The Sun.
London, England, 1836-08-15 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, AUG. 13.—CENTRAL INDEPENDENT CLUB.—
At the extraordinary General Meeting of this body, held
yesterday, Mr. O'Connell addressed the members at great
length. He began by condemning the course of observa-
tion adopted by the press generally respecting the rejected
registration clause in the Newspaper Stamp Bill, a clause
which Mr. O'Connell contended was just, and should have
formed part of the Bill. "It is evident,". said he, " from
the very fact of the Lords having disagreed to the retaining
of this clause, that it was for the good of the people, else
my Lord Lyndhurst would not have given it the kicking
which he did. He knew that if the bill passed with such a
clause in it, the public would have been able to detect their
enemies." There should be no anonymous writing. The
Report of the Managing Committee of the Central Inde-
pendent Club of the Citizens of Dublin to Daniel O'Con-
nell, Esq., M.P., was then read and unanimously adopted.
The Honourable and Learned Gentleman then again ad-
dressed the meeting in a speech which we regret our
limits will not permit us to transfer to our columns.
Mr. O'Connell began by alluding to the decision of the
Dublin Election Committee, which, said the Hon. and
Learned Gentleman, " exposed themselves to an obloquy
which no other Committee of the House of Commons ever
did before, for they reported that there was no evidence of
bribery or corruption apparent on the part of the petition-
ing- candidates, though at the same time it is to be recol-
lected their having expressly prohibited us from giving any
such evidence as would go to show that there was nothing
less." Mr. O'Connell then proceeded to deprecate all ri-
valry and jealousy as between the different public bodies
having a common interest in the promotion of civil and
religious liberty. "No matter in how many distinct par-
ties they may be working, they should consider themselves
amalgamated all into one great body, each from his own
sphere contributing all he can towards the success of the
public prosperity and the great national interests of his
'country." After expressing a hope that the county of
Dublin would emulate the spirit of the citizens of Dublin,
Mr. O'Connell referred to the decision of the Lord Chief
Baron Joy with respect to the admission of freemen.
" There never was a more preposterous decision, and I
trust (said Mr. O'Connell) that I shall be able to see the
day when I will overhaul this decision in the House of
Commons. Yes, I may as well speak out—come what
will, I will impeach the Chief Baron for it. I have from
•my privilege a right to move for an impeachment. This is
a. decision made by one -of those men whom Lord Angle-
sey sent us, and yet Lord Anglesey wondered after this
That he was unpopular in Ireland. But I will not fail to
impeach the Chief Baron if I live to be in the House of
.Commons." Speaking of the favourable condition of the
elective franchise in Dublin, he said, " We have now this
vast majority—a majority of 1,500, one half of which, at
least, is certain to be available." With regard to the effect
of the Justice Rent, in advancing the liberal interests, " 1
look (said Mr. O'Connell) to the progress of that national
measure with anxiety, not with doubt, because of the aid
it will furnish to liberate ourselves from that condition of
slavery to which we have been so 'long submitting."
—(Cheers.) Counselling the country to look to the regis-
tration, Mr. O'Connell assigned as a reason, why the Re-
formers should be stirring, that it was not impossible
that during the prorogation of Parliament, an attempt
might be made to set up Tory power again. The Hon.
and Learned Gentleman then proceeded to remark on the
observations which we felt it our duty a few days ago to
offer in opposition to an opinion expressed by him at a
public meeting, Mr. O'Connell's declaration was to the
effect, that the majority of the English nation were not in
favour of equal justice to Ireland, upon which we joined
issue . The hon. member for Kilkenny rejoins, " I saw in
The Sun newspaper whirls reached me this day, an article
blaming me for saying that a majority of the people of
Eng!an.l are unfavourable to Ireland. The Sun blames
me in a double way ; it says, first, it is not true that the
majority of the English people are in favour cs the Tories,
and even if it were true it MIS not discreet in me to sty
so. Oli 1 but I am always fond of the truth, whether
it is indiscreet or not; I have no 1% ish to blind the people ;
I must speak the truth ; I must say that the majority of
the English people are unfavourable to good government
for Ireland, and I tell it to their shame. lam able to de-
monstrate it fully, and I tell it for the purpose of showing
the necessity of redoubling our own exertions. By what
argument prove the majority of the English people to be
in favour of Ireland ? Why, to be sure, if they count
heads and noses, it is possible that the"), may not be a majo-.
ray against •just ice to Ireland ; but that is not the way to
judge. I judge by a particular class, and that is a class of
voters ; I look to the Chanties fifty-pound clause. I was
last year at Newcastle-upon-Tyne—l was Well received
there. I remember the candidates for the election ; one of
them, Captain Blackit, said he would settle the titheS for
Ireland ; but Hodgsoii said, I won't give corporation reform
to Ireland. Ireland was not by him considered worthy of
justice. Well, these men at Newcastle-upon-Tyne returned
the Tory by a majority of forty-eight ; certainly it was a
small majority, but then it proves whether the majority of
the people there were for justice tts Ireland. And what is
more, I can tell you that that majority was swelled by those
who call themselves Radicals, and some of them are the
worst Tories in England.. lam a Radial' myself=—l am
for universal suffrage—l am for the vote by .ballot.—(Hear.)
I am for vote by ballot ; I am for universal suffrage ; I am
for having Parliaments every two years, or at furthest every
three. I for doing away with that abominable pecu-
niary qualification to render an individual fit to be a Mem-
ber of Parliament. I would wish that any man who had
the approbation of his fellow men should have the qualifica-
tion most requisite to represent them ; and if he was a
poor man, let no one tell me that lie is not a fit person to
he returned to Parliament. The fact of his poverty would
be to me a perfect demonstration that he must be distiu-
guished for more exalted public and private virtues than
any other, and the suffrages of those who knew him longest
and best onglit to be his highest recommendation to
scat ih --the -Legislative Assembly.—(Loud cheers.) I
am for all these things, and I therefore do think with re-
gret that thin spirit of hostility which is manifested against
our cause in a great degree in England should be at all
in existence ; and from this spot I. tell The Sun it would
be better for it to use its talents and its energies in endea-
vouring to conquer that spirit, than to be deluding it-
self and the people with the hope of assistance, when
that hope is so likely to be disappointed. It is better
honestly to warn of danger than to lull ourselves into a
false expectation of support. They say that in England
a majority of the inhabitants are in our favour. But I
will ask upon what occasion has that feeling induced
practical ell-hrt for us? When did the people of Engliind
stand up for our rights as we did for them ?—(Cheers.)
Did we not battle for Parliamentary Reform for them?
Have we not struggled always well and devotedly in
their behalf 9-.--. and I do say it with pain, but with justice,
that we have not received any suitable return from them.
—(Cheers.) I ask The Sun what did they do for us when
the fell Coercion Bill was introduced ? Did they come for-
ward as they ought to repudiate such a heinous measure? I
recollect seeing some of the best of those who professed to
be on our side, who appeared favourable to our cause, in
close consultation with Judge Crampton on the • sub-
ject of that Bill, taking his opinion on it, no doubt a very
impartial and unprejudiced one. Ido therefore complain
of the people of England. We might have had some sym-
pathy from them, but we have had no valid support."
In connection with this subject, and after taking an his-
torical review of Ireland as under the sway of England, Mr.
O'Connell said,—" All these things confirm me the more
in my position, that we must not look to En"fand, for in
addition to those there is that latent, national dislike, un-
accountable indeed, but which we know, unfortunately, to
be true, which renders our hopes of assistance unfounded."
He then observed upon the harshness with which free states
have generally treated conquered countries, adding " Let
the English people return the Tories at the next election,
if they wish to see injustice to Ireland continued, and we
say they are giving us grounds, unanswerable grounds,
upon which to start another question, meantime, for the
present, I am here agitating, agitating, agitating.—(Cheers.)
rgo hence, indeed, immediately, but I anticipate I will be
in frequent communication with my friends here, and my
" voice from the mountains" will not be more inefficacious
because I am amongst the fiistnesses of my native hills

