IRELAND.

There was a very numerous attendance at the usual meeting of the Re- peal Association, ou Monday, attracted by the presence of Mr. O'Connell. Mr. Smith O'Brien was called to the chair.

Mr. John O'Connell stated that the Committee on the Prize Essays on Repeal had had fifty-five huge volumes to read; all of which would reflect credit on Ireland.

Mr. O'Connell read a letter from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Clogher, enclosing 2I. as his subscription to the Association for 1845. In this letter, Dr. M'Nally said- " The slanders which for a length of time have been so unsparingly heaped on the Roman Catholic clergy. of Ireland, at home and abroad, will not, now that the object has been made manifest, excite feelings of much surprise; especially when we find by the letter of the Cardinal Prefect, j i

ust published by his Grace the Primate, that our revilers, in furtherance of their insidious assaults on our reli- gious characters, have had the daring effrontery to insult the meek, venerable bead of the Catholic Church, by charging the Apostolic See itself with encouraging er conniving at the political intemperance imputed to some ecclesiastics in this country, on statements unfounded perhaps or grossly exaggerated, and which, if true, would be a subject of the deepest afiction, not only to the Holy Father, but to the whole body of the prelates, clergy and Catholic people of Ireland. I believe that you and the Catholic laity of Ireland are not admirers of a political priest, in the sense in which the words are commonly understood; and I am sure that I have never sanctioned in others or been guilty myself of political intemperance; and, with the Divine assistance, I trust I never will be induced to sanction or approve of the conduct of any clergyman, who, neglecting the duties and obliga- tions of his ministry, would, to the prejudice of his sacred character, entangle himself with secular businesses' and political schemes: but I think it right at the same time to add, that, looking to the wretched condition of our people, I feel it quite consistent with my duties as a Bishop, and in the peculiar circumstances of this country in a manner obligatory upon me, to cooperate in a befitting way with my fellow-countrymen in seeking, by purely peaeeeble and constitutional means, for the enactment of good laws and the repeal or amendment of bad ones." A letter was read from the Reverend Charles O'Malley, a parish-priest, declaring that the communication received by Dr. Crolly from Rome was not a " canonical " document. The Reverend Mr. Hopkins, R.C.C., con- troverting that assertion, said it was too bad that the head of their Church should be brought into contempt by intemperate and hot-headed priests. Mr. O'Connell said, that he was bound to remind his reverend friend that theo- logical conflicts were not allowed in that hall, and that consequently he was out of order. Mr. Hopkins observed, that Mr. O'Connell himself had admitted the canonical character of the Pope's letter. Mr. O'Connell-- "I am a very bad theologian." Mr. Hopkins, amid much confusion, at- tempted to resume his observations, although Mr. O'Connell and several other persons on the platform persevered in dissuading him from doing so; and the Chairman put an end to the scene by announcing, that as there was no motion before the chair, the reverend gentleman was out of order.

Mr. Steele gave an account of his mission to Leitrim county, for the suppression of Ribandism ; and stated that he had established a staff of local Pacificators there, who would put down all attempts to revive it for the fedure. He moved the admission of those persons as members, free of ex- pense. Mr. O'Connell seconded the motion, and spoke of the Riband sys- tem in terms of strong condemnation.

Mr. O'Connell delivered a long speech on the Repeal agitation; which, he said, was but commencing! Most part of his address was extremely trite in matter, but some passages had reference to more living interests.

He alluded to the letter received. by Dr. Crolly from Rome. It was said, that the Repeal had received a check by the canonical Rescript censuring the popular movement. He admitted the Rescript; he denied the effect. There was no prohibition of or interference with Repeal at all. The very Bishop who had seconded the adoption of it had upon that very day sent in his subscription to their body; and the Prelate who had moved it had attended at the recent Lime- rick banquet. There was nothing .at all of the effect so attributed to it; and a more goodnatured, harmless Resenpt, had never arrived in any country. The Bishops who had signified their obedience to that Rescript had declared that they would obey the spirit of it, and not the letter; and in that way received and re- garded it in its true spirit, which was that of charity to all. There was no dicta- llts in it whatever; and so far from its containing anything of command or pro- bibition, it did not bear upon the question at all. It had nothing whatever to do with the laity ; who were fully determined, in despite of any interference whtaever to work for the Repeal, and never to shrink from its agitation. He did not think much of it. then; and he confessed that the Bequests Bill had alarmed him much snore.

He stated that he had a plan to propose respecting an address to the Prelates who had accepted office under that Act; [apparently, to persuade them to retire.)

He mentioned another project. He believed Lord Heytesbury's denial of a Ronal concordat: but he retained his conviction that some diplomatic agency is at work in Rome.' The Rescript had been obtained at a moment when the friends of Ireland were absent from Rome, during the vacation. It was his duty, and theirs also, to struggle against any attempt being made on the public mmd of Ireland through the medium of this Rescript. They would show their firm con- ✓ iction, that whilst the head of the Church was all-powerful in spiritual matters, he had no jurisdiction whatever in temporal affairs ; and there was in his opinion a plan which should be adopted without delay in reference to this question. The Catholic laity ought to send two delegates of their body to Rome, for the pur- pme of remonstrating with his Holiness upon the recent interference, and to show him that the portion of the clergy and laity who had joined the popular movement were not in any degree or in any one way inferior to those who had not as yet pronounced for it. They should, moreover, implore of his Holiness to discountenance any attempt which might be made to induce him to attempt to impede the Irish people in their struggle for the restoration of their rights by an ecclesiastical interference. Some of the Bishops also should be sent upon this deputation. A decided step should be taken to crash this affair at once, and to quiet it for ever. It would be asked who should be the delegates? He might name them—indeed why should he not ? He would name them : Lord Ffrench- end, although he might be laughed at for saying it, he did think Mr. John O'Connell should be the other. In carrying their objects, however, there should 1)0110 harshness of language, no disrespect offered to any clergyman, and no in-

ference with the chapels, which were so properly intrusted to the hands of the laenachial clergy. The rent for the week was 395/. Mr. O'Connell attended a Total Abstinence festival, at:101,1arney, en the 16th instant. Mr. Denis Shine Lawlor presided ; and about three hun- dred ladies and gentlemen were present; Mr. Morgan John O'Connell among them. Mr. O'Connell's speech, which was loudly cheered, consisted of compliments to Father Mathew and the Irish people, praises of Tempe. ranee, and allusions to Repeal and the State trials.

