The Express.
London, England, 1848-07-24 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, JULY 24, 1848.

a
lion was sent to Paris, ooraprising :wig its member
member of this house—ellear,y
w hear)— a view of eating
smelteries from a ceentrhich had jolle eat the example
of revolution, and of obtaining id and assistance against the
authorities here. The attempt was fortunately unsu
ofccesrevo-
sful.
The government of France, althoueh springing out
lution, felt its duty towards • neighbouring country to be
paramount, and refused to lend its aid to this object. (Loud
cheers.) However, although this attempt tailed, the projects
went on, and there was little or no disguise any further at-
tempted as to what was intended. We may all remember
that a newspaper was set up called the United Irishman, to
where articles I will not call the attention of this house, be-
cause the writer is now suffering the penalty of the offence
which he has committed; but I call the attention of this
house the fact, because the sympathy that has been shown
to
by this party proves that they ideutity themselves tette the
sentiments express' din articles rerell were (tuna in Ireland
to ti ) tending to overthrow tile government of that country,
and to the deposition ol tke Queen from her crown and dig-
nity as sovereign. (Hear, hew •) It i notorious that every
kind of sympathy has been shown, and that every sort of in-
dignation has been expressed, that the pereon who had ex-
pressed such sentiments hat. been punished. He has been
declared to be one of the, beet patriot. of Ireland, and
that, instead of punishment, he was deserving of co-
ward. Others have followed is his steps, and I
now hold in my hand a newspaper called the Irish
Felon, so called lan auto the person to whom I
have alluded was convicted under the Treason ar.d Felony
Act; and I wish to read from it •peerage from the writings of
one person who sign* himself J. F. Later, which I think eon-
tains in a few words the general spirit ot the sentiments ex-
pressed. lie says: "Wo hold the present existing govern-
ment of this island and all existing rights of property in the
soil to be mere usurpation and tyranny, and to be null and
void as of moral effect, and our purpose is to abolish them
utterly or lose our lives inehe attempt. The rights founded
on conquest we regard as nu other than the rights ot the
robber. We owe no obedience to the laws of another
nation, enacted without our consent. We bs lei's that the
present salvation and security of this country require that
the English government in this country should be at once
abolished, and the English landlords instantly expelled."
Ile goes on to state the means by which this is to he
effected "We advise the people to organise and arm in
their own defence, and we mean to &welt and set
the example by organising snit arming oerselves."
Now, this passage contains, in a few worsts, the übjecte of the
conspiracy and the means by which they are to be effected. I,
It is declared at once--dent, that the imperial government,
not the English government but the government
which
represents England, Scotland, and Ireland, is to be utterly
abolished. It proposes to take away from the Queen all
authority over Ireland, and at the same time to abolish at'
once all the rights of property. (Ilear, hear.) Some, indeed,
have made a sort of menaciug salvo w ith respect to these who
should break their oath of allegiance and join in the rebel-
lion. (lieu:, hear.) But with respect to th, great body of
those who hold property in Ireland, however acquired. or
held, the threat is that they will be deprived of it, and the
rights of property be for ever abolished. (Hear, hear.) It is
proposed that the mums of effecting these objects should lee
by the people arming themselves, and heing thus able to en-
counter any foree which the authorities might Veva at
their disposal. There is another article written more
lately; it is from the Nation, of July 3, which I will not
read to the hoar*, but state its general purpodos. It is called
"The Value of the Irish Harvest," and it states
that there is growing on the Irish soil eighty millions worth
of produce, and that it will be for the Irish government, con-
sisting of the council of 300, or such other as may be ap
pointed, to consider in what manner that produce shall be
apportioned, what portion is to be given as an indemnity
is
to
those who now hold the rights of property, what portiere
to be given to promote industry and Menulactures in Irne-
land, and what may be necemary for the purpose ot govr-
ment. But it is evidently intended that none of the existing
rights of property shall be acknowledge'', but that the whole
of the produce of the Irish soil shall by one sweeping confis-
cation be held to be at the disposal of those masters of what
the French call the Red Republic, men who have as regard
whatever for any existing rule of our social state, or any
purpose for which society has been founded and is kept
together, hut who will give to the minds and eppetiti sof
those who are in want the vision that their whole produce,h
which has been the fruit of regular industry, whic
has been the fruit of the institutions :1 y, which has
been the fruit of priteerty guarded and codenta enforce
should, by one desolating measure, be distributed according
to the wishes of the rulers of that republic. (Loud cries ot
"liar, hear.") Sir, I will alle ie to ono passage more
with regard to the objicts of these confederates, bee-use
these objects are stated in a resolution puled evidently for
the purpose of quieting alarm. It has been telt in Ireland,
and by none more then the Roman eethol.c clergy, that it
such a confederation as has been formed should succeed in
its object, there would be an end of all respect for religion,
of all regard tor what men have hitherto heel sacred, and
that the rule of mere brute force would be establisned. Ir.
order to prevent the MINIM which the doctrines heel by these
confederates hid naturally occasioned. tt:ere was a meeting of
what were called the Office Officers of the Dublin Clubs, when the fol-
lowing resolution was moved by Mr. S. O'Brien and seconded
by Mr. R. O'Gornien, president ot the Oliver Bond Club.