—{Cheers.) I have not been able to prepare my address
to the English people as I could wish since my arrival in
Dublin, but it will not be the less stirring, exciting, or ef-

fective when I sit down to my desk after hearing the echoes
of my excellent beagles pursuing their game through the
romantic dells of Kerry on the one side, and the reverbera-
tions of the broad and stormy Atlantic coming, in moun-
tain masses, to break upon the iron-bound cliffs of my
native shores on the other.—(Loud and continued ap-
plause.) I augur well from what I have seen since I came
here. The Catholic Association, mighty and powerful as
were its after efforts—(Cheers)—it was a rickety and puny
bantling in its infancy, although the gigantic strength of its
maturity was unparalleled in the annals of national regene-
ration.—(Cheers.) The General Association, now in the
third week of its existence, is double what the Catholic
Association was, even in its second year.—(Hear.) Besides,
the Catholic Association was a long time before it numbered
many Protestant gentlemen in its ranks. Ultimately, how-
ever, out of the 14,000 members which composed it, 1,400
were Protestants.—(Cheers.) One noble feature in the
General Association is, that it is only by accident I, or any
body else, can know who are Protestants and who are
Catholics.—( Hear.) lam convinced that more than one-
third of our present numbers are Protestant, and some of •
our largest subscribers are Protestant.—(Hear.) Our
funds are augmenting, and I see the numbers of Irishmen.'
of-all religious persuasions; swelling our ranks daily, and
from the universal, national feeling which appears to actu-

ate the inhabitants of this country, of all classes, I am con-
fident it will be a far more influential body than ever the