The Sun.
London, England, 1838-01-10 00:00:00

IItELAND.

(BY EXPRESS.)
(FROM OUR OWN CORRLSPONDENT.)
DUBLIN, MONDAY EVE:NINO.
O'CONNELL AND THE TRADES COMBINATION.
(THIS DAY.)
The meeting between Mr. O'Connell and the deputies of
the Trades, which was to have taken place last week, was
postponed to this day. At one o'clock the great room in the
Corn Exchange was crowded with artisans, and the gallery
with their female friends, anxious to be present at the pro-
ceedings. The reception of the Learned Gentleman, who
entered the meeting at half-past one o'clock, was most enthu-
siastic. PETER PURCELL, Esq., was placed in the Chair.
" THE SUN."
Mr. O'CoNNELn then rose and observed, that he had a pre-
liminary subject to note. The Sun newspaper, which arrived
that morning, and every one knew what an excellent paper
that was, and what attention it paid to Irish affairs, had
stated that he (Mr. O'Connell) bad two years ago consented
to the pensioning of the Catholic clergymen. He did not
know how such a mistake could be committed. He never did,
and never would, consent to the clergymen of his religion being
paid by the State. He wished the Press to let this go dis-
tinctly before the public. It was but right to say, that he was
confident it Wes only a mistake of the editor of the excellent
journal in question.
The CHAIRMAN read a production from the mail-coach-
makers in his employment, protesting against the illegal com-
binations that exist in the city, and denying any participation
in it.

