26 JANUARY 1839, Page 8

On Tuesday, a " great Precursor dinner" was given to

Mr. O'Con- nell, at the Circus ; hut, for Some cause not explained, the Agitator seems to have been out of temper, and be abused the "paltry press " for not assisting him as it ought. He " dared" the newspapers not to re- port the speech he was then delivering. Mr. Staunton rose to defend himself and his brethren, but was shouted down. The reporters in a body left the room ; as did also the editors of the Freeman and Register. Next day, the reporters published a resolution, stating as a reason for suppressing the speeches delivered at the meeting, that Mr. O'Connell had attacked them in " terms as insulting as they were unjustifiable." In leading articles, the Register, Freeman's Journal, and Pilot, coolly re- buke Mr. O'Connell. The Pilot intimates that he is acted upon by persons who wish to establish a new paper under his auspices.

It appears that Mr. Peter Purcell has a good excuse for ignorance of the resolution of the finance committee of the Precursor Association, which constituted Mr. O'Connell sole treasurer. The signature of Mr. Purcell was not on the next page of the Society's book, (which con- tained the resolution,) and does not appear till several days afterwards: therefore he may be excused for his suspicion that no such resolution had really passed. Moreover, says Mr. Purcell, in a letter to the Freeman's Journal— "This resolution, appointing Mr. O'Connell treasurer, is stated to have been passed at a meeting of the committee in the presence of several gentlemen, only one of whom has as yet alluded to it (Mr. Bullen.) This resolution, it is to be presumed, was proposed, seconded, passed, and then ordered to be placed on the books of the Society. What says Mr. Balton, a working member of the com- mittee, who was present, when that resolution it said to have been read, mood, seconded, v ed, and put? That he has no recollection of the transaction ; and he therefore can well reconcile to himself my total ignorance of the resolution passed in my absence.' What says Mr. Thomas Welsh, the chairman, who certified the proceeding of the 30th of Neeeeetei, oy virtue of his office as chairman of the silhacrr.t. ineeting? Neither has he any recollection of this MdutirinTina he also unequieocal ly discharges me from any knowledge of it. Here are two of the most active and intelligent members of the committee totally ignorant of this resolution of the 30th November, affecting the entire funds of the Society. Mr. O'Connell himself too appeared to have forgotten or overlooked this most important resolution ; for, pending any conference with him on this subject, no allusion to it was made, nor has the natural answer it would have supplied to my remonstrance been given to those friends who waited on him at my lust:Luce. Mr. Ray too, the recorder of this resolution, as secretary, by a remarkable coincidence never made the most remote allusion to it, even while I was inveighing against the impoliey of this extraordinary in- vestment of public money in lair. O'Connell's own name, and in his own bank.

i

By the by, in this opinion, it is but justice to say, Mr. Ray fully concurred with me. If, however, this private and equivocal resolution were ever of value, it was rescinded by Mr. O'Connell's own act on the 11th December, in a public meeting, on which day he moved the appointment of three treasurers ; an act which was ratified by an unanimous vote of the body. Surely it is needless to add that the money should have been paid to those gentlemen from the date of their appointment, or if the money were to be retained in his own hands, why name them to such an office ? "

A.highly respectable and numerous meeting of the merchants and other citizens of Dublin was held on the 18th, at the Commercial Buildings, to consider the best means of procuring a quicker mode of communication between Dublin and London. The Lord Mayor pre- sided. The meeting was addressed by Mr. Shaw, Mr. O'Connell, the Honourable Robert Clive, Mr. Ormsby Gore, Sir Robert Parry, Mr. James Dwyer, and several others. Resolutions were adopted, to the effect that a better harbour than at present existed should he formed on the Welsh coast, so as to enable the largest class of steamers to ply be- tween the two countries, and that a railway communication should be established between such harbour and the British Metropolis.