After alluding to the tenets that the clues had been organised
for purposes of pillage and massacre, the resiilution el, claws
it expedient !hat the real objects of the clubs should lie de-
fined, and proceeds—" Be it therefore re so.ved, that our
purpose and coustitueon is for the overthrow of British legis-
lature in this country. That while firmly resolved to abstain
from matters of a religious or sectarian character, we are
net less desirous that religion should he upheld, and its in-
fluence and ministers sustained." 'They then eat., that so
far from wisbiug to overthrow order and to establish anar-
chy, their wish is to establish the independence of the coun-
try without injury to its inhabitants. The how,e will see,
that in this disclaimer of pillage or hostility to religion, they
do not disguise that their object is, not repeal of the legisla-
tive union, but to overthrow altogethi r tt.e sway of that
government which they are bound to obey; that nothing in
fact less than the dernembermeht of the empire would
satisfy their wishes and apirations. (Hear, hear.) So much,
I think, may be taken from their own confessions. You
may not believe with me that the accomplishment of
these objects would necessarily overthrow the sway of
religion and the existence of property as now held in Ire-
land; but this you must believe—that it is a traitorous con-
spiracy intended to overthrow the government of the United
Kirelorn, and te put some new nationel au: berity, r, pub-
hear, or otherwise, is its place, which is here after to rule
Ireland es a separate country. (Hear, hear.) That, I say,
is the least, that is the smallest object to which you can be-
lieve them to aspire. I come now to that which I stated
would be the weend proposition which I should have to
prove to the house, namely, that there ore formidable means
preparing intended ti produce rebellion, and only too likely
to end in rebellion against the authority which now rules.
Becesue, althoegh there may be projects moat i. juriouo
mat alarming, yet, if these projects were entertained by
only a few persons, by some obscure clue or imegnificant
association, such is the free constitution and government
of this country which permits every kind of opinion,
that we should bar we were sacrificing the greater
Ito the less, if we interfered by n:oans of any extiaor-
dinary laws to crush en evil which was initselff
small In amount, and which was not to he compared to the
general advantage arising from the perseital liberty of every
man in the United Kingdom. (Hear, hear.) But, although
l hoped for a time, and have continued to hope, that such
might be the case, I am sorry to say that all the accounts we
have received from Ireland have tended to the conches on
that the organisaeon prepared by these confederates is for-
midable, that it is rapidly extending, and tnat in perm of
the country the adherents of this association or confederacy
are already ripe tier insurrection. (Hoar, hear.) After the
I law which was preeed this summer tabour the end of April,
and w Ilieft gave toe power ot brier; ieg tieture a court et
justice for felony persons who were conspiring to depo.e the
sovereign or levy ear against her, a greet check was placed
on the derians ot conspirators in Ireland It is true that a
confederation wax firmed with the orgenieation of elute ;
and it wan determined to send missions into the country with
the view of persuading persons in the great towns, and even
in the small towns and villages, to adopt a similar
organisation. But for a time these aerie did not
succeed. The accounts we received from the lord lieutenant
tended to induce us to believe that tee organisation would
not become immediately powerful, but very seen these ac
counts ehanged their character, and boili the lord lieutenant
and the lard chimer nor of Ireland f iunien their opinienson
wnat they saw in Dublin and the account, they received from
the country, pronounced that the conteeeracy of clubs wa • bc-
coming organised, numerous, and dangerous. It is, however,
chiefly wheel the last month that these proceeding' have
assumed the character wnich I am about to detail to the
house. In the first place I wiU read an ex• riot et • privets letter
of Lord Clarendon's, directed to my right hoe. friend (the
Secretary fur the Home Department) et the beginning of
the month with respect to the then state of things. He
'eye, " A dwell n need not be i umed:a.ely come to, sat I
em afraid before pa:liament is up froverienciat will have to
determine wheeler it will seek fie fresh posers, or permit
en organisation tor civil war el, cu ea unmolested."