Mr. O'CONNELL then rose. He COMBINATION
was about, he said, to
address the meeting at great length, and he trusted he would
not be interrupted. He pledged himself that every tradesman
who addressed the meeting should get a patient hearing. He
rose for the purpose of proposing a series of resolutions, in
which he wished they would all concur. He congratulated
himself on the fact, that a great degree of unanimity pre-
vailed between him and the trades. He had attended in that
room for three days together, and for many hours each day,
and listened to the clear statements of many of the tradesmen.
They agreed in this,—that there was a great depression in trade,
and secondly, that trade was fading and decreasing in that city.
But they differed as to the causes of this decrease. He thought
it proceeded, in some degree, certainly not alone from the exis-
tence of illegal and unjust combination. They did not think
se. And he was there that day to maintain his position.
Well then, they agreed that trade was not in the state it ought
to be, and there were not so many men employed in Dublin
as there should be. He agreed with them also as to the fact,
that disgraceful outrages had lately occurred in this city. He
held in his hand a resolution to that effect, adopted by the
meeting of the 26th of December—enquiry into the causes and
nature of those outrages was absolutely necessary. Every
honest man would join with him in obtaining such inquiry,
and it was challenged by the resolution of the meeting in De-
cember. He had not gone to the meeting. He wished he
could have been present at it. He would be very sorry to
think that the sentiments expressed by the speakers at that
meeting were the sentiments of the majority of his fellow-
subjects, or even of the tradesmen of Dublin.—( Cheers.) He
had to complain particularly of Mr. Richardson. He hope I
he was present.—( A voice, "He is.")
Mr. O'CONNELL proceeded to say that he had been ob-
liged to get Mr. Ray to write to say that he was unable to
attend on account of sickness, and he had a right to be be-
lieved by his countrymen.—( Loud cheers.) He then read
from the report of Mr.;Richardson's speech the part where he
insinuated that he was not sick, and that he (Mr. O'Connell)
would be out next day.
Mr. RICHARDSON said he never said it as it was reported.
Mr. O'CONNELL said that was what he complained of.
Persons said behind him what they would deny before his
face.
Mr. LEVEY, who reported the speech in question in the
Register, from which Mr. O'Connell quoted it, testified its
accuracy.
The Saunders's News Letter was handed in containing a
similar report.
Mr. O'CONNELL—Mr. Richardson had a right to his poli-
tical opinions, but he, a newly created freeman, who put
him to the expense of defending a petition, had no right to
attack his character. Why was there not an honest Irishman
present who would defend him ?—(A voice, " He would not
be heard.") Mr. Patrick O'Brien was the chairman on that cc-
sion. He was sorry that he was not now present. He ( Mr.
O'Brien) would be there, it was said, only his employer
would dismiss him if he attended. That was his pretence for
not meeting bins (Mr. O'C. ) face to face.
A TRADESMAN—He would be dismissed, not for attending,
but for not being at his work. He would bring him to the meet-
ing in half an hour, however, if Mr. O'Connell desired it.
Mr. O'CONNELL observed it was clear lie could have been
there if he wished if he could be brought.—( Hear, bear. )
He was blaming Mr. O'Brien for not interrupting Richardson.
The object of the meeting was, they declared, not
to abuse him, but to defend themselves. What had
they had given the Orange press to cast at him? What had
the Times said ? Why, that he had trained up the trades to
blood, and that he was frightened at the increase of the mur-
ders, and quarrelled with them, and they therefore were angry
with him fur deserting them. The Mail, and the whole
Orange press were against him, and the name of O'Brien was a
kind ef sanction to the meeting. But the worst man that ever
Iva in Ireland, was an O'Brien not Jemmy O'Brien, but Mur-
rough O'Brien, of Inchequin, who burned 154 Friars at Cashel
'Cathedral. It was a saying " Oh, he's worse than O'Brien,"
because it was an impression that Ireland was always to be
betrayed by an O'Brien. Well, then, Mr. Patrick O'Brien
had said, perhaps, they were about to be betrayed now, like
the children of Manchester, and when he (Mr. O'Connell)
asked him what he meant, he said, he used the words because
he understood that Mr. O'Connell had seconded Sir Robert
Peel's amendment of the Factory Bill. So ignorant was he
of the whole affair—Mr. Finlay had charged him with keeping
the engraving of their notes of the National Bank from Ire-
land, and giving it to Englishman, and a voice at their
meeting exclaimed " This is the man who wants justice
for Ireland." It was because he wanted justice for Ireland
that he had done so. In looking at the tenders, he found that
the engravers undertook to give them a note that could not be
imitated—that is, that it would be too expensive to be imitated.
He found that the Company who were to get the engraving
were also to give a running guarantee of 100,0001. that the
notes could not be forged, so as to impose on the least dis-
cerning. He was asked, could he get that guarantee in Ire-
land ? And he was obliged to say that he could not ; and that
was the reason the engraving was given to an English Com-
Pany. He came to another charge made by Mr. M'Donagh,
a very able man. He had charged him with buying his car-
riage in England. The fact was, that when he was eight
Years at the bar, he could not drive his carriage. Since the
Union lie had bought five carriages, three from Hutton and
two from Cooper, and two of his daughters had bought one
each. But that would be no excuse, if he had bought one
in London. Well, his answer was, that it was a falsehood.
--(Cheers ) He always got his clothes made by his
excellent relation, Jerry M'Carthy. He even sent from
London to Dublin, when lie wanted a waistcoat; and yet such
a false charge was made against him, and behind his back ;
and this was what the Trades called vindication.---( Cheers. )
[At this time O'Brien, who had been Chairman of the former
meeting, entered the room, and was received with partial dis-
approbation. ] It was not so much indignation he felt on his
own sake, as that a person representing himself as at the head
of the Trades should calumniate him, as the representative of
that body. His ( Mr. O'Connell's) character was part of the
Property of the Irish people.—( Cheers.) He had led them
to victory. Richardson and his followers, his Orange confe-
derates, were the masters of the Catholic people once, but
now they were but their equals. In that struggle he had
Spilt no blood, if one drop of blood hes been spilt, unless, in-
deed, his own, he would have given up the struggle. The
People of Ireland would look with greater detestation
'Von combination—( Continued cheering, and cries of Hear)
that it had led them to misrepresent him when he was lying
'hint Sport his death-bed. And what had they done to compensate
. When they found he was out, and that they had spoken
falsely, had they written one line to apologise ? Not one
--(Cheers.) If they met to vindicate themselves, what had
attacks upon him to do with their defence? What had the
children of Manchester to do with their defence ?—( Cheers. )
But the people of Ireland would not respond to them.—
( Cheers, and cries of " No, no.") It was the Orangemen
in the trades who had attacked him—the Orangemen that he
had courted for four years, when he could have triumphed in
success, but they were not to be tamed. He was, however,
engaged in another experiment, in which, if he succeeded, he
Would have attained a victory that would make his name be
hailed even in England and in Ireland, whispered with delight
as
many a fond mother whispered it now to her darling child,
a the name of the friend of Ireland.—(Tremendous cheers.)
O'CONNELL then said he would submit to the meeting
1,-_ document conclusive on the subject of combination, to which
"'s entreated them to give their best attend ion.
I‘!r. Ray, the Secretary to the Meeting, then read the fol-
,._ossing letter from Air. Grimsliaw, an eminent merchant in
tielfsos
ass -....

