The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-23 00:00:00

ebming *"11t11'.

LONDON, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1849.

After the magnificent reception given by the in-
habitants of Malta, on the 10th instant, to his Excel-
lency the Right Hon. RICUARD Mona OTERRALL,
Governor and Commander-in-Chief of that island
and its dependencies, we question very much whether
his calumniators will have the temerity to renew
their misrepresentations of his character and their
aspersions upon his government. It must be suffi-
ciently manifest to every unprejudiced observer that
all those stories which have been so vociferously
repeated of late by a certain portion of our contempo
raries are nothing more than imaginary, are nothing
less than fabrications. We allude, of course, to the
preposterous tales accusing him of we know
not what cruelty and injustice. His as-
sailants will find that their voices are inaudible
above so much genuine and spontaneous enthusiasm,
and that their shafts of vituperation will find consi-
derable difficulty in penetrating through his shield of
popularity. Nothing could have afforded deeper
consolation to his Excellency than the affectionate
ardour with which he was welcomed back by all
classes among the Maltese to the scene of his admi-
nistration. From the moment when he stepped from
the deck of the Euxine to the quay fronting the
Pinto M3gazinee, until his entrance into his palace of
Valetta, Mr. O'FaaaALL, as Governor of Malta and
its dependencies, appears to have been greeted by
the mist cordial acclamations. Ms passage through
the streets, according to the Maltese news-
papers, must have borne rather the appearance
of an ovation than of the recepti on given to a civil
administrator. And we doubt not but that a more
genial tone of earnestness was imparted to the feli-
citations of the multitude by the very recollection of
the abuse to which the name of their principal ruler
had been recently and undeservedly subjected. As
will be seen from the narrative of these interesting
festivities, published elsewhere in this evening's im-
pression, the welcome received by his Excellency was
not restricted to the shouts of the people as he first
travers©d the city in the carriage of Sir AGOSTINO
PORTELLI, illuminations, and other marks of
rejoicing being aided on the following Monday,

in order the better to celebrate the occasion

of his arrival. Scarcely anything further, however,
would have been requisite to evidence the estimation
in N, hick Mr. OTERRALL is held by the Maltese than
the number, the respectability, and the enthusiasm of
the individuals who attended his levee on that morn-

ing. A glance at the different addresses presented to
the Governor by deputations from the more important
divisions of the community, would be amply sufficient
of itself to assure the Cabinet that they have not un-
wisely stleotcci his Excf-Ilency as the representative
of the SOVEREIGN. From the address of the Chamber
of Commerce he is assured of" the feelings of satisfac-
tion with which they hail his return," the document
concluding with the hope that he " may
long continue to direct the Government of this island,
to witness its increasir,g prosperity, and to be re-
warded by the increasing confidence and affection of
its inhabitants." From the resident and practising
barristers he receives an equally cordial assurance of
congrntulation, their address expressing very dis-
tinctly the pleasure with which the legal body join
the rest of the population in evidencing their satisfac-

tion at his happy return, assuring him, moreover, that
they perform a grateful duty in offering to him their
earnest felicitations as a homage of the high esteem
and respectful attachment with which they are pene-
trated towards the person of
.his Excellency, " un
grato duvere di offerirle, distintamente, le loro
sincere felicitazioni, come un ommaggio dell'
alta stima e del ri3pettoso attaccamento, onde
sono penetrati verso IA persona di Vostra
Eccellenzi." In a similar strain of emphasis

the Agrarian Society approaches Mr. O'FERRALL
with the declaration of its profound gratitude, " di
sus profonda gratitudine." Such also, it appears
from the statement made i❑ the Maltese journals,
was the language of affectionate regard and implicit
confidence with which his Excellency the Governor
was greeted at a levee, where all ranks and classes
were unanimous in their attendance.
Towards evening, the welcome accorded to the
Eight Hon. Ric HARD O'FERRALL assumed a different
aspect in illuminations, fireworks, and that peculiarly
Italian mark of rejoicing, a serenade. An English
Ode, an Italian Sonnet, and a Latin Sapphic expressed
in poetry those emotions which had been inadequately
articulated in prose ; and the tokens of loyalty to the
QUEEN blending with those of attachment to her
representative constituted, towards the conclusion of

the fete, not the least gratifying portion of the celebra-
tion. After this it cannot surely be again insinuated
that Mr. O'FERRALL is alike unfitted for his high
position by his administrative harshess and his personal
unpopularity. Of his popularity we conceive there
cannot IQ henceforth a moment's doubt ; neither does
it appear to us at all compatible with our proper estima-
tion of the character of so many respectable and honour-
able individuals as those forming the inhabitants of
Malta and its dependencies, to question for one instant
whether or not the acts of cruelty and injustice im-
puted to his Excellency may be founded in reality.
Of these imputations we can only say, that to us their
total want of veracity would be sufficiently demon-
strated by the indisputable popularity of the Governor
of Malta, and by the remarkable enthusiasm of his
reception. After all that has occurred we do not
hesitate to regard the stories told by the opponents of
his Excellency as shameful fabrications, or, at the
vvery least, as grievous and wilful exaggerations.
No further doubt can be entertained that the course
pursued by the local authorities, in obedieuce to bis in •
StrUctious, was of all courses the most rational and judi- 1

