The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-30 00:00:00

*pantry. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. O'Connell) was fright-
ened at the state of Ireland ; and doubly so, because he did
not think others were frightened enough at the position in
which sho was placed. (Cheers.) Food was wanting in the
north, south, east, and west ; in fact, what was in the coun-
try was insufficient for the demand, so that even those who
had money could not purchase it. Never was •
country in such danger—and never was • government
me loudly called on to do something. (Applause.)
Talking of the affairs of the association, they dwindled into
buignificanee when they considered these horrors. Much
distress existed in the north—great distress all through
Leinster; and almost all Munster and Connaught were
starving. (Hear, hear.) Such was the state of Ireland, and
he wee horrified at the species of apathy he saw surround-
ing them. Something, however, he hoped would be aeon
done. (Hear, heir.) A committee was established in Dub-
lin, for the metropolis; hut that was not enough—they
• should have a committee, upon a grand sale, for the whole
of Ireland. It was all very well to have soup shops here and
there—he did not discourage them; but they wanted more
—they wanted a national remedy for a national grievance.
Mr. O'Connell then adverted to the comments of the
English newspapers upon his proposition for the advance of
30,060,0001. on the resources of Ireland. Ile asked why they
did not combat the justice of the proposition instead of en-
deavouring to sneer at it. He had stated that, on a balance
at account since the Union, his son had proved that England
•wed us 60,000,0001. Why had not some of them shown it
was not true? Was it not strange that the English press
always kept thin question out of view—that at the period of
the Union England owed 446,000,0001 for which Ireland was
mortgaged, while I reland had only owed 20,000,0001. But they
might be assured that Ireland would not forget these facts, nor
forgive them either, until justice was done her by having a
parliament in College green. Mr. O'Connell next adverted
to the letter of Mr. S. O'Brien, published in the Dublin
papers of Saturday. He said he should, after this once,
never again advert to the seceders or the secession, unless
something very pressing should impel him. Mr. O'Brien,
in that letter, had admitted that he seceded upon the physi-
eal force principle. And he did more ; he stated if the
lawyers named upon the conference, and a dozen other
lawyers, should decide that point against himself; still he
would maintain his own convictios, formed' upon the instincts
a nature and fortified by his study of history." Would
a judge in a court of law listen to such an argument as the
" instincts of nature," against the plain dictates of law ?
Would •jury regard it ? Was ever such reasoning advanced
by a man who offered to be the leader of a people Mr. .
O'Brien had a great aversion to the Whigs—he had • right.
Hs was born a Tory—he was reared a Tory—a Tory he
catered public life—and his hatred of the Whigs was a per-
fect piety. They (the Whigs) had deprived him of the
family borough of Ennis, by the Reform Bill. But he (Mr.
O'Connell) was not bound by Mr. O'Brien's hatreds.
It would seem he had not forgotten old occurrences to him-
self (Mr. O'Connell.) His son had beaten Mr. O'Brien's father
for Clare the first election after the reform bill. But surely
he ought to forget these old occurrences. He (Mr. O'Con-
nell) had forgotten them when he hailed Mr. O'Brien's
accession. The physical force men had never done any good
to liberty. It was Feargus O'Connor and his violence that
injured reform in England, but he would take care Mr.
O'Brien, who seemed to be inclined to walk in the same
paths, should never injure the repeal. The physical force
people had one great advantage over him -- it was
their only one that was, the horrible condition
of
the poor. Yes ; nothing could be more frightful
or more menacing than that condition. In many places
force was used to stop the transit of provisions, and the vio-
kat forgot that though they might thus secure themselves a
meal or two, they were causing thousands to perish of want.
In Clonmel it was n to accompany the provision cars
by an armed force. eririlmean, said the hon. gentleman,
and it was with that view I rose, though Young Ireland has
somewhat driven off my attention, that before the
termination of this week the aseociation shall issue
an address to the people of Ireland, calling upon them
to give up the unhappy practice of stopping the
transit of provisions—to resign all resort to violence,
to give up all force, end to endeavour to assist each other in
the terrible crisis which was upon them. Mr. O'Connell,
in conclusion, adverted to the patriotism displayed by Lord
Cloncurry, the father of the chairman, who had always stood
by Ireland and the people's liberty. He expressed a hope
that Mr. Lawless would yet represent the metropolis of
Ireland in a native parliament, and called on all true
Irishmen to give a long pull, a strong pull, and for repealer,
a pull altogether, that they might secure repeal.
Mr. MOLLOY brought forward a petition calling upon the
government to afford facilities for the importation of provi-
sions into Ireland, by repealing the laws which disfavoured
the importation in foreign bottoms, by using the transport
and store ehip service of the country for the like purpose,
and by the establishment of food depots in distant places, to
be used for the purpose of keeping down provisions below
the famine prices now prevailing.
This petition was seconded by Mr. O'Connell and passed.
Mr. JOHN O'Coreesue then rose, and spoke to the sub-
ject of the report upon the reclamation of waste lands,
brought forward by Capt. Broderick on a previous day, and
already noticed in the Daily News. He also referred to the
matter of the secession, and Mr. Smith O'Brien's letter.
Some sums of money were then handed in ; the rent for
the week was announced to be 671. 7s. 4d. After which
thanks wore voted to the chairman, and the meeting ad-

journed.
STATE OF THE COUNTRY.
There are but few advices from the country to-day, and
these do not present even the average features of hardship
which, unhappily, we must look for in eo perilous and tern-
tie a period of distress.
