The Express.
London, England, 1848-03-22 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 22, 1848.

in one immense sheet of flame. From some neglect the
turncoek had to be called, and the flames, unrestrained, tra•
veiled with surprising rapidity; Ike houses on the other side
were severely injured. At length, however, water was fur-
nished, but it was not until past 12 o'clock that the flames
were extinguished, sad not before the spacious pile et pre-
mime in which they commenced were totally gutted and the
contents consumed.

and the men who raised the state to her present proud posi-
tion, would he the rulers of the state. (" Hear" and cheers.)
Mr. Mitehell concluded by saying that, as there should be no
rest for Ireland until her freedom was accomplished, he
would only add that he was for at once making a beginning.
The learned gentleman then read the following address to
the French nation:

TO TOO canons OF TOO Farms IRAPCSLIC.
As slaves should address freemen—as a land which has yet its in-
dependence to insert, and its social freedom to attain, should address
• sovereign state sad a republic, we address you, citizens I Had
we a asekesi government, a recognised centre willing and cow-
Feted tu act and speak foe uo, It would have long since boldly de-
clared the adadratice of your heroism, the sympathy with your
muse, the delight In your victory, which we feel, but are horn our
condition incapable of uttering, Foreign dominion and tilatraction
among ourselves choke the beet and noblest feelings of out hearts.
and turn into empty wind the voice of millions. Receive from
us, citizens, ail the congratulations we eau offer; and be
assured, that beneath them there is much that cannot be
uttered—behind them the longings and passions of suffering and
enslaved men. Yon who have only but yeetei day broken through
even a mild despotiarn, and yet who were compelled to bide V your
Marts for eightato years the hate of that despotism which now you
have so nobly vlodisated—you, citdena, you can understand as. We
recognise in the French republic the work of working men. We see
in its every act justice to the I lights of labour ; and its victories, its
glories, Its auccem, and enduring justice, we, working men,
oartkl-
pate. But enslaved as we are, we can only offer you our individual
sympathy and friendehip, and we ask in return that you will look upon
the sufferings of the eldest and most persecuted sister of our common
Celtic race with commireration and sorrow. We ask you not
to blush for our shame and our slavery, but to retain for an re-
ciprocal friendship and sympathy till our liberated oouatry can do.
serve it.
The adoption of the address was seconded and carried.
Mr. R. O'GORMAN, jun., moved the first reselution,
stating the claims of Ireland to a domestic legislature ; and
the determination of the people to attain it. It was as
follows :
•

Considering that it is the universally acknowledged right of every
nation to determine who shall be its own rulers ; that, previous to
the year 11100, this island was, in all essential attributes, an indepen-
dent nation ; that the act which abolished its independence was
passed by means of bribery and brute force, in opposition to the de-
clared will of a large majority of its people ; that the union was
thus forced upon the Irish people in violation of a solemn International
treaty ratified by an act of the British legislature, declaring the right
of Ireland to be bound only by laws enacted by her own parliament
to be '• established and ascertained for ever,'and at no time hereafter
to be questioned or questionable ;"—ltesolved that, for the foregoing
I reason., we declare our solemn conviction that the aforesaid union
la a nullity, that the laws of the British legislature are not in con-
science binding upon the Irish people, unit:oat resistance or obedience
to its authority is a question of expediency, not of duty.
Feeling that there was but one obstacle in the way of attain-
ing liberty, he (Mr. O'Gorman) considered that it was idle
to suppose that there was any force in being sufficient to de-
prive them of their rights, if they were determined to en-
force lithium. The one obstacle he alluded to was, dis-
union amongst themselves. Why did they talk of Young
and Old Ireland? Why were they to be pestered with the
accursed names of faction? Whig and tory—old faction
names—were beginning to die away, and immediately other
factious epithets started up to bar them in their progress to
liberty. Leaders might meet and talk of reconciliation—
conferences might be held to bring aoout union ; but he
(Mr. O'Gorman) would declare to the world that the people
were united and reconciled; fcr, although they might be
called by different names, and respect different leaders, they
were united in the same principles and course of action ;
and when the day came, in the same determination.
He, for one, repudiated all factions ; he did not care what
man worked for repeal, whether chartist or conservative—
protestant or catholic ; from Conciliation-hall or from the
confederation • if he saw him honestly working to extir-
pate English confederation;
from their island ; if he saw him opposing
corruption, and claiming for Ireland her rights, he would
lend him kis aid, (Cheers.)
Mr. DOWLINO seconded the resolution.
Mr. BARRY, the secretary, said they would not bother
their heads with petitions to parliament; but they would
address the Queen direct, and send a deputation to present
it to her. The address should be signed by every man in
Ireland who could write—and marksmen should put their
marks to it. Such would Ice the address they would prepare
demanding repeal ; and all the reply they would ask would
be, " Yes," or " No; " and if the latter, they would be
obliged to get it for themselves without spilling one drop of
blood ; but in order to procure it so, they should he prepared
to wade through a river of blood, if necessary. (Tremen-
dous cheers.)
Mr. S. O 3IIDON next addressed the meeting, saying he
would not support it, if be did not believe every man
present was ready to act on his words—to support by his
arm what he uttered with his mouth. It was the wish of
some that a resolution should be proposed that day for the
formation of a volunteer army or national guard; but,
upon consideration, it was thought better to postpone it
until the return of the deputation from Paris, .'ter present-
ing the address read by Mr. Mitchel. It would be then
brought forward.
A person who designated himself an English protestant
having addressed the meeting, the motion was put and
carried.