The Nation publishes the resolutions passed at a meeting in Dr. Gray's house, and constituting " the '82 Club "; which now seems to be defini- tively formed. It comprises more than a hundred members ; and among its most active promoters are several Protestants. " The resolution embodying the Club was to the following effect—' That the ob- ject of the Club is to facihtate the repeal of the Union ; to secure the establish- ment of the legislative independence of Ireland; and, as a means for the attain- ment of those ends, to encourage Irish manufactures, art, and literature, and to diffuse through society a national feeling.' This resolution was moved—and who was fitter for the honour?—by Henry Grattan. It was determined that the Club should dine together on the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 17-82, and on other anniversaries of other great events of Irish history. The mem- bers will wear an uniform of native green, give an annual ball, and encourage in every way, by their presence and active patronage, every institution for the ad, vaneement of Irish literature, art, and manufacture. Every rank in the state is represented on this Committee. Every profession has its representative. The municipalities, in the persons of Messrs. Dowden, Geary, Cane, Campbell,Bian- coni, M`Loughlin, and Sir Benjamin Morris, have given their sanction to the new Club. There are nine members of the Legislature; and there is one man on the Committee who will shortly enter the House of Commons as Representative of one of the greatest counties, [Tipperary,] and who himself, if we mistake not, would consider one of the greatest claims to an Irish county was being a member of the Volunteers of '4b. We allude to Richard Albert Fitzgerald." Among the " fundamental rules " were the following— That the Club uniform be a green body-coat, with velvet collar, white skirt linings, and gilt buttons, in- scribed , 1782 ' in a wreath of shamrocks, white tabinet vest, green pantaloon uniform with coat in winter and white duck in summer, patent leather boots, white kid gloves, and black satin cravat, subject to changes by the Committee, an of Irish manufacture"; " that all the members shall be obliged to wear the Club uniform at meetings, whenever required to do so by the Committee"; "that the annual subscription be one guinea, payable in advance."

We find this dunning advertisement in the Nation- " Sunday February the 9th has been adopted for the effectuation of the collec- tion of the O'Connell tribute, in all the parishes of the kingdom whose contribu- tions for the year 1844 have not yet been made up. It is respectfully, hoped that the friends of Ireland, in every outstanding. district, will avail themselves of that ap- propriate day for liquidating the irrational debt for the past year. The several parochial contributions acquire an additional value by being sent in at an early period; and this will no doubt be held in active recollection on the present occasion by the patriotic supporters of the Compensation Fund."

At a meeting of the Protestant Operative Association, on Monday, the following letter from Sir Robert Peel was read, in reply to the memorial forwarded to him against the rumoured concordat with the Pope- " Whitehall, 10th Jan. 1845.

" Sir Robert Peel begs to acknowledge the receipt of the memorial bearing the signatures of Mr. F. F. Steele and Mr William Compton Espy, which accom- panied a letter addressed to him by Mr. Espy, dated the 7th January." .(Groans.) Amongst the meetings against the Charitable Bequests Act one was at Caltra, on Sunday. Some strong language was used; but the meeting was chiefly remarkable for the persons who attended it—the Boman Cat holic Archbishop of Tuana, and several members of the Ffrench family; Lord Ffrench presiding.

Lord Mounteashel lately prosecuted two officers of the Third Dragoon Guards, stationed at Clogher Barracks for shooting snipe on his grounds without leave, contrary to the 7th and 8th Victoria, cap. 9, sec. 69; but it was suggested that " snipe was not game," and therefore that the penalties were not incurred. Mr. Brewster and the Selicitor-General have since given their_ opinion, confirming this view of the case: " Snipe," they say, " is not game."

An old man named Samuel Smith has been murdered on the public road, near Moneygall, in Tipperary. He was found dead in the middle of the day, his skull horribly fractured. His murderers are unknown. He wished to dispossess a defaulting tenant of some land.

A fellow has fired a pistol at a Mounted Policeman, near 'inrush, in the evening. The officer was not hurt, and the assassin made his escape.

The Dublin Monitor publishes a document which shows how " a Monaghap County Jury" behave. Some time beck, five persons swore informations against Smith, a Sub-Inspector of Police, for having stabbed a man named M'Caffreyon Clones, during a not that took place at a Repeal meeting held in that town. The Grand Jury, on an indictment being sent up against Smith, ignored it; whereupon Smith preferred an indictment against the five persons who swore the informations against him. One of them, named Jordan, was tried at the last Assizes, and found guilty. Subsequently, however, James Thornton, one of the Jury, Made an affidavit, setting forth that the evidence had to his mind proved Jordan's innocence • that one of the jurors tried to persuade the others to con- vict the prisoner; that whisky was introduced into the )(ay-room and many of the jurors were made drunk, and " in consequence of his drinking such whisky, that this deponent agreed to the said verdict "; that be only did so upon there miss that the other jurors would join in a recommendation to mercy, which pro- mise they aftereards broke ! The Crown lawyers abandoned the conviction.