trbe Cauntrp.
A grand dinner was given at Stockport, on Monday, to Mr. Henry 3Iarsland the Member, and Mr. Richard Cobden the unsuccessful candidate for that borough at the late election. Mr. O'Connell, who had been invited especially to attend this festival, arrived in the fore- noon, aecompanied by Mr. Maurice O'Connell and Mr. Cobden. A procession, consisting of several thousands, headed by the Mayor,Alder- wen, members of the Council, and the Town. Clerk, with nags and ir.usic, went about a mile and a half on the Manchester road to meet Mr. O'Connell ; who was received with three hearty cheers, and, with his companions, ecnducted to the Marketplace. Mr. O'Connell stood lq,on the seat of his carriage and addressed the multitude. He spoke of " justice to Ireland," the necessity of the Ballot, the iniquity of the Corn-laws, and Church-reform on the only just principle of "no paternoster, no pay." Mr. Cobden also addressed the assembly, but his si,tech is not reported.
Ti s dinner took place in a building called the Royal Victoria Pa- s'lioe. erected for the occasion. Two thousand two hundred persons set dewn to table, and hundreds were glad of standing.room. After diener, two splendid silver salvers were presented to Ali. Alarsland and
r. Cobden: they had been purchased by subsCriptions from eight thou5and inhabitants of Stockport. Mr. Marsland and Mr. Cobden both returned thanks ; and then the toast of "Daniel O'Connell and justice for Ireland" called up the Liberator. Of course Mr. O'Con- nell treated the company with a speech, on the topics which he knows bow to manage with so much effect in a popular assembly. We make rooni for a few passages.
" I ant the ads ocate of universal suffrage, because it is just in principle. and because I don't t.ec why one class is society should have mote inn ienee than another. I speak nut of the retail. its of society—I speak of the privilege of self. defence, which repro. sentat ion is. I am also for the shortening of Parliaments; and if you help roe to in• erete•e the franchise in Ireland, and inesease those rights we are entitled to, we will help you tu shiaten Parliatnente, But I cannot consent to that without the vote by haina. roles. tha 1u so is allowed to vote as he chooses, it is a mockery to give him the vote at all ;avlh no man can vote as be chooses without the Ballot. At least nines tenths of the are under influences that must operate to take the vote from la to *h. has it, and give it to him who has It nog, This, I say, is robbery. disguise it as you C ty. One of the greatest impediments is, that some of us Radicals, fur I am a thorough !tactical —Inreat apptause)—axe so anxious for general suffrage, that they will 61.1s allow us to meet air tie &dot.. fr we ttou't *millet, to, them. Otero as some ej them unthinking (I will call it) enough not to allow us to do so without going unties the yoke of their opinions. But I for one fraukly avow that I would be -afraid of eel. versal suffrage if unaccompanied by the Ballot. At present there is the intimidatioe cribs landlord proprietors, the employers, and the customers; but in the other esa there might be some man who would raise himself by playing upon the passions of the netted people, and do just as much mischief as the present aristocratic ruffians. les* upon the Ballot, ill order that universal suffrage may be wifely conceded. What arm as to do to obtain these things? We are to do what I have often Said in Ireland—agitate. That is only one word and there are but two more —.agitate. agitate. (Great cheering) I em the president of the Trades Union in Dublin, because they think me an excellent workman and did you ever know a good workman to finish the job by sitting don with Ids bands before him ? To finish the job well—do procure good and cheap goverr• ment—agitate, agitate, agitate. (Bursts of applattee.) There is a fable ailli which you are all perhaps familiar. The clown Who Inas driving his waggon alone fouud his wheel in a rut, and the horses unable to drag it out, *hereupon he begs; to pray that the wheels might be loomed. A fellow behind the hedge cried out to him, Leave off your prayers, put your shoulder to the wheel, and whip your
horses.' This is exactly what I say to you, • • •
I myself have no rank or station in Ireland; I am only the son of a gentleman farmer, one of yourselves, and yet, never despairing, but always working, pressing on the enemy, and always hitting him in the face when he directly opposed me. and hittina him at the other end when he turned tail. (Rome of laughter, and cheers.) I have 4. deavoured to be always right when! could, and never to join for party purposes ahve my conscience, before God, did not tell that I was right. My influence there has been called power. No man was ever more ready to abdicate it than myself, and for Ma reason, because it was founded upon the grievances and oppression of the land of me birth. My power is raised upon the abuse of' the Government. Ohl give me thi power, and I abdicate, by substituting the Government fur Daniel O'Connell. Give the representative of the Queen that situation which I have been compelled to usurp; and I have the pleasure to tell you that I have a very excellent rival in thst co wry, who, as the schoolboy says, is taking the gilding off my gingerbread. We have ill Ire. land a chivalrous, high.minded noblernau, whose greatest delight is in doing good for all classes of the people. • • • Let us have no petty quarrelling ; let us support the present Ministry—not that they are doing all I would wish them to do, but beeaas they are infinitely better than the regal:ends that would come iu if they were top out. (Cheers.) Some people say, who pretend to be Radicals—' Oh I let the Tins turn out the present Ministry, and then in a short time the people will be so angry that we shall get a Radical Ministry into °Rice.' I don't like meu of prophecy—I don't put any great faith in those seers of events. Give me an ounce of reality to a bushel°. prophecy."
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