Cl the English and Scotch printers in this market, or abandon the
business entirely. The journeymen not only refused to comply, but
induced all the apprentices to abscond; and by intimidation drew
several families from the concern, whom my brothers had brought
from Scotland to work, at similar work to that which is done by
women in their own country. What has been the consequences? Not
only the loss of a large property to my brothers, but the throw..
ing out of employment of ahout one hundred families, who were
earning about 1001. weekly, and living in comfort and content. I may
remark that, since that time the workmen came to my brother's, and,
with tears in their eyes, deplored the course they were obliged to take,
in quitting a place where they had lived from infancy, to wander they
knew not where, in search of employment ; but such was the power of
the trades, that they dare not remain ; and I do assure you that many
of those families, who little more than a year ago were living 'in much
comfort, are now wandering about in rags and in want, and would wil-
lingly now work at half their former rates. But the mischief has been
done ; the printing trade has been driven out of this part of Ireland ;
and I am ready to prove before any court of inquiry, that the main cause
of such a disaster to the country has been the interference of workmen
with the rights of employers. Often were the workmen warned of the
consequences of their folly ; but to no effect; they clung to their
darling unions, and vainly thought they could enrich workmen, when
they were ruining their employers. In this country the number of
of tradesmen being few compared to England and Scotland, the
trades are more likely to accomplish their object of dictating terms to
their employers ; but they seem quite to forget that unless they allow
employers to make some profit, that all manufacturing business in this
country must cease and be transferred to other places. Where the
number of workmen being so great and the employers so wealthy,
that an effectual stand can always be made against unreasonale
demands, and where in almost every instance illegal combina-
tion has always resulted in injuring in the first place the
employers, and in the second, in lowering the demands of the work.
people; I should rejoice to see all operatives earn sufficient to sup..
port them in comfort, for " the labourer is worthy of his hire," but
this can never be accomplished by seeking to perpetuate the old sys-
tem of monopoly—or in any way cramping the enterprise of the capi-
talist on one hand, or of the most humble aspirant to work at a
trade on the other. I regret to see by the public prints, that you
have had a severe illness, but I trust it will be of short duration;
and- that you may live long to ser, e your country, is the sincere
wish of Yours, faithfully,
ROBERT GIMISIIAW.

