IRELAND.
It is now stated positively, that the Lord-Lieutenant has appointed four of the five Roman Catholic Commissioners tinder the Charitable Bequests Act—namely, Dr. Crolly, Archbishop of Armagh, Dr. Murray, Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Kennedy, Bishop of Killaloe, and the Right Honourable Richard Anthony Blake, late Chief Remembraucer of the Exchequer ; all of whom have consented to act. It is under- stood that the fifth Commissioner will be the Earl of Fingal or Sir Patrick Bellew.
The Dublin Evening Mail makes this dim announcement-
" We have reason to believe, that an active correspondence between the Home Office and the Castle of Dublin, touching the projected reconstruction
of the Irish University, is daily surrounding Lord Heytesburf with more em- barrassments than he was aware would fall to his lot on accepting the Lord. Lieutenancy of Ireland. Maynooth, we understand, and its claims to incorpo- ration in whatever University system is to be adopted, constitute the perplex- ing difficulty. The most mysterious silence is observed in the diplomatic circle."
The Municipal Elections took place in Dublin on Monday, and the Repealers had it all their own way. Everything passed off with un- usual quiet. The chief interest was excited by contests in the Post- office ward, where Alderman Peter Purcell, on offering himself for re- election, was defeated by Mr. Staunton, proprietor of the Weekly Regis- ter, and Dr. Gray, proprietor of the Freeman's Journal, was elected Town-Councillor; and in the Linen-hall ward, where Alderman Grace was rejected in favour of the Lord Mayor. In the Four Courts ward, Mr. O'Connell was reelected Alderman without opposition.
Mr. O'Connell arrived at Dublin on Friday. In continuing his route from Limerick, on the previous day, he passed through Nenagh ; where he was received by the people, and harangued them, both in the usual Style. He took occasion to utter an admonition on the subject of the re- cent murders which have disgraced Tipperary ; exclaiming, in a tone of what is called " deep pathos "— " In the name of all that is honourable or honest—in the name of your fatherland—in the name of mercy—for the sake of your immortal souls— [,Here he took off his cap]—in the name of the living God, the God of jus- tice—let there be no more crimes, no more murders, no more assassinations, no more riots. Oh, let not again your fine country be stained with human gore. (Two or three shouted " No ") I will not be satisfied with that—you must all promise me that there shall be no more murders in Tipperary." (A deep trattnaur here issued from the crowd ; after which there were loud cries of "Never, never!') It was impossible, continued Mr. O'Connell, their cause could either prosper or progress, if such a state of things were to continue. (Cries of" 7'hey won't.") He had heard that those faction-fights or riots at fairs had again broken out; but to those he would say, old Ireland had ene- mies enough to contend against without any dissensions among the sous of her soil. (Great cheering.)
Monday having been occupied with the elections, the weekly meet- ing of the Repeal Association was held on Tuesday. The Conciliation Hail was crowded with Repealers, anxious to see the Liberator on his reappearance after rustication. Mr. O'Connell entered the room about one o'clock, accompanied by Lord Ffrench and other leading persons. Mr. Smith O'Brien was detained by the illness of a relative ; but he sent 11. as his monthly subscription.
The business of the day was very miscellaneous, and Mr. O'Connell made several speeches ; having first donned a new crown-shaped cap of
velvet and gold. He alluded exultingly to the municipal elections, de- claring that the Repealers had behaved "in the noblest way." He then
read a letter from Dr. Blake, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Dromore, to Mr. Ray, congratulating him on the resumption of his public labours ; avowing the conviction that every energy ought to be directed, in a constitutional and legal manner, to attain the "one great paramount object," a Domestic Legislature ; and increasing his annual subscription to the Repeal rent from Li. to 31., irrespectively of the shilling a week which he pays to the local collection of Repeal rent in Newry.
Mr. O'Connell handed in IL, the subscription of the Reverend Mr. Mo- riarty of Philadelphia, who has come over to this country to raise money for rebuilding the churches destroyed in that city during the riots be- tween the Native Americans and the Roman Catholics. Mr. O'Connell bitterly assailed " the brutal and barbarous mob that got the authorities to disarm the Roman Catholics and then attacked them." He cited an American journal, which said that there would be no peace in America until the Mormons should be annihilated, and that after exterminating the Mormons they would exterminate the Catholics. Mr. Moriarty himself addressed the assembly, declaring that the riots were not only directed against Catholicity, but against the spirit of nationality and the movement in favour of Ireland. This was followed up by the receipt of some other sums from America.
Mr. O'Connell then began his great speech for the day, thus-
" Hurrah for Repeal! ( Loud cheers.) This is the first day of a new cam- paign. (Cheers.) We begin again to act more distinctly and more decidedly, and, I trust, more cautiously and with greater exertion than ever. The period of silence, in expectation of aid and assistance from others, is gone by, and once again we put up our high motto,
" • Hereditary bondsmen. know ye not. Who would be free, themselves must strike the blow !
(Loud cheers.)
