The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-01 00:00:00

THE PROTESTANT REPEAL ASSOCIATION.

This body, calling it.elf " Prote•tant," but wherefore it
is impossible to say, had • meeting to-night in the Music
Hall. which, as on the fernier ooca.ion, was packed with th,.
we. V.I. visitors at Conciliation Han. On the motion of
Mr Vance, Dr. Mutts' was called on t ) preside. The
rlllatari of proceeding at last meatifig were era.:. About
800 mccnbars were admitted, including 100 Orangemen,
milting the total number of merab.r+ admitt d 1,600.
Mr. RALF moved the fir-t rraolution

Rewire t—Thal we feel It our bounden dote, as Irishmen, to came
forward and rate our firm eons iction, that the English g merriment
hag timer •islamely etileavourid to develop the resources of this
country, and to declare our fixed determination to obtain a natsdisl
legtslature as the only remedy—• loriNature which being completely
Mollified with the onerous of MIA country, well endeavour to pro-
mote Mein, without reference to the ambitious projects of may other
country whatsoever.
Mr. Sew Lev seconded the resolution, which tem put aad
carried.
M • Boast-rt. moved the errand resolution:

IResnived, that, .o • Protestant Association, we feel called on puh-
liely to denounce the condoet of the prevent government in selectolg
prat. acute delusively as jurors for tho trial of politiral offences,
wit..ch morn* has a direct tendencr to bring t►e protestant rsliman
and its profemors into di.repute with their fel/ow-countrymen, and
to perpetuate those sectarian divisions which ire are laaouring to
obliterate.

Mr. TRACKER eeeonded the resolution, 'which WAS put nod
tarried.

Mr. IRELAND (barrister) came forward to move the neat
resolution. lie could not trust himself to speak what he
felt that night. No man could mistake that he referred to
the tr al of Joho Mitchel. (Loud cheering for several minutes).
There was a time when, out of regard to that
amoeiation, he would refrain from endeavouring to
elicit the demonstration that had just taken place;
but he declared that, opposed as he had been to Mr. Mitchel
on massy occa.ions, and disavowing as he did of his repub-
licanism and violence, every other feeling had become
merged in one of a personal nature in favour of the may
who had been martyred in the cause of the country. (Cheer.).
He (Mr. Ireland) entertained his own opinions still ; but he
could not, as an Irishman, shut his eyes to the fact, that
in Mr. Mitchel's person the cause of Ireland had been
assailed; the administration of justiee in Ireland had been
on•raged ; and an attempt had been male by an infamous
and villanious faction to ride triumphant over the people of
Ireland. (Hear, hear.) He protested moat solemnly that
be feared to pu -sue the course his feelings dictated, in com-
menting on the outrageous and infamous con& et of the
British government. (Loud cheers.) He was present at
Mr. Mitchel's trial; be was present at the removal Irons
Neargate as a manacled felon, of a man on whose character
no blemish ever yet rested. (Cheers.) He was pre,ent at
his removal from the North Wad, and never could forget
the feelings he eap. rienced when he heard the clanking of
the manacle.. No matter whether he was mis-
taken or not, be had sterifleed every earthly con•
sideration to promote the interests of his country
(Cheers.) They should organise, unite, ar.d get men to
think and It:lie.. that a repeal of the union was necessary
for the country before they asked th.m to fight for it • end
if they did lorce them into the consciousness that at was
necessary, the cad was gal-ed. If al' Ireland united in de.
Mending a repeal of the union, Lord John Russell might die
—and Got bless him if he did—but the country would enjoy
the benefits of domeeic legislation. The learned gentlem an,
having rev dieted ail idea of ascendancy, and showed the len-
passihrity of a catholic ascendancy, mole an appeal to the
revelers of Ireland on behalf of the family of John Mitchel,
and onchaded by moving the adoption of the following
re nlut ion
Resolved—That a government which peofeasree to retain the forms
of the mawititutioa, while ie violates its spirit, in guilty of dolmit and
tyranny. -end is mese to be censured than if it openly declared its.
inability to govern constitutionally anal acoisding to law; and that
the net- a-it, to which our preens rulers hare been reduced, in dh
parting from the ordinary mode of selecting PRIM, far the trial of
polite el offence., might to convince her majesty'• minister that
they cannot continue to govern Ireland contrary to the will of the
pest majority of eta Inhabitants.
Mr SULLIVAN seconded its adoption, and some routine
busine.a having been dtspcsed of, the meeting moat& ed in
the most peaceable manner, cheering loudly for " Mitchel,"
" Pikes," &c.

POOH LAW.—Tffff QUARTER-ACRE CLAVSE.—The work-
ing of the quarter-acre clause, which etc:tides from relief
in Ireland any person having a quarter of an acre of lend,
has tended gustily to facilitate the extermina,inn of the poor
tento.try, and the poor law commissioners have at length
thunieht it necessary to stop its *per ,tier, for which purpose
they have issued the followino circular:
Pour-law Commission Office, May 2Jrd, Commis-
sioners fax administering the Le, fir the relief of the poor in Ireland,
have been informed Skit the families of persons occupying more than
• quarter of an acre of land suffer in NOM, c.f. very gr. it
privation, in enrrequenee of the heed of the family rev:wing t.,
give up the oecupition of any pot Of stab land, and
thete.fde out entitled to ',cc, cell f under the r.rov.hiuos eel
10th Vic., cap 31, sec. to. Toe commissioners have re-orted to ,ewat
advice on this subject, and I directed to Mite that auch members
rff the family of • person holding more than a quarter of 1111 acre of
•
land, O. may be destitute, can legally be relieved in the workhouse of
the onion ; or If the workhouse be full, the guardian. may relieve
them •mt of the workhouse, If an order of the poor law comatimioners,
authore-ing the relief of such pertains oot of the workhou e, under
the 2.1 section of the eat, be in operation In the union in which
they reside. The commissioners denim at the tame time
to point out that the pn..voional power given to the relieving
officers under section 7 of the Relief Extension Act, applies
to every class of destitute persons in all awes of sadden and urgent
aemsony, whether the parties be or be not relievable out of the work.
house by the hoard of guardimu in virtue of any miler of die poor-
law cumuli... Moen, isms] under the second recommit the Eiten.,,
Act. It to n. 4 to be understood, however, from the above ois ...t-
-tione, that a permit totalling more than a qoarter of an acre, is him-
self relievable either In or tait of the workhouse. lam to desire that
you will tall the immediate attention of the hosed of guardians to the
witte eta of this circular, and to the necessity of their at once giving
teat rUCtiOIIO to the relieving of of the union aewortlingly.-1 have
the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, W. sheath, Seem
tar) -To the clerk ot each union."