Mr. M'GRE next came forward to address the meeting,
and proposed the second resolution as follows :
iteaolved—That we consider the time has anived for carrying
out the project of the late illustrious leader of the Irish people
namely, the assembling of a council of three hundred pereons in this
city to concentrate the national strength, and to devise measu•ca
for raising this country from her present position of servitude and
misery.
He said the Irish people had always evinced a disposition to
obey the laws, and they would continue to do so if they had
a constitutional government—hut they had no government
in Ireland. The English had taken away the legiti-
mate and natural government from the people of Ireland.
They had carried it into England, and the English should
now defend it themselves. No band in Ireland should ever
be raised to defend the English institutions here which had
crushed and ruined her. No men should enrol himself to
defend English government, or any government which was
not really Irish. If an Irishman was found to countenance
English rule in this country, be (Mr. M'Gee) prayed that
"coward " might be written upon his brow—that the detes-
tation and horror of the people should follow him to another
world, and the name of " slave " ke branded upon the fore-
head of every individual of his posterity. They should wait
a little longer—wait until Oren Bntain was engaged in
foreign war. They should wait until French steamers were
letting off their steam in Falmouth and Portsmouth. Then
he would call upon the people to stand together, and, when
their opportunity was ripe, if the Irish people did sot
then grasp at it, he would say. may they be slaves for ever.
(Cheers.)
Mr. MEAGHER said, that the time had arrived to carry
out the project of the assembling of the council of 300, to
concentrate the national strength. The project contained in
the resolution was the most cherished design of 1843; and
the realisation of it was looked forward to with exultation
by the Irish people—and if they did not carry out the pro-
ject, they would stamp themselves before all the world,
which was in arms for liberty, as men who had the presump.
tion to make great promises, but had not the courage to ful-
fil what was expected of them. Upon St. Patrick's Day he
was in Manchester, he had the honour of being present in
the evening at a meeting consisting of 16,000 persons, and
he waa proud to stand there, and aa far as lay. in his
power retract what be considered to be a gross injustice
which had been done to that portion of the English
people ;_ they had been held accountable for the animosity
of the English government. (Hoer.) This was a mistake,
and the Irish people had been labouring under a groin
delusion, and when looking for foreign sympathy, it was
very lamentable that they had not looked to England also.
(Hear, hear.) They might rest assured that if an arm was I
stretched out to strike them in Ireland, another would be
stretched out in England to revenge them. He owed it, as
a loyal subject of the Queen, to announce, that if one drop of
blood were shed by the armed government whilst the citizens
assembled to assort a constitutional right, there would be ten
thousand shed in England, and the workhouses of the chief
cities of England would be burnt to the ground in revenge.
Mr. GORDON—A cheer for the English people. (Load
cheers.)_
Mr. lf ',tonne continued—ln any ease where there was
not a grievous incentive this would be a fearful retribution ;
but when the government found itself baffled by the public
opinion of the country, and dreaded to join issue with the as-
Berton of liberty, and found that their only chance of keeping
their hold of the country was by producing a massacre, that
which would otherwise be a crime became a virtuous act. It
was with great difficulty that he got to the meeting ; he had
scarcely set foot upon British soil when he was honoured by
an escort from two pollee constables. While Mr. Doheny
and he were at the hotel he was kindly waited noon by the
police,and they as kindly accompanied them to Manchester ;
but he did not know who paid their expenses. (Laughter.)
He then said that steps would be immediately taken to con-
vene and call together the council of 300, in spite of the Con-
vention Act, for they must trample on: the Convention Act.
They should have the same privilege its that respect as the
people of England and Scotland, and boldly take their stand
upon the violation of that act. Let them violate it, and say
they had done so because it stood in the way of Irish liberty.
As they had lost all confidence in the united parliament he
trusted that they would turn with confident hope and pride
to the council, which would not be a parliament, but which
he hoped they would look upon as an assembly constituted
by the people, and invested by them with a higher authority
than that which was called a parliament.
Mr. DOYLE, a carpenter, and Mr. REDMAN, a sawyer.
then proposed and seconded the next resolution.
Mr. D. REILLY congratulated them upon having com-
Iletely conquered Lord Clarendon, the general butcher of
reland. (Cheers.) He (Mr. R.) hinted that the initia-
tive step would soon be taken to form and assemble
the national guard. He knew no franchise, municipal or
parliamentary, like the possession of a gun. (Loud cheers.)
He would refer to the revolution in Italy, in Rome also, the
overthrow of the kings of Italy and the repeal of the Sicilian
union, to show that the franchise which led to these results
was not a parliamentary or municipal franchise, but the
franchise of arms. (" Hear," and cheers.) The right of
every Irishman to hold arms was the franchise which he
would advocate. He would rather give the peasant a gun
sod teach him how to use it than give him a right to
sleet a potielaw guardian ; for an armed people might defy
all prose4aw guardians, and all other officers who conducted
themselves badly. (Cheers.)
Mr. C. O. DCYFY then proposed that Mr. Richard O'Gor-
man, jun., Mr. John Dillon, and Mr. Bartholomew Red-
mond, be appointed a deputation to Paria.—Resolution
adopted.
Mr. 0 DoNotrui said, in reading an addrees to the Queen,
that her Majesty should look sharply around upon the state
of Europe, and see what obstinacy had already produced;
she should weigh well whether her present ministry were
calculated to produce an effect similar to that which the ty-
ranny of Louts Philippe had already produced.
Mr. DENNI seconded the adoption of the address.
Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN, after eulogising the late conduct of
the French people, observed that there was one circumstance
to which he was desirous to call the attention of the meeting.
It was to state, that from that time forth he intended to
dedicate himself to a new mission. It was his resolve from
henceforth to attempt to form a new combination of the
whole Irish nation. If he failed to the full extent of his
dame he still hoped that he might at lead be enabled to