The principal contents of the journals come to hand relate
to Roscommon, Mayo, Oalway, and Sligo, and they will be
fond in the subjoined condensation of their contents.
MAYO.—I have just had a letter shown me from the parish
priest of Louisburgh, in the afflicted county of Mayo, in
which he states that his curate had that morning (the 23d
feet.) visited at their homes 19 of his parishioners, all of
whom were lying sick in consequence of their inability to
procure the necessary food to maintain health.
Two Roman Catholic clergymen of this county, the Rev.
Memel. Henry and MacManus, have addressed letters to the
public journals upon the subject of the distress existing in
their parishes, which may be said to constitute one district.
The former gentleman states that between four and five
hundred destitute persons of his parish had been represented
to the Relief Committee for labour—that these had neither
horse, cow, nor'ays—neither sheep, pig, nor corn—that ten
days have since elapsed, and nine have died of actual starva-
tion. Yet that employment has yet been afforded to
thirteen only of the many hundreds recommended.
The Rev. Mr. MacManus states that his parish
—Louisburgh--containa a population of 12,000, not
more than 1,000 of whom in ordinary years are able to main-
tain themselves independently—that this year many of the
poor have been starved to death—that within the last three
weeks 25 have died of destitution—and both the reverend
gentlemen state that oatmeal is 245. per cwt. in the nearest
market town, which is 25 miles distant from the remote por-
tion of Mr. MacManus's position.
Itoscoateroa—lnquests have been held in the course of
the week on two bodies, in both of which verdicts were re-
turned that death bad been caused by starvation.
ATTILONE.—PRICE Or BREAD.—American flour is now
selling plentifully in this town, at the same rate as any other
description. The bakers have commenced using it, mixed
with the other flour; but, notwithstanding, the price of
bread is at present 101 d. per four pound loaf, at which price
the bakers find itdifficult to keep a sufficient supply.
SL/00.—MERCHANTS AND MARKET PRICES.—At •
meeting of the Sligo Poor Relief Committee, held on the 22nd
December, it was stated that the price of oatmeal in that
town was 181. 10.. per ton. Indian meal was 18/. a ton. In
consequence of a statement made by Mr. Kernaghan, a
corn-merchant and member of the committee, it appeared
that he was making a profit of 71. per ton on Indian corn
purchased at an early period of the season at 91. 10s. a ton,
the committee decided upon making an appeal to the mer-
theists of the town to induce them to sell at such a rate as,
while affording them a considerable profit, would still cause
the markets to fall. The government, it is stated, have 900
tons of bread stuffs in Sligo.
THE RECENT MURDER NEAR TUA3l.—The inquest on
the body of Mr. Lynch terminated on Tuesday last, at
Tomas. After a most careful consideration of the facts
of the case, the following verdict was agreed to We find
that on the night of the 7th of Dec., at Cioonkeely (Lynch), in
this county, the said John Browne Lynch was wilfully mur-
dered by Robt. Lynch, John Lynch, Michael Ilowley, Martin
Miliaria and Michael M•H ugh (David), all of Dugan, in this
county; and by John Meath, of Ballyheragh, in the county
Nay°. We further find that James Halloran and Pat
Howley (Pat), both of Dupre, in this county, were aiding
and abetting in said murder." Seven of the above named
persons were transmitted, under escort of a company of the
pith Regiment, from Tuam, on Thursday morning, to the
outlay gaol at Galway, and were received on the same
evening by the governor, Mr. Ryan, and one of them is
di tainted in Tuam, as he appears willing to become Queen's
evidence. The two first named prisoners are nephews of the
unfortunate deceased, and John Meath is his brother-in-law.
—Galway Mercury.
BURIALS WITHIN Towers.—The evils to be dreaded
from the multitude of interments within towns are beginning
to arrest the attention of all those who value the advantages
of health and life. A proposition to construct a public
ral,etery is now before the people of Sligo, and, as an
evidence of how much it is required, the Sligo Champion
sa,.:—" In Sligo the nuisance is greater than, perhaps,
any other town in the United Kingdom. The churchyard
ha- been filled over and over again—that is, when one
ho 'y decays it is replaced by another, and so on. The
sts,i of the abbey burial-ground is truly horrible. The
leonine are here piled upon each other up to the very sur-
face of the earth, and there can be no question but that the air
is infected and polluted by the foul and pestilent vapours
isait'ng from this revolting abode of the dead. All medical
nr n agree that those vapours arc most prejudicial to health,
and generate fearful diseases."
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE RELIEF OF THE. DISTRESSED
II:I•11.—In consequence of the genes jobbing practised
en the occasion of the late great subscription for the
reli-f of the distressed Irish, many persons, who would
nth -rwise be disposed to contribute, are deterred
tram doing so, lest that money should again go to land-
' for s, in the payment of rent% or be applied to diffe-
ren' osmoses from that of relieving the destitute poor.
It, therefore, gives us great pleasure to be able to
point out to the charitably disposed, a channel through
which their charity may flow, without dancer of its
inT lost is its vourse, or of its being misdirected in
its ,dsjects. The Sceicty of Friends have raised among
their own members a very large sum of money, for the
aid of the distressed Irish, which it is their intention
to ,pply to the relief of such portions of them as may
be unable to obtain assistance on public works, such as
the aged, widows with families, and young children, who
have no one to work for them. To insure the proper
application of their funds, some of the benevolent mem-