The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-03 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, FEB. 2.
The " great /Cells meeting"—" the gathering of
Leinster, as it was absurdly termed—came off yes-
terday, and, if we judge it according to the boastful
preparations trade fur tt, the affair was a miserable
failure. The numberof people who congregated on
the occasion did not exceed some 3,000 at the out-
side, and the persons of any note who were brought
together were very few indeed, while the popular
enthusiasm was below zero, and the principal feature
which gave an air of respectability to the proceed-
ings was the parade made during the morning of
military and constabulary reinforcements whielt some
timid magistrates of the neighbourhood thought it
might be necessary to have at hand for the preser-
vation of the peace. It so happened, however, that
the soldiers and the extra constables might have
been dispensed with, and, in fact, they were with-
drawn before the commencement of the meeting.
The meeting was held in the open air, a platform
having been erected under a large elm-tree, in front
of the Roman Catholic School-house, and near the

chapel. The principal occupants of the platform
wore Roman catholic clergymen from the neighbour-
ing parishes, and a deputation from Dublin, consist-
ing of Mr. Lucas, M.P., Dr. Gray, Mr. J. M. Cant-
well, and a few others. The meeting was culled,
according to the requisition, "for the purpose of
adopting a petition to parliament, praying for the
enactment of a measure of 'religious equality.' in
accordance with the resolutions passed at tilt Reli-
gious Equality Conference recently held in Dublin ;"
but as I have already stated the principal object was
to abuse the Irish members who had taken office,

and to deter others from adopting a similar course.
The chair was to have been taken by Mr. Corbally,
the member for the county, but that gentleman hav-
ing excused himself by letter for his absence, the
honour of presiding was conferred on Mr. Edwin
M'Evoy.
The Rev. Mr. Geoghegan, C.C., proposed the first reso-
lution, as follows : —"That the source and origin of most of
the social and political grievances, of which, above other
civilised nations, the people of Ireland have to complain, is
the established church, in its character of a political and
temporal institution ; that the maintenance of such au in-
stitution in the enjoyment of social superiority over a
people of a different religion, and iu the exclusive possession
of enormous funds, plundered from that pt ople, by the
piety and munificenceof whose ancestors they were accumu-
lated, for purposes not only different, but directly contrary
to this, their present application, is an abuse of so gross a
kind that, in no age of the world, amongst no race, kindred,
tongue, or people, would it ever be endured willingly by
the subjects, or could it ever be maintained by the rulers,
except at the sword's point. That the catholic people
of Ireland never have endured, and never will endure
it, otherwise than as they endure famine, pestilence, and
other inevitable calamities ; and that it is impossible
that tranquillity and contentment should ever prevail in
Ireland, until not only this monster grievance is removed,
but until all laws which impede a perect religious equality
of all Irishmen, of whatever class or creed, are absolutely
and entirely removed.
Mr. Malley seconded the resolution, which was carried.
The following resolutions were also adopted:
. , .