effect a union of all classes of repeaters; and he thought it
was the height of insanity for repeaters to differ merely on
account of some petty jealousies existing between those who
termed themselves leaders of the Irish people. For his own
part he had no such jealousy; he had no desire whatever to
be the leader of the Irish people, and only desired permission
to follow the man who would lead his beloved countrymen
to freedom. That man, whoever he might be, he would
follow; and it was in that spirit he came to the present
meeting. Mr. O'Brien said he wished also to say a few
words on the subject of the formation of a national guard.
Me agreed with thou who told. them that they ought to ad-
dress to their sovereign a demand that she should permit her
Irish subjects to form themselves into a national guard for
the defence of their country, which was necessary for the
maintenance of the liberties of the people on the one
hand, and for defence against their foes on the other. Now
he conceived that such a demand could b• made legally and
constitutionally; but he thought it would be advisable to
postpone the matter until his return from France, where he
would have an opportanity of consulting with the members
of the French Provisional Government as to the best mode
of organiaiag such a body. (Cheers.) If the repeaters of
' Ireland came boldly forward and made a manly front in the
face of day, to tell her Majesty that they were ready to lay
down their lives, if necessary, for the defence of their country,
but that an Irish parliament should be obtained fur Ireland
within a definite period, such a demand could not fail of
success.
The question for the adoption of the address was then put
from the chair and carried, and after a vote of thanks to the
chairman the meeting separated.