The accounte we have received from the country are
of the following character. From Tipperary the constabulary
report five clubs at Clonmel containing 600 members. No
person but members are admitted, and their object seems to
be to ascertain their strength in case of ineurrection. From
Meath we learn that on the sth July there was a meeting at
Trim, Messrs. Duffy and Dillon were present, and addressed
the people, sowing them to provide arms, and telling them
that they might expect to see the constabulary in the front
ranks of the national gnard. In Louth, the United Irish
Club met at Dundalk on the 29th, fifty persons were present,
and the usual speeches were made, one person saying that he
would put the government down, or if he fail,d they might
put him down. In Wexford • meeting wee held on the
23rd July, presided over by • Mr. Whitley, violent resolu-
tions were passed, and none bat men of known character, and
no policemen, would be admitted. One person proposed a
cheap pattern of a pike, end suggested modes of attack. I
should say here that the method of these confederates was
in general to summon • meeting for some political
object, to harangue the meeting with violent speeches,
but immediately afterward' to form an association or club
which was to meet secretly. There has been in nearly all
them instances in the fine place a meeting where violent
speeches were made, but other Meetings have followed week
after week at which Sue Person was admitted except these
who weeps', to the eafederatlien, lend any person who
went for the purpose of giving eoforreation to government,
such se a policeman, or a loyal subject who went to observe
the proceedings, wan carefully and sedulously excluded.
From Cork we learn, that, on the 17th July, fifteen clubs
were formed, or in course of Terms ion, in which 2,000
' names were enrolled. There are few respectable persons
among them : the police have visited them, but admission
was refused. At Wexford, so the Bth of July, •
meeting was held at Eanimorthy, at which a Mr,
i Dwyer attended bearing a pike. The constabulary
were refused admission, the sentinel at the door saying
that no one should enter except over his dead body,

, s
I

r
tended
leedrieath..thiglelLati*pCo:lit:cects'innttiCtiar :ehth;lioseelbblatltiguislit,'"llbpurweetherindastoit:
bahey
: eases
vt
rebellion
were
no:
e,l re 1.7t5" Oafca d
theTe :oni a
ili:cossjw eyhgtet:,,ina and
eb intentionr"e r n
saohmi:
jee.
is names 94 t n
gat bdo
to complete the organisation of members t. pikes were sold at
Is 3d each,but in consequence f the reign of terror little
• •
information could be had, Oa 3th July a meeting was
held in the oonnty of Cork, and adsputation attended frons
Cork city, to advise the people to arm and demand their
rights with theirsrms in stated ands. There were about 160
persona
r.p.rresueon.ty.
(alst
we unlerittott)onadtdhremeal4thhisJ urlnT, the__
etvonelv to
rtion urglag them ... ~,e clued. •
• I a magistrate, also urge
them to were,
ing that he would not do so if it net
legal, and that each club should consist of three
hundred fighting men, all communicating with Dublin. Not
more than twenty persons enrolled their nemes on this ores- I
lion. I wish now to state the occurreoces which have taken
place at Cork and Watertord since the beginning of the present
month. At Curt there has taken place a meeting, which
O' attended by all the clubs, who marched, or as Mr. S. I
O'Brien termed it, " walked" in regular order, and who
attended what he afterwards called a review. There is a
sketch of the meeting in the Cor;ConWitutior , and
Brienit says,
Tuesday evening was appointed Mr. W. Smith O' for
his inipeCtiOß of the enntedende clubs of this city, and the place tap-
pa
wet as ilte review 'tele was that piece of ground behind the Corn-
market and mgoining the city-park known by the name el the " Me-
rmen Month." At 7 o'clock the clubs began to arrive at the end of
South Semis, paired by tickets into the salt and lme.worke yard of
J. J. O'Connor, and were drown up according to precedence. They
moved up in scetioes of two deep, each sec
numbering from
forty to one hundred, flunked by protons apparently in
sammand, and, who.. orders were gives by signs. Eadi
portion, so it arrived at a certain IT on the road, pawed In review
In front of ite superior dew, T MCI iOllll, which euntinued to
march up in quick sue:colon, had all arrived before o'clock. Shortly
aMr that hour a land came up, playing a twittery quick step, followed
lam, J. She, in a
Lawlorw, and which ere Mr. W. :smith O'Brien,aed Menne. Denny
It shim. Woe Dunne &emitted, they
went into the yard for u few 011111.1WN wlun Mr. O'Brien ordered
them to march to the Monere Manh, unit draw up cudn The
order being obeyed, they all drew up in military line, he peeled
along with hie elate each man WI he eased putting the index
linger ot d
pi debt band to bis hut or cap in salute. Mr. O'Brin then
took up a protein ea position, and the elute marched I• 70 diet) in re-
view befure beaded by their president's 'tanked by the
secretaries, teal closed by the vice-preeidents. As ugh club