cious, any mosg than it can be questioned one instant
lon 7-svhWner it was a course satisfactory to the popula-
tion. Henceforth Mr. O'FERRALL stands altogether ac-
quitted from the monstrous charges laid to his account.
The vouchers for his integrity and his humanity, for
the wisdom of his policy and the benevolence of his
Government are—the whole body of the inhabitants
of Malta and its dependencies. The fact of his
cordial and even enthusiastic welcome on the occasion
of his return to his palace of Valetta can be no less
consolatory to himself, under the pain of so many
recent aspersions, than it must be peculiarly satisfac-
tory to those members of the Cabinet who have
supported him in the midst of these obloquies and
vituperations. Whatever has transpired in regard
to his administration of the Maltese Government, so
far from conducing to his degradation in the eyes of
his fellow-countrymen, as was no doubt earnestly
desired by his calumniators, has only tended in a very
striking manner to enhance his high and honourable
reputation.

*** As an interesting evidence of the feeling of the
Maltese towards his Excellency their Governor, we Iran•
scribe the following graceful verses—penned by some
anonymous sonneteer in celebration of his return to the
scat of Government:—

EITORNANDO ♦LLA BEDE DEL WO GoVERNO
S. E. it Molto Ooorabile
RICHARD MORE O'FERItALL
i Multesi in testimonianza di loro compiucimento.

SONETTO.
Quale amante pastor Lorna al suo grcgge
Tat torni, o &slaw, a questi lidi . .
Volgi ii solito sguardo e poi decidi
Se it cor ti halal, o se trauquillo regge.
Vedi ii popolo tutto, cni protegge
It tuo prudente oprar, come in to fidi I
E se in taluni scorgi che si annidi
Basso pensier, son pochi e non dan legge.
Peri) siccome it aol luce per tutti
Cosi coi mold allegri i poelti triad
Del tuo paterno smor godranno i frutti.
NI sia lontan che tutti gli avrem 'clad
Plaudir insieme al fortunato giorno
In cui facesti in mezzo a not ritorne.

The Ode preTiously alluded to was the effu-ion of Dr.
G. A. VassElio, and the Latin Sapphic( of the ROY. J.
Zsmmit.

The long and loudly proclaimed " Aggregate
Meeting of Irish Nationalists" has just come off, at
the Music Hall, Lower Abbey-street; and the old
fable of the- mountain and the mouse never appeared
more appropriately illustrated than on that occasion.
There was an entire absence of the wealth, and rank,
and station of the country—not oae nobleman, not
one dignitary of any church, not one representative
of the Irish people, not one merchant of eminence,
graced this much-trumpeted national convention. It
would appear to have been chiefly composed of young
barristers and attorneys, a few corporators, and a
small sprinkling of doctors. The chair was occupied
by Dr. GRATTAN, on the motion of Dr. CAROLAN.
The gentlemen of the Bar were contented with the
second post of honour, the secretaries being selected
from that body, in the persons of Messrs. STEITCU,
FITZGERALD, and LETZcE.

One of the secretaries announced that the requisi-
tion calling the meeting was signed by " eighty
dignitaries of the Catholic Church, by 22 of the
regular clergy and 110 curates, by 120 magistrates,
landed proprietors, corporators, and poor-law guar-
dians, by 200 members of the learned professions, 700
landholders and farmers, and by 900 merchants,
traders, and artizans." Never, however, was such an
array of dignity and wealth and talent so feebly
represented. The speech-lovers and sight-seers of
the metropolis must hive been sadly disappointed—
not one Bishop, not one Lord, even a Lord Mayor,
to be seen. Are we to look upon this failure as a
healthy sign of the country ? Is it that the thinking
and influential portion of the Irish community
are utterly sick of the stage trick of agi-
tation, and are about to turn their; attention
to the redresss of the real grievances of
the country ? We trust it is so ; for in
this meeting we see little else thin the repetition of
that wild declamation which led to the fatal results of
last year. There was no practical plan adopted for
the amelioration of the country ; no practical remedy
pointed out for any of her many and great grievances.
The whole affair eventuated in a few speeches and the
formation of a new society, the object and rules of
which will be found in the following resolutions :

"Resolved,—That an aaseciation to be called The
Irish Alliance,' shall be now formed, to take the most
prompt and r ff:ctive measures for the protection of the
iives and interests of the Irish people, and the attainment
of their national rights, and that these be the funda-
mental rules."