The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-04 00:00:00

LITERARY ASSOCIATION OF T lIE

FRIENDS OF POLAND.

The 17th annual meeting of the friends of Poland
was held yesterday, at three o'clock, at the rooms of the
Association, Duke-street, St. James's; Lord Dudley
Stuart, M.P., in the chair. Among those present
there were Lord Beaumont, John Williams, Esq., M.P.,
W. Pinney, Esq., M.P., Captain Townsend, Mr. M.
Milnes, M.P., D. Urquhart, Esq., M.P., F. Mowatt, Esq.,
M.P., the Rev. Dr. Worthington, Mr. Filcher, &c.
Mr. BIRKUECK, the Hon. Secretary, read the report,
of which the following is an abstract:—
The report commenced by referring to the miscon-
ception of the nature of the affairs and contest in Posen
which existed at the time of the last annual meeting—
that the information received from persons of known re-
spectability in the grand duchy, and the official documents
published by the Germans themselves, removed the erro-
neous impression. Reference was made to the de-
bate on Mr. Urquhart's motion in May last, from which
it transpired that the Poles took up arms in anticipa-
tion of an event declared inevitable a war with
Russia; aril that the acts of barbarity attributed
to the Poles were, in fact, committed by the Ger-
mans, who were the aggressors, as is s;-:own by many
official and other documents. It added, the Council
are now in possession of authentic information com-
pletely disproving the charge of cruelty brought against
the Poles. As an instance, the body of a person
named Lochner, said to have been mutilated by the
Polish peasantry, had been exhumed, and no such
mutilations appeared. The report then mentioned the
reports of General Willisen, the proclamation of
General Von Colomb, and the protest ot a German
Judge of the Supreme Court of Posen, together with
letters of an English lady there resident, and other
documents, proving the breach of faith by the Prus-
sian Government, that the Poles were not aggressors,
and that the best understanding had prevailed between
the Polish peasants and their landlords. It then referred
to the debate on Lord Kinnaird's motion, and the speeches
of Lord Lansdowne and other Peers, which were and are
still uncontroverted.The report stated that the intention of
the Galician nobles to remit all labour payments of rent
had been frustrated for the time by a tumult caused
by the Austrian authorities. It would appear that the
temptation of destoying an unresisting capital is one
which can be withstood by few Austrian generals. The
report went on to give an account of the debate in the
House of Commons, on the annual grant for the Polish
refugees, mentioned a most honourable letter from
several of their number resigning their claims ; the
sums allowed; and that France had last year voted
30,0001. for the relief of the Poles in that country. The
lamented death of the late president, Mr. T. W. Beau-
mont, was strongly dwelt upon, and an account of his
services given to the association, and also of the
manner in which the loss is felt and deplored by
the Poles. A lucid statement of the income and
expenditure of the association was made. The motion
ot the Earl of Eglinton, and the speech with which
it was introduced, were strongly blamed, and the
conduct of the Poles both in public and private life fully
justified; the late very favourable accounts from Posen,
where the Poles exercise a forbearance and dignity,
setting at naught German provocation, also the unfortu.
nate occurrences in Galicia. The report, after referring
to Russian aggression, concluded by expressing a sanguine
hope that ultimately the great work of constitutional
liberty will be crowned and consolidated by the restora•
tion of the ancient, free, and independent kingdom of
Poland to its place amongst the nations of Europe.
The report was warmly received, and was adopted on
the motion of the Rev. Dr. Worthington, seconded by
Mr. M. Milnes, M.P., as also was the following resolu-
tion.—

" That the progress of constitutional freedom in Ger-
many, and the successful struggle for its preservation in
Hungary, afford reasonable grounds for entertaining the
belief, that at no distant period the same principles of
government will be re-established throughout ancient
Poland."

Lord Beaumont, Lord Dudley Stuart, and several
other gentlemen delivered important and elaborate
speeches, a full report of which we shall publish to-
morrow.