estate the president announced its name, and all gave the
valute. Mr. O'Brien watced cautiously to ere that each re in gave
the salute, and whenever alt
party forgot to do ear he rebuke.' Itin., oe-
etudonally saying, "Jut) touch your hats as you walk along." The
t. lettrickes Club having haltedand in fronou meet thet ot hha leroth a m
er club turn
oment he
cried out, " lei move along, when y
to the vest, so I want to FCC what kind of men the patriots of Ireland
are." on one of the clubs pewits he remarked lin the number of
young boys in it, to which 'fown.Councillor M WWI replied, " We are
part molar to enrol none r years of ago, and all these will be
found to come up to that." Mr. O'Brien lowing disapproved of the
order in which one club m-arched, ono of the members said, " We
want • little die:Spline yet, sir; but we are wiling to learn. ' To
which Mr. O'Brien said, in an authoritative tone, "Keep up your
Oiliest and be silent." A woman here nulled forward snd exclaimed,
"Three cheers for the King of Munster," to which Mr. O'Brien re-
plied, "Not yet —not yet; no ..hbuting —so shouting." The clubs
were cemitmol of trademneii, with one exception, that of the Mercan-
tile Ateastants' Club, ilk niopirity of whose members were the thop-
clerks in the drapers' establishments in this city.
Now it is to be remembered tht,t there were afterwards
meetings of clubs at Drogheda and Dublin, and at both those
meetings Mr. o.l3risn adverted in his speech to what he said
hod been called his review in Cork, slating that the num-
bers were very considerable, and that they were ready to
arm and appear when called on. The other event took place
at Waterford. Mr. bleacher, who is well known from
having frequently addressed the potpie is exciting language,
was arrested in Waterford un o charge of sedition, and im-
mediately there were collected several thousand k.ersons who
wishea ie rogue him. Bet them, doflate
that it would bo wasting the bliexl of the Irish people
if they attempted a premature insurrection. The Roman 1,
catholic clergymen used all their efforts to keep the peace,
and Mr. Meagher was conveyed without resistance out of
Waterford. Soon after a meeting was held on a mountain,
known to those acquainted with the loca'ity an Slievenamon,
which, according to the testimony of some, was attended by
ten thousand p. op',e, while, according to that of otters, there
were iii teen thousand 'resent. From that meeting Mr.
Meagher return, d to Waterford. lie was waited for upon '
the bridge by several thousands of persons who had collected
for tne purp 40 of welcomi..g him track. I have received
an account of what paned there from a gentleman with
whom I have ouly a slight acquaintance, but one who
is well known by reputation, and wheats opinions respect-
ing the Claiia of persons who wee there assembled to
celebrate Mr. Mengher's return, Ir believe to be perfectly
trustworthy. He says : "It being dark, and near 10 o'clock,
I resolved to proceed to the brie* , te e nabto me to form an
opinion as to the class of persons there as,einbled, and the
objects which they appeared to Lava in view. :•'.3 politics
were talked. All were ready and determined to bring down
the govern cent for the mere pope es of plui_iler. One
amongst them denied that it would be plunder, inasmuch as
all the property had originally been their own— a devieite of
the spoil would only be a resumption of their own on the
part of the people. They are danger sus." I can user r for
the character of the gentemen who writes this letter ; he is
• man of experience, as well in the civil stvice as in the
foreign wars of the country, and one possesing as much
courage and firmness as any man who is in the service of her
Naivety. The state of Waterford has been described to me
by several other persons; an.. I have seen many
other letters from p cons who were in the neigh-
bourhood at the time, or who went immediately
alter—some of theme persons connected with the place
by the ties of pvspery mail of faintly, well acquainted
with is inbabitaies and politics, and posses:ing a knowlodge
of what is most likely to be the disposition, of the different
classes of the people there. Of all those persons the evidence
is to one and the same eftect, six., that although persons of
property a d respectability, togeteier with the clergy, both
protestant end 8,0111111 catholic, aro decidedly against any
outbreak, yet no influence that is used hos any etivet wh.t.
ever in deterring many thousands of the young men of every
close, but more especially of the ferrate and the peasant
chose., who are determined to rise in insurrection against
her Majesty's authority. That, sir, is the evidence I have
received, supported as being true by all the public accounts,
and entirely believed by the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland,
who bait himself seen and conversed with some of the p nous
who have given this evidence. Then, sir, we have had
accounts of rec -nt cv, sits at Carrick an Muir. There toe-
carted there an event which, although happily not end-
ing in bloodshed, had a most menacing aspect,
and afforded a melancholy warning fur the future.
