The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-16 00:00:00

and sectarian interests. Mr. Hamilton made a very able
speech, dwelt on the necessity of " first," and above all
things, to bring food for the people, " to save," to use their
own expressive words, " such of the people as can yet be
saved."

Mr. O'CONNELL rose to second the resolution. He was
greeted with loud and repeated cheers. He expressed his
full concurrence in all that fell from Mr. Hamilton. He, too,
was for the formation of a neutral but united Irish party.
No compromise of any principle by any man, but a vow
by all to unite for the salvation of the people and the
permanent interests of Ireland. He drelt with his wonted
force upon the terrible calamity that spread itself over
the land—death was the first enemy they had to en•
counter; and for this purpose they should unite to compel
the Government, at any cost of money, to save the lives of
the people by procuring immediate and abundant supplies of
food for them. All other objects were but ancillary to that
great end.—(Loud cheering followed this.) Food, then, was
the first object.—(Cheering again.) He then commented on
the calumny of the Times against the gentry and people of
Ireland. His caustic remarks of the insolent attacks of the
Irish nation were heard with loud plaudits. He eulogised the
gentry and clergy of all sects—invoked a blessing on the
new Irish Union, and pledged himself to full and cordial
co-operation, forgetful of men's differences, mindful only of
Ireland and her interests. (The Liberator resumed his seat
amid loud and repeated cheering from all parts of the room.)
The resolution was carried nnanimously, and with repeated
plaudits.
Mr. C. DILLON, of Fermoy, spoke to the resolution, eulo-
gised the committee, and referred to the unanimity of 'B2 as
an example of what might be now done.
Mr. B. OSBORNE was of opinion that the meeting should
look to food as the first object to be sought for by the union.
—(Cheers.) He wished to know whether that meeting
would authorise the Irish members and English members,
such as himself, to propose an amendment to the address in
case ministers refused to supply food to the people.—(Tre-
mendous cheering) He was a supporter of this Government,
but he was a more ardent supporter of the right of the Irish
people to live.—(Repeated plaudits which- continued several
minutes.) No minister ought to be permitted to hold office
who would not at once feed the people, and this an united
party could do.—(Repeated cheers.)
Mr. MONSELL, of Tervo, observed that the reception given
to the suggestion plainly showed the feeling of the Irish gen-
try as to the great immediate object—food, and the necessity
of forcing the Government to do its duty. If Mr. Osborne
put a motion to that effect, it would, beyond question, be
carried with almost perfect unanimity, ;but he would suggest
that the determination of the course to be taken in Parlia-
ment be left to the men who formed the Irish Parliamentary
Party—(Cheers)—in them they had confidence, and to them
it would be safe to leave the decision.

The Earl of ERNE proposed the next resolution; it was as
follows :
" That before and beyond all other considerations is the
salvation of the lives of the people; and we therefore deem it
our solemn duty—the present system having signally failed
—to call upon the Government in the most imperative terms
to take such measures as will secure local supplies of food
sufficient to keep the people alive, and to sacrifice any quan-
tity of money that may be necessary to attain the object, de-
claring, as we do, that any neglect or delay in that matter
will render the Government responsible for the safety of the
people of Ireland, who must perish in multitudes unless sup-
plied with food.
"That as the people of this country are suffering from a
most extraordinary and incalculably extensive deficiency in
the stock of food ,we farther call upon the Government to
remove all artificial impediments to the supply of that defi-
ciency, by the temporary suspension of the navigation laws
and the duties on the importation of corn, and also to give in-
creased facilities to that navigation, by permitting such ves-
sels of her Majesty's navy as can be spared to be employed
in the transport of provisions.
" That we consider it would be most desirable that the
unrestricted use of sugar and molasses in our breweries and
distilleries should be permitted, under existing circumstances,
in order to save for the more useful purposes a portion of the
grain now used in those establishments.
" That we recommend that relief committees should be
allowed to sell food under first cost to the destitute in their
respective neighbourhoods, and that their doing so should not
disentitle them to Government contributions in aid of their
funds."

The reading of these resolutions was received with loud
cheers. The Noble Earl pledged himself to support the
Irish party if that party would seek food for the people.—
(Cheers.) Unity now was essential, and if the country was
to be saved, it was by union alone it could be done.
Colonel DUNNE, D.L., seconded the resolution. The
people should have food. He was a political supporter of
the Government, but there was a greater and a better party
for which they should first work—their country.—(Cheers.)
Mr. WALKER, ex-M.P. for Wexford, supported the resolu-
tion. Wexford, the richest county in Ireland, was reduced
to the common level of the most distressed parts of Ireland.
The west were without food—Wexford was without food too.
The Government should import—they should make grants
to the country to relieve it from'its difficulty; the people
should be turned to the culture of the land to sure a crop
for next year.—(Cheers.) But meantime they should be
fed.— (Cheers.) They could not work the land if they were
not fed, and they had no food unless the Government did its
duty and gave up its false theories.—(Cheers.)
The resolution was then put and carried.

Lord BEI:NARD, M.P., proposed the third resolution as
follows .

"That we have heard with alarm and regret, that in many
districts in Ireland the usual extent of land has not been
prepared, and cannot be prepared, for cultivation, owing to
the poverty of the occupants, and consequently will be waste
during the ensuing year; and while we confidently rely on
the exertions of the landed proprietors to protect this coun-
try from the great evils which must follow from such a neg
lect, we cannot avoid calling the special attention of Govern
ment to the alarming reports which have reached us on this
important subject.
" That it is an ascertained fact, that the supply of seed in
this country will be deficient, and to meet this evil we
earnestly recommend that seed depots be established by
Government."

