The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-25 00:00:00

MEETING AT LEEDS.

LEEDS, SATURDAY MORNING.--I send with this letter
an account of the proceedings yesterday, and in which it
will be found that Mr. O'Connell took a very prominent
part. Mr. O'Connell did not arrive until about twelve
o'clock ; and he has, it will be seen, explained the reason
why he was not able to attend at the great meeting of the
preceding day. From what has since occurred, I have rea-
son to believe that, had he bean at Marshall's mill on
Thursday, he would have been heard, and this notwith-
standing all the cifirts of Mr. F, O'Connor and his fol-
lowers to excite a prejudice against him. As far as I
could observe, there was not only the greatest anxiety to
see him, but, when be was recognized, to applaud him.
I have often been present when he addressed public meet-
ings in Ireland, and I can say that I never witnessed a
more enthusiastic reception than that which he obtained
yesterday evening, nor did I ever before hear hi 3 opi-
along more attentively listened to, nor more warmly re-
sponded to.
OPENING OF ST. ANN'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL.
This handsome building was opened for the purposes of
education by a publia breakfast, which took place at eleven
o'clock in the School Room. A considerable number of
highly respectable ladies and gentlemen were present.
Mr. O'CONNELL entered the School-roma at half-past
twelve o'clock, and was received with the most enthusiastic
plaudits. He was led to the table at the top of the room,
and on coming beside the Chairman he said :—Befora he
took his scat he should make an apology to the ladies and
gentlemen present for not having arrived as soon as he had
promised ; but the delay was inevitable, and could not be
attributable to any fault of his. Ho loft Belfast for Port
Patrick at an early hour on Wednesday morning, so as. to
arrive at Carlisle that night ; but owing to- a blunder,. en
that side of the channel, he was delayed upwards of five
hours. The harbours of Port Patrick cost the public
about 25 0001., and yet such was the want of proper ar-
rangement there, that he was delayed for the period stated,
before he could get his carriage landed. Then another
casualty that beret him was one of the post-horses he had
engaged falling dead on the road, and by that means he
xas again delayed for some hours; but such was his
anxiety to reach Leeds in time for the present occasion,
hat he travelled all right, and appeared be ore them in
,ach a trim as he would be ashamed of under any other
circumstances.

611- Ethva, d Vavasour, Mr. Walmsley, Mr. O'Connell,
and Mr. Roebuck, severally addressed the meeting, but
we regret that we have not space for a report of their
speeches.

LEEDS REFORM ASSOCIATION PUBLIC

DINNER,

In the evening there was a public dinner in the Music
Uhl!, of the members of the Leeds Parliamentary Reform
Association. Mr. Marshall, the gentleman who presided
at the meeting of the evening before, took the chair. He
was supported by Mr. O'Connell, Mr. Hume, Mr. Roe-
buck, Mr. Sharman Crawford, Mr. Ross, of Rosbcrcorn,
Mr. Gully, Colonel Thompson, Dr. Smiles, of the Leeds
Times, and other gentlemen. Upon the cloth being re-
moved, the usual toasts were given, and the Chairman pro.
posed " the People," to which toast he called on Mr-
O'Connell to speak.
Mr. O'CovsNELL here rose, and was received with enthu-
siastic cheers, which were continued for several minutes.
Upon two or three occasions it seemed as if the applause
were about to subside, when it was again renewod as if it
were with increased vigour. At length silence was ob-
tained, and he proceeded to say ; Perhaplyou know that I
have successfully led one portion of the people in esta-
blishing the sacred principle of freedom of conscience ;
and although I have not the paltry vanity to say here that
I and fitted to be the leader of the entire and aggregate
population, yet still I am perfectly ready to contribute my
mite, to assist and to join with the remainder of the people
of this realm is attaining that other sacred principle,
in the establishment of civil liberty.—(Cheers.) If
one considers the present situation of the nations
of Europe and civilised America, I think that he
will see much reason for consolation, and a great
deal to excite his hopes in his farther efforts to
establish the principles of civil freedom by the establish-
ment of democratic liberty.—( Hear.) We are, to be
sure, in a state of transition. There is a great moral move-
ment abroad. Freedom has already made a rapid ad-
vance—it presses forward ; and continually it gains ground.
Even durieg the period of my own existence, what mighty
changes have taken place, and all favourable to human Is.
berty.—( Hear, hear.) When I first came into existence,
France was groaning under a despicable despotism—it was
a despotism in which the people were nothing—the nobi-
lity and the gentry everything. There wore the lords and
the gentry—the people were bound to obey their order—
the gentry were exempted with the nobility, while the
taxes and the entire burdens of the State were borne by
the French people. Look, then, at Spain—it was still
in a worse state ; for, to the horrors of French despotism,
there were to be added the horrors of the super-
annuated but still existing Inquisition.— (Hear, bear.)
So, too, it was with Portugal—there the same misery ex-
isted, and there the same abusls prevailed. But
what, then, was the state of Gerthany ? There the