Three persona were arredcd fur, as it happened, a bailable
offence ; they were nut arrested under the recent act for the
better security of the crown ono government, but fir the use
of seditious language. [An hon. member : And for drilling.]
Yes. I believe they were also charged with the offence of
drilling. Having been retested, they were lodged in the
bridewell of the town. Immediately alter the fact became
knows., an immense collection of persons from the neigh-
bouring country assembled near the town, various reports
were spread about—some that a Homan catholic clergyman
had been arrested—some even went so tar as to say the in-
surrection had been begun. Some of the peasantry so
ennobled were armed with muskets, but a great portion ot
them were armed with scythe', pikes, and esti er formidable
weapons,. They marched into the town, and up to
she bridewell, d, daring that the persons who were
there in custody should be instantly liberated.
The offences with which those persons were charged
being bailable, and such being the state of things, it was
not a matter of wonder that the bail tendered for them
should have been accepted. The parties we re liberated as
perfecting the bail, a- d the town, hich had been in the
hands of t e people for a cioixiderable time, again etwarse
peaceable. But ter, i don't hesitate to s —nsy. ii is evi-lest,
that title re hod 'oven eau., to re taut tL as p sweats iu casody
—if t e offence with which they were charged had been such
that they could not have been baled, or front any other cause
the authorities had thought it their c uty t i retain them in
custody, and to refuse compliance with the demand oh this
armed multitude, much bloodseed, and probably, the begin-
ning of an insurrection must have been the const quince.
(Loud cries of " Hear. hear.") There was not wanting the
design, the wit', nor the intention, to rebel. (Cheers) All
that was wanting was tee particular Iscasior.; but those who
were there and who meant to rise in insurrection, being satis-
fied with what had been done—their object being completed
—no rising teak place; but no man can douet for one
moment that if the case had been otherwise, a commence-
ment of the insurrection would then and there have been
made. (Cheers.) Sir, the accounts from those various
places are, that now, and for some time past, the Confederate
clubs have been making great progress ii, feminine associa-
tions, which are, in point of met, secret societies. Ni per.on is
admitted to tisem who is nut a member of the club. The
general objects held out o the members are to overturn the
government—to procure arms for that purpose, and new
nothing is wanting but the day and the hour to be fixed by
their leaders, in order to carry into effect that fatal atilt
dreadful resolution. Is the begiehing of a letter wnich I
have received 'row the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland to-day,
he says, " I have nothing satisfactory to send you to-day
The accounts from the country are as bin as they can he
short of open rebellion, and every one concurs in saying that the
change which has come over the feelings of the people, within
the last week or ten days is most alarming, and has been more '
rapid than any ever 'been seen before, even in Ireland." I
Sir, it is, certainly. to be stated that that which a few months !
ago was not formidable, has now become so—has now be-
come formidable for the purposes of insurrection As the
gentleman an ,i whom I quoted as writing Cram Waterford,
there cannot be a doubt that any such attempt would in the
end be pet down, although not without much bloodshed, and
the sacrifice of many lives. I think, therefore, that we would
have to reproach ourselves if we did not adopt tome measures
is order, if possible, to prevent that outbreak from taking
place end to prevent the leaders of it from biking means to
oppose the authorities of the country. (Hear, hear.) I
come now, sir, to the measure which I shale think it my duty
to propose, in order to meet this state of things. The Lord
Lieutenant of Ireland, in concert with the Lord Chancellor
of that country, has pointed out the dangerous character of
theseconfederate clubs. We may yet think it necessary te intro-
duce a measure to meet and prevent the organisation of these
eluls. (Cheers.) But it is to be remarked that they
are got up, directed, and managed, RS, indeed, all
their promedings have been, by men well acquainted
with the law, and even were we to obtain a new
law from the legislature, those persona might show them-
' Pelves as skilful in evading it as they have done in evading
the provisions of those now on the statute book. We have
received a. further opinion from the Lord Chancellor of Ire-
land with respect to thamode and manner in which the law
hee been hitherto evaded, and I have no hesitation in saying
that there can be no doubt that, constituted as these clubs
are, they are in themselves unlawful. Clubs formed fer the
wpme of procuring arms, and raising resistance against the
crown and the law, are utterly illegal; but when the law
officers of the crown in Ireland came to advise the Lord
Lieutenant of that conOtry as to the means of nutting them
down, it was fnund thst, although the general nutting with