The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-09 00:00:00

remarked, though perhaps the eircumWance was merely
accidental, that the Goremnsent reporters, who, since the
monster meeting at Mullaghrnast, have always been present,
were, on this occasion, absent from the Hall. On the motion
of Mr. O'Connell, Andrew Russell Switch, Esq., a barrister,
took the Chair.

The CHAIRMAN, upon taking h;s seat, expressed his regret I
that the ancient curse of their wretched land had again come
upon them, in the form of dissension and di'union. (Hear,
hear.) It was much to be regretted that there should have
been a division in the repeal camp; but as it had taken
place, he thought the time had arrived when every man
should express his opinions in favour of one party or the
other, end he, therefore, was prepared to give his reasons
fur " the faith that was in him "—his reasons for support-
ing the " moral force " policy of O'Connell. (Hear, hear.)
He (Mr. Stritch) was wholly in favour of the policy of the
association, but still he was willing to give credit for in-
tegrity to some of the seceding party.
Mr. O'Cosexxu.—Hear, hear. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN proceeded to say, that he spoke from his
knowledge of some of the " Young Ireland " party, and that
he know that their ardent wish was, that the disunion be-
tween them and the association should be healed. (Hear,
hear, and cheers.)
The minutes of the Association having been read by Mr.
RAY,
Mr. O'CosexeLt. handed in Ml. as the subscription of the
different members of his family for the year 1847.
Mr. O'Co•NELL then proceeded to make his steement fur
the day. He commenced by declaring that the septet of the
country could be described only in one word—starvation.
Starvation was stalking over the land. It was in every dis-
trict, and was deepening in its hue over every district of the
island. He warned the government of this, for he felt it his
duty to do so, as no man had such means of knowing the
condition of the country. Men were dying of starvation in
numbers never before occurring in the memory of living
man. And numbers were dying of the inanition produced
by continued want, though they had still some food remain-
ing. He had been accused of upholding the Board of Works.
He was not their detender. He had stayed in Dublin, though
his physicians had recommended strongly a return to his
mountain home, to represent to the Baird of Works the ca-c
of every man who did him the honor to call on him. He
was happy to say, that no appeal of that nature was made in
which either proper explanation or redress was not afforded
by the board—save in one case. And, if ever satisfaction
should not be given by the board, he would be ready to do
his duty, and pass censure on them. But, he believed, with
every disposition, they not the means to do what was re-
quired of them. They had not staff enougb, they ought to
have twice as many. But it was his duty to warn the go-
vernment, and to warn the people--for, despite the recent
miserable dissensions, he had the confidence of the people.
(Great and continued cheering.) It was his duty to
warn the government, that starvation was over
the land, and that the means of the government
were utterly inadequate. They appeared to have been de-
ceived by fiatteren into a belief that the crisis was not so
great, and they had not half, one-third, scarce one-fifth the
means necessary for the relief of the starvation which pre-
vailed.