He went on with a variety of old topics—the progress of Repeal, English inattention to Ireland, the " projected massacre" of Clontatf, the rejection of Repeal by 456 to 45 in the House of Commons with the simultaneous promise to redress Irish grievances, the formation of the Precursor Society, Lord Morpeth's opposition to the bill for extend- ing the Irish franchise, the foundation of the Repeal Association, the forty-one monster meetings, the State trials and the indictment thirty- six yards long, the Jury, the vagueness of the charge, and Lord Den. man's say ing that trial by Jury would become " a mockery, a delusion, and a snare." Mr. O'Connell dispensed compliments to the counsel who supported the appeal to the House of Lords, Sir Thomas Wilde, Mr. N. D. Hill, Mr. Peacock, and Mr. Fitzroy Kelly. Lord John Rus- sell's declaration that the 'reversers had not had a fair trial, and Sir Robert Peel's unparalleled audacity in declaring that they had, led to 'some left- banded compliments to the Whigs—. Some persons say that the Whigs were as had as the Tories. They were bad enough, Heaven knows, and he would be as sorry to see them remain in power as that the Tories should continue any longer there. They should guard against them more cautiously than against the Tories, for the latter were their open foes : but still he made this distinction between both parties—that when- ever the Whigs were right he was for them ; but as to the Tories, he never knew them to be right yet. Toryism consisted in having a power in the hands of a few—in class legislation—in sinking the people and exalting the aristo- cracy—in exclusiveness in Church and State—in pampering a State Church, and persecuting every other religious persuasion. The Whigs were bad enough, but they bad not all these faults; and he for one would never support them into power, or m power. The Whig press received a full share of Mr. O'Connell's notice— As for the Wing press, it had done more to injure the Whig party in this country than it probably imagined ; and he hurled atit his most contemptuous defiance, whether as regarded the solemn impudence of the Morning Chronicle when talking of the Irish looking for Repeal, or the slanderous mummery of the Examiner, or that of the paltry Globe, Lord Palmerston's paper, which also indulged in insolence and derision towards the people of Ireland.
He announced a change as to the proposition of impeaching the Judges— Seeing that the Bishop of Dromore had a decided preference for inquiry before impeachment, he would alter his motion to a reference to the Commit- tee to report upon the best method of procuring an inquiry into the iniquity. of the trial. He wanted the Association well and deliberately to consider what steps they should take under existing circumstances.
He made some allusion to Federalism— Since his trial and liberation advances had been made towards him front many quarters—from men of great influence and large property, who talked Of
joining them for a repeal of the Union statute upon what was called the Federal
plan. He inquired what that plan was, but nobody could tell him. However, as they showed a disposition to join for Ireland, he was bound to meet that disposition in the spirit of conciliation; otherwise why atiould he have built a Conciliation Ball? During the trial, and after the verdict, he said that their prosecutors might imprison them, but there should be no surrender—no com- promise. He said so still; but it was no less his duty to get, in his capacity of recruiting-sergeant, as many friends as possible for Ireland. [Here was a digressive attack on "the foul-mouthed letter-breaker of a fellow " Sir James Graham, for calling Mr. O'Connell and his companions "convicted conspi- rators." Mr. O'Connell proceeded.] His anxious wish was to conciliate Irish- men of every class and persuasion. Every man who would join Ireland was his sworn brother. Federalism should be an open question ; although he confessed that he did not think that question ought to commence until each time as ire- land should have her Parliament; because until then she would not be on O. footing with England, or in a position to make her own terms. He had con- jectured that there might be something preferable in Federalism, if tarried far enough. But he had bound himself to no plan ; and yet a cry had been raised against him by some young gentlemen, [alluding to the Young Ireland party,] who thought themselves fitter leaders than he was, but who, instead of reading his letter and discovering their mistake as to his opinions about Federalism, made the mistake, and did not read his letter alL [Here was another digressive attack on the French press, for saying that he had yielded something; with a further attack on Louis Philippe, "a miserable usurper," "a swindler of power." Among the papers mentioned was "the National, the newspaper of O'Dilon Barrot, whom the Repeaters of Ireland had treated with some courtesy, and more contempt, when he offered to join them." Then an attack on Frenchmen generally ; illustrated by an anecdote derived from Lord Mount. eagle: within a week after Carnot's plan to invade England and Ireland, formed with his usual consummate genius, was communicated to two Members of the Directory, it was in the hands of the British Minister. "Just such fellows were those newspaper-men: they were not rascals for nothing, and they were brothers in nature to the rascals who sold Carnot to the British Minister." This said, Mr. O'Connell reverted to Federalism.] Any one who took the trouble of reading his letter must admit that he never had conceded one particle of Ireland's rights. The Examiner said so—Toit said so. Every man who read it would see that he was incapable of giving up fur one moment one particle of Irish rights. lie would give his heart's blood, his existence, every- thing on earth, but her rights. What have the enemies of Repeal done by that charge ? They have redoubled his zeal and his anxiety to promote Repes4 and Repeal alone. He would tell them a secret—Federalism (snapping his fingers) is not worth that. (Roars of laughter.) He wished it no harm—they might go on with their talking and meetings—much good might it do them —he had great respect for them, and wished them well; but they were none of his children. (Cheers and laughter.) Having repeated some of the arguments in his reply to Mr. Craw- ford, and produced a schedule of ten "propositions" against the Union, to be enlarged upon hereafter, Mr. O'Connell successively moved the following resolutions; which were carried of course ; Lord Ffrench seconding the first- " That it be referred to the Committee to report on the proper steps to pro- cure an inquiry into the recent State trial.
"
I. That the letters of Sharman Crawford, Esq., as they appear in the newspapers, be referred to the Committee to report their opinion upon them, with the reasons of such opinion. 2. That that inquiry be conducted in a meaner most respectful to Mr. Sharman Crawford."
Mr. O'Connell said he would postpone his motion for the appointment of a Preservative Society of three hundred, as he found there were more legal difficulties in the way than he had at first anticipated.
The rent for the week was 541/.