Daniel O'Connell, Esq.
After Mr. Grimnshaw's letter had been read, Mr. O'Cots-
NELL proceeded to correct some misreport in a Dublin paper
of a former meeting. He then said he read Mr. Grimshaw's
letter to show that one trade had been ruined by the misconduct
of the workmen. He ( Mr. O'Connell) would add that he
could produce before a Committee of the House of Com-
mons the partner in a Dublin house, who would have laid out
one million sterling in Dublin but for combination, which sum
he was forced to lay out in London and elsewhere. He was
told that persons were able to go to Glasgow, and see the
country, and save all their expenses by buying a suit of clothes
there instead of Dublin. This should not be ; it was one
cause of ruin to Dublin. Mr. Kirman, a clever stonecutter,
had a controversy with him (Mr. O'Connell), but he would
state one fact that should be a lesson to his trade—it was a
custom daily increasing to bring chimney-pieces from the city
of Armagh, instead of having them made in Dublin. The
painters, too, he must also mention, he had a fact for. He
could assure them that there were no less than six houses
in Merrion-square, being painted at the present moment by
painters from Glasgow. The Sackville Club, too, was fitted
up by ScOtch artizans. Thus the money that should enrich
the Dublin tradesmen went into the pockets of foreigners.
The ship-carpenters of Dublin should recollect that the ship-
building trade was going to Drogheda from them, though the
timber used in it had to be bought in Dublin. A man was
murdered in that trade not long since—not, he believed, by
ship-carpenters, but certainly for a breach of these rules.
Last week, several men would have been convicted for a com-
bination outrage, but that they could produce a young man to
prove an alibi; for the worst of the system was, that the inno-
cent too often suffered for the guilty, as they might have done
in this case. hi some instances employers were attacked for
using machinery, though it absolutely increased the num-
ber of persons they employed. He could quote in-
stances of the fact. But, perhaps, the best prcof of the
evils of combination to the workmen themselves he could pro-
duce was one of very recent occurrence. Mr. Fagan had built
two boats for the Ulster Canal, which were found so excel-
lent, that seven more were ordered, but he was prevented exe-
cuting the order by the men combining to raise their demand
so much as would affect the order he received to the amount
of eighty pounds. What was the consequence ? Why, the
boats were now being made at Belfast by a person of the name
of Conwick, who would have to get every stick of the timber
from Dublin. He ( Mr. O'Connell) had in his hand a docu-
ment from a house which, within the last twenty years, had
expended a sum of seventy-nine thousand seven hundred and
thirty-three pounds in wages in Dublin, and the son of the
principal partner assured him that if the tradesmen did not
give up their system of tyrannism over their employers, he would
close the establishment, and give up the trade.—(Hear,)
Mr. O'Connell, after entering at considerable length on
the subject of combination in its several bearings, concluded
by reading the following resolutions, which were after a few
words severally seconded.

I . Resolved,—That the first duty of every honest and wise
Statesman is to attend to the interest of the Operative Classes, and
to procure for them adequate remuneration for their skill, labour,
and industry ; and that we solemnly pledge ourselves to use all the
exertions in our power to attain so desirable an object for the trades-
men of Dublin.

2. Resolved--That we deprecate and condemn in the most
emphatic manner any system of terror, of violence, or of outrage,
employed either by or for the tradesmen to control their employers
to control the free circulation of labour.
3. Resolved,--That we solemnly pledge ourselves to use all legal
means in our power to terminate the system of terror, of base, in-
human, and unchristian outrages and murders perpetrated in the
City of Dublin and its vicinage. And whilst we utterly disclaim
imputing these outrages and murders to the Trades of Dublin or
any of them, we call upon every honest and conscientious trades-
man to assist us in putting down these frightful crimes.
4. Resolved,—That we deem a Parliamentary inquiry highly
useful to ascertain all the causes that affect the state of trade of the
City of Dublin injuriously to the Operative Classes ; that by means
of such inquiry all errors and misapprehensions will be detected
and exposed, and the real nature of the combinations either of em-
ployers or of workmen fully and fairly displayed.
Before the resolutions could be put, a scene of confusion
and recrimination, commenced by O'Brien, the Chairman of
the former meeting, took place, which had not concluded at
post hour (six o'clock).:

MR. SMITH O'BRIEN—COUNTY LIMERICK.
Mr. Smith O'Brien has addressed a letter to his consti-
tuents, in which he states his determination not to incur the
enormous expence consequent upon the defence of his scat ;
but that he feels so convinced of the validity of his election,
that he anticipates no unfavourable result notwithstanding.
He will rest his defence on the cross-examination of the wit-
nesses produced against him, and the evidence of the High
Sheriff of Limerick and some other gentlemen of the county
who will be present in London at the period of the investi-
gation.

EXTERMINATING SYSTEM.
Mr. Cooper, of Sligo, has caused notice to quit to be
served upon a man named Bryan Flynn, in the parish of Kil-
ross, county Sligo, for no other reason that can be conceived,
but th.t he was appointed a pacificator by the late General As-
sociation—an appointment which is an excellent evidence of
his good character. This is the way the advice of Darby
O'Grady, the exterminator, is carried into effect.