.lea Liln_
npolro Irr;th rn.cola o.a...eta:boo,* Am ‘1.4.0 c.k.se• ..r
tion in his county (Cork), and regarded it as a most falla-
cious principle of political economy, as it was called, that
the people of the district of Bantry, who could boast of two
of the most capacious harbours in the world, would not be
allowed, in consequence of the operation of this principle, to
ship from any country a sufficiency of food for the starving
population.
Mr. WYNNE, of Hazzlewood, in seconding the resolution,
said he though the people of England had not a just or cor-
rect idea of the extent of the distress in this country. He
fully concurred in the resolution, that the Labour-rate Act
was not suited to the condition of the country, ; and that
measures should be taken to supply the people with food,
and to enable them to cultivate the ground.
Lord FARNHAM proposed the next resolution. He said
no man in the country was more proud of the present
meeting than his Lordship.—(Cheers.) He said the people
had not seed, nor, was it in the country, had they even the
money to purchase it. In his county (Cavan) there were
27,000 men on the public works, yet the most unexampled
distress prevailed in the whole county. lie feared that the
next year would be worse.—(llear, hear.) lie was most
anxious to put an end to party and dissension, and com-
bine all parties in one compact body, for the good of Ire-
land.—(Loud cheers. )
" That while we affirm that it is the clear and paramount
duty of the State to take care that provision he made for
the destitute, we regret that the means hitherto adopted for
that purpose have, on the one hand, proved incommensurate
with the evil; and, on the other hand, have induced the ex-
penditure of vast sums of money upon useless or pernicious
works.
"That this most wasteful expenditure, tending, as it does,
to diminish our resources, and to increase the probabilities of
future famine, has not been the result of neglect on the part
of the resident proprietors of Ireland, but of an impolitic
and pernicious law, which they have been compelled to carry
into effect, notwithstanding repeated protests to the contrary.
" That though entirely acquiescing in the justice of im-
posing upon the land the repayment of all money advanced
for reproductive purposes, we solemnly protest, in the name
of the owners and occupiers of land in Irelanc, against the
principle of charging exclusively on their property, the
money which they have been forced to waste on unproductive
woi ks.
"That the destruction of the staple food of millions of our
fellow subjects cannot be considered in any other light than
that of an imperial calamity; and we claim it as our right,
that the burden arising Irons it, so far as it has boen ex-
pended on unproductive works, shall fall on the empire at
large, and not be thrown upon Ireland alone, much less upon
those classes in Ireland which have suffered most severely
from it.
"That though considering the present Labour Rate Act
as a most mischievous measure, to be laid aside whenever
a better system can be introduced, yet in order to prevent
the continuance of the present waste of money, we call
upon the Legislature to amend that Act, by enabling such
proprietor to take upon himself his proportion of the
baronial assessment, to be expended in reproductive works
upon his own property, and thereby to discharge himself
from any further taxation in respect to that particular
assessment ; and that the objects to which this taxation
shall be applied, should be extended to all permanent im-
provements of the land."
Several other speakers addressed the meeting, and at half-
past five adjourned.

COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON INTELLIGENCE.
MONUMENT TO THE LATE EARL OF YARBOROUGH.—
The subscriptions at the Royal Squadron House amount
to 6741. Ils.; this is independent of those at Ryde, and
also at the London bankers.
A special meeting of the members of the squadron is
called at the Thatched House Tavern for Wednesday
next, the 20th inst., at noon, on business connected with
the election of a new Commodore.
The Vice-Commodore's yacht is in a very forward
state, and is expected to be afloat in May. She is con-
sidered one of the most beautiful models that even the
Whites have constructed. She promises to be a regular
clipper • she will be brig rigged, and is 380 tons.
The fate Commodore's yatch, the Kestrel, which has
been' purchased into the navy, has been taken off the
mud here, and towed by the Echo steamer to Portsmouth,
to be fitted and armed. There are now only 22 yachts
here.

FRENCH PLAYS—ST. JAMES.
La Dame de St. Tropez, which on its first production
at this theatre, during the last engagement of M. F. Le-
maitre, excited such thrilling interest, was performed for
the first time this season last evening. Frederic Lemaitre
being, of course, the George Maurice. His George
Maurice is a superb piece of acting, and it really last
evening seemed to be even more powerful and effective
than it appeared two seasons ago. The drama is most
artistically constructed, and the last scene is the cli-
max. In that last scene how painfully true to nature is
the acting of Frederic Lemaitre. His dying scene is the
most affecting thing on the stage. He was admirably
supported by Mademoiselle Clarisse as Hortense, by Du-
b y Cartigny as the Notary. The house was crowde.

The various ornamental woods lately brought from
New Zealand surpass every thing of the kind known to
the cabinet-maker of this country. The company have
certainly shown, through Mr. Seveir, a very intelligent
German, who was a settler at Wellington, not only the
extraordinary rarity and beauty of these woods, but to
what elegant purposes they may be applied. A visit of
inspection to the New Zealand Company's House in
Broad-street will amply repay the curious in the
natural produce of this island.
OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.—At the close of the
last session it was fully expected that the new House of
Lords would have been ready fur the reception of their Lord-
ships at their next meeting; but, although that House is in
a very considerable state of forwardness, her Majesty will
once more, and in all probability for the last time, address her
faithful Parliament on Tuesday next from the throne in the
present House of Lords.