REPEAL ASSOCIATION.—Tbe usual weekly meeting of
this body was held to-day. The hall was crowded in every
part, even to inconvenience, and betokening that it had not
been deserted on account of the open air demonstration on
the opposite bank of the Liffey. There was great enthusiasm
evinced by those present ; and the Earl of Miltowu, who
was present to-day again, was received with great warmth.
The epeeches were of the ordinary character, The repeal
rent very nearly approached 1001.

Amistant-Sargeon G. P. Banks, to Plymouth HaspltaL —Slattere
Angetautc: R. G. Bealneon, to Etananch; S. J. 11. Beal, to Soft
Joref.—Michnipman : C. J. Bullock. to Enterprise.--liunl Cadet
W. S. Barnwell, to Amphion ; C. O'Allinghaln, to Ganges; A. A.
Smith, to St. Vlncent; C. D. Ducks, to Canopus.

MILITARY.
THE NEW MitrrAaT PalsoN, adjoining the riding schoo!,
Woolwich, far the ca llow:lent of military offender, bekeepag to the
curlews, ens opened lag week for the rtaepuon of primmer%

SPORTING.
GRAND MILITARY STEEPLECELASI
_ _ _ TISTULDAT..

AT WARWICK.

SWEEPSTAKES of 10 .On. each, h ft, for °Seers' homes,
ISA each. Three miles. (29 subs.)
Captain Dyson's Master Robin
Captain Harvey'. Mushroom !ref= ) 2
The folio • Moo started, but were sot paced ; —Lieutenant Hes.
ken's Modest Marta (Major Ogilvie) ; Lieutenant Arkweight's The
Agent (owner); Cornet Tomlin's Oockspinner (owner); Cornet Denis-
toun's Maid Marian (Captain ; Captain Miles's Bt. George
(Captain Little) ; Captain Pryoe'a Columbine (owner) ; lieutenant
Mayo:ides Ange:a (Sir it Poore); Captain Campbell's Fortunitua
(Mr. Maunaell); Lieutenant Alleynds The Priest (Pptals D'Arcy
Betting-3 to 2 apt the Pricat, 3to 1 apt St. George, Ito I agst
Coekapinner, S (and after starting 4) to 1 apt Master Begin, 3 to 1
each apt Mushroom and Angela.
Won cleverly.
SWEEPSTAKES Of 5 'ova. each, p.p., for ofeeen' hones,
list each. Winner to be .old for 1001. Three roll a. $1 gobs)
Capt. Campbell's Fortunatua (arr. list 1010) (Mr. Arkwriget) I
Sir E. Poore's The General 6o:neri....) 2
Captain Haney'. Lunatic
The following aX ran : —Captain Samerset's Twilight (Mr. (..
Haworth) ; Cornet Denlstoun's Do-lt.Asaln (owner ; Csgtam Boyd's
Lucretia (Captain Little).
&Wild-2 to 1 each apt Lunatic and Lucretia, and 3to 1 apt
The GeneraL
Won may.
BETTING ON THE COI.II.SE,
NORTHAMPTON STAKES.-200 to 50 apt Balla:Arad.
CHasteß CIP.-1,200 to 30 eget Enchanter, 1,000 to 15
apt lonia, and 3,000 to 30 apt Mantpenger.