MEETING IN SLIGO. TO ADDRESS TI-FE
QUEEN.
On Saturday last a meeting was held in Sligo, to address
the Queen on her accession to the Throne. In the absence of
the High Sheriff, Sir James Crofton, Bart., J. P. D. L., was
called to the Chair; William Kely, Esq., acted as Secre-
tary. The following gentlemen were present :—Right Rev.
Dr. Burke, R. C., Bishop Sir William Parke, J. P. D. L.,
Daniel Jones, jun., J. P. D. L., Edward Howley, jun., J. P.
D.L., Gonville Bromhead, J. P., Patrick Howley, J. P., Va-
lentine Irwin, J. P., Bernard Cogan, J. P., Martin Madden,
M. I. Burke, barrister.at.law ; Andrew Kelly, sen., Andrew
Kelly, jun., James Madden, Alexander Henry, M. D., Patri, k
Murphy, John Callagher, George Fenton, James Beatty,
Thon.as Kelly, John Tucker, Esquires, and the Rev. Messrs.
O'Callaghan, P. P., Dowdican, P. P., Goodman, Kelly; Heb-
bits, Feeny, and Henry Egan, Esqrs.
• The Chairman having explained the objects of the meeting,
the first resolution was proposed by MARTIN MADDEN, Esq.,
and seconded by VALENTINE 'awls, Esq.
The second resolution, one of confidence in the Ministry,
was proposed by J. MADDEN, Esq., and seconded by P. How-
LET, Esq.
The Secretary then read the Address, Sir W. PARKA
moved its adoption by the meeting, the resolution was se-
conded by Elm/um HOWLEY, and passed unanimously.
The meeting then separated.
The Rev. H. Choirriondeley has addressed a letter to the
Editor of the Morning Register on the present state of Irish
politics, enclosing 100/. towards the O'Connell Fund for
1836.37.

1)"R Belfast, January 1, 1838.
your have read with much attention, and great satisfaction,
admonition and advice to the trades of Dublin; and I feel so
teerlyinced of the evil effects of that system of combination which in-
:: eres with the rights of labour, that should you succeedin con.
neil'g the trades of the injurious effects of their error, you will ren-
derl serveVeice to your country, by promoting her wealth, which will add
n to him to whom she owes her liberties.
10 Eh man has certainly a right to sell his labour in an open market,
highest bidder, and the law of the legislature which would fix a
tyr,,iThtn of wages, would not be more unjust than that spurious
tc,
act y, Y, which tells a workman to quit an employer because he dares
4frairBeentrary to the law of the trades in the management of his own
1 an, not immediately interested in the question, but you may, per.
have heard, that my father and my brothers have been for
u3',,,years extensively engaged at White House, in the cotton trade,
we'te Y brothers expended upwards of 30,0001. in erecting as corn.
Thea Concern in cotton printing, as any in the United Kingdom.
aYa understood their business well, were attentive to its
stitt gement, and kind and just towards their workpeople.
r,o_.tnheY could not make money— and they lived. in
ferevutel ual conflict with the workers caused by their constant inter.
1,0,17 i With the management of the busines—at one time objecting to
amrn eeejunction with machinery—at another time to the number
sva„._l_ rees, and above all, compelling them to pay the same rate of
1v,6"%t the botch, that they paid to the good workman—frequently
eould
oansi imperfect, and when them iserable man was dismissed, they
when,„ employ such hands as belonged to the trade. Occasionally,
1)10a,,, ‘,y brothers asserted their just rights of employing whom they
,vould ' the men of the trades would immediately strike work, and
leidation°t Only leave the concern themselves, but by bribery and inti.
At 10,11,_Ib'ee off ap rertices and others who bad taken their places.
,114,0-0-gt'l the systemP of tyranny became not only intolerable, but
fore.4.---and they determined to make a stand against it. They there.
Pow4gave their workmen notice, that they must either have
t°
manage their business according to their own views, so asthe to

THE SUN, LONDON, WEl:ilk/ES DA Y, JANUARY 10, 1838