal. And this is the great Protestant to whom Mr. O'CoNNELL is, or was, to cede the leadership of his movement and his millions—the wan.... whom he was to place at the head of his army ! Still this is not all : Mr. O'CONNELL gravely read parts of the pamphlet to the Repeal Association on the ninth day of this instant December, and had them recorded on the minutes. We shall next have Mr. FEE- RAND or somebody moving to copy Punch into the journals of the House. Well, Christmas comes but once a ---ar ; and it is " a very merry, laughing, quaffing, drinking, and untl"uking time."