5 4
5 4
5 4
6 2
5 2
5 2
6 2

6 2

5- 2
6 2

4 7
4 7
4 7

4 7
4 7
4 7

Resulved—That the pr testant established *church (not
only has absorbed the property of the Irish catholic puor,
but) displays her peculiar malignity in countenancing and
encouraging itinerant soupers, whose sole duty it appears
to be to outrage the religious feelings of a mural people, to
insult their priesthood, to blaspheme their religion, to pro-
mote desertion and disturbance wheresover they make their
appearance ; and this becomes the more intolerable when
we reflect that those eoupers are encouraged by the minis-
ter of the established church, these living on the plundered
property of the poor, come amongst us under the false pre-
tence of enlightening our people, whereas there is no coun-
try in Europe more steeped in ignorance, more disgraced by
outrageous immorality, than England, the very country
from whence those soupers come, and deliberately to pro-
voke breaches of the peace.
That the maintenance of a party of Irish members of
parliament, hound by their own convictions, no lees than
by their public pledges, to be independent of, and in oppo-
sition to, all governments that will not remove the two
great and leading grievances from which proceed the unpa-
ralleled nuisances of which Ireland Las for ages lnen tau
victim, and which, at the hands of a just and prudent go-
vernment, admit of a safe, speedy, and certain redress, is a
policy not only wise in itself, but absolutely necessary at
the present crisis, was first propounded by the leading Irish
liberal constituencies of the last parliament—was adopted
at the earnest and repeated solicitations, backed by the
most solemn promises, enforced by oaths—and was esta-
blished by the people at the last general election, who, on
the representations made to them of the benefit that would
result to them, of the benefit that would accrue
from such a course, made the most heroic sacri-
fices to increase the numbers of such a party.
That, consistently to pursue such a policy, irrespective of
the personal character, feelings, and interest of any existing
or possible minister, is the only course by which permanent
redress can be obtained of the abeve mentioned evils, and
affords the only means by which it can be made the interest
of all political parties, in their turn, to respect the feelings
of the catholic people of Ireland, and to treat them with
impartial justice in the transactions of daily life ; and that
for some of the original propounders of this policy to desert
it for place at the earliest possible opportunity can only be
regarded as an act of the basest ingratitude and treachery
to the people, by whose sacrifices and sufferings they were
raised to political power.
The Rev. Mr. Ennis, P.P., proposed the next resolution:
" That although we deeply deplore the nature of the issue
that has been just tried at Carlow—in which evil principles
on the one hand, or abandonment of all principles on the
other, was the melancholy alternative—we hail the result
as a great popular victory, vindicating the national honour,
avenging a betrayed people, and proving to the electors
who sacrificed so much in the national cause that that cause
paned be sold by any of their representatives with impu-
nity ; that the people of Ireland now look to the electors of
Athlone to consummate this great act of national justice by
executing judgment upon a representative in whom betrayal
of trust has been aggravated by false pretences and breach
of promise, and by the infraction of the most solemn and
meted engagements."
Mr. Peter Arnold seconded the resolution, which was
pared.
The meeting then separated.
In the Encumbered Estates Court yesterday a
small leasehold property, of which the net yearly
rent and value was about 941., was sold for 2,6151.
The competition was very brisk. The lands are
situated near Aughrim, in the county of Galway.
The commissioners appointed to inquire into the
arterial drainage system in Ireland, consisting of
Richard Oriffith Req., Sir William Cubitt, and Wil-
liam Bendel), Esq., C.E., are now at Loughrea, hav-
ing inspected the works in the neighbourhood of
Portumna and Tullamore.
A man named Thomas M'Cormiek was on Monday
Hill y committed to the county prison in Tullamore
by Thomas Brereton, Esq., R.M., Parsonetown, for
trial at the approaching assizes charged with the
murder of William R. Manifold, Esq., who was shot
dead in his gig at Logien, near the Blue Bali, on
thaecening of the 19th October last, when returning
tram Tullamore to hie residence at Annaghmore.
The Kilkenny Moderator has the following as-
scant of a murder :
On the night of Monday last a man named Michael
Magrath, a tenant upon Lord Clifden's estate, and holding
about twenty acres of land, was shot lead by some person
whose name we have not as yet ascertained, but who was
supposed to be engaged in watching oats, the property
of that nobleman. The deceased was in constant em-
ployment at the castle, as were also his sons, with their
two horses, at wave, we understand, of about two
pounds per week. It appears that oats were frequently
missed for the last fortnight, which caused the steward
to represent the matter to Mr. Muggeridge, the
agent, by whose direction a watch was ordered.
The steward and every person connected with Gowan
Castle now positively.deny all knowledge of the person by
whom the unfortunate man met his death. The -body was
found near two bags of corn, one of which appeared
branded with she initials of the deceased man's name. It
was removed home by friends before morning who did set
ommunicate the matter to the police. :From facts stated
to 'nit seems scarcely to admit of doubt how the oceurrenee
took place; however, it will be matter for the usual in-
quiry, whea, of course, every facility to oecessary scrutiny
will be afforded, as it would be most injurious to the in-
terests of society if any hesitation was felt in avowing every
—stance connected with the transaction.

TIIE CAMBRIDGE BACHELORS' BALL—This fashion-
able and pleasant re-union took place in the Town
Hall,
Cambridge, on Tuesday evening last, and fully sustained
the reputation it has aequirsd in past years. It is given, se
most of our readers may be aware, by such of the outgoing
bachelors as may have been fortunate enough to secure a
place in the Bumblers Lists, to their fair friends and
others, in order to celebrate their successful image through
the perils and dangers of the University examination. The
arrangements were, as usual, under the management of a
committee and stewards selected from the Bachelors. Lord
Iduncuter officiated as president; the Hon. P. Bridgeman
as hon. secretary, and Mr. Burden, of St. John's, as tree,
surer. 'There were about 450 invitations issued, and the
whole affair passed off with the greatest eclat.
ASCENT OP THE GREAT-I3LOCKNER.—A letter from
Klagenturth, in the Austrian States, announces that, on the
19th, two English travellers, Mr. Sharpe and Mr. Thomp-
son, asoended to the summit of the Gross-Glockner, the
highest mountain of Myr* which is 2,894 yards above the
level of the sea. This was the second time the summit of
the mountain has been visited ; the first ascent to it was
made 60 years ago by M. Warlopf, an Austrian geologist.
Owing to the mildness of the temperature, Mr. Shane and
Mr. Thompson sunk to their knees in the anowtwlaalt, . , ~.
covers the upper part of the Gross-Glockner, anff•eikeir It .n ro
obliged to throw off their great coats. Whilst at wiL "- leffft,
the mountain their guides played at cards. 1.....;„
• ~..., • •
.k.5.611,i\i'14,41;...:•;1...if-;).
~.\.• .ii...-,.4../
.....A.: - •
lagillgiSANW