feudal system prevailed throughout. That, then, was the
state of Europe—of continental Europe; while as to Eng-
and, notwithstanding the value of its ancient constitution,
it was found to be corrupted by a profligate and borough-
mongering Parliament—and, pardon me fur saying it, for I
speak on behalf of and to the people—and a brutal tyrant
George the Third—(Cheers)--who was enabled to carry
on a war against his owe subjects, to the shame and con-
demnation of his monarchy, at the expense of the blood of
millions of his subjects, and by the creation of a debt which
b England has been a source of much embarrassment,
which encumbers her with its weight, and diminishes
much of the energies of her people.—( Hear.) Let me
look now beyond the Atlantic. There were thirteen dis-
united provinces, each of which was a pitiful and fretting
province—( Hear, hear, hear)—in which the nominee of
a boroughmonger might exhibit his power, or gra-
tify his avarice, and where none but those whom he selected
could fill situations amon;st a people that were taxed, but
not represented;—(Cheers)—until at length their
situation became too horrible to be borne, and

the,sons that England had given to those provinces be-
gan the movement, and it was the first groat movement
fur democratic liberty—and it was, blessed be Heaven ! a
successful movement:—(Cheer:). Then it was that those
provinces became, from being the slaves of their former
masters, themselves the masters of their own destiny.—
(Cheers.) We rejoice that their's is a free—is a responsi-
ble Government; and while we do rejoice in their success,
still we cannot conceal that there exists among them one
gross—one crying evil—there is upon their escutcheon:one
black, one degrading spot—it is that in their States com-
plexion is made a crime, and slavery is branded-upon a
human being because his skin is of a diffrent colour.
While we appinude their success, while we sympathise in it,
still we and every honest man must execrate that system
which oppresses our fellow men, and that tramples upon
their rights, in the persons of our black fellow Christians.
—( Cheers.) Como then, with me to Europe, and you
find in Portugal a representative system—you find in Spain
representation, and I trust that there the people are settling
down into r..tional liberty.—( Cheers.) You find, too, in
Germany many representative Parliaments, and all the
residue of Germany is insisting for the same, and their
demands for liberty will never be gratified until they have
free Parliaments. The transition, too, in England has
been great. Gatton and Sarum have bests struck out of
the representation. Leeds and Manchester have been
aided to it.—( Hear, hear ) But do not mistake me. I
do not say that all that has been done here has been well
done. Far from it. But I want to show you that the
movement has been in the right direction. 1 look to it as
the increasing tide of popular power—that as the tide has
been running in, it has covered up more and more of the
shore—that it has flowed over more and mere of that
which has been dry, barren, bare, and useless—that it
advances day by day, until at length the ark of human
liberty can float securely into the harbour of human hap.
piness.—( Loud cheering.) It is, then, our duty to aid
in forwarding the march of the democratic principle.
Teat is the duty of every honest man—that is the first
duty of every patriotic man. Yes, this is our duty, and
when we come to the practical performance of it, at this
time, we see what has been done by our Saxon ancestors,
or rather, I should say, by your Saxon ancestors—( Laugh-
ter)—for I am ready to take a legacy, although I do not
claim in descant—( Leughter)—but. they have left in
noble skeleton cf the most rationallt free Constitution a
the world. It is theoretically defective ; but of great
practical utility, if the people of England were really re-
presented—if there were not a class representation—then
the House of Commons would become too formidable for
the silken Lords of the present day • as the people
were found to be too formidable for the iron Lords of
former periuds.—( Cheers.) Yes, the British Constitution
possess elements of liberty as extensive as they are useful,
and representation has been burdensome only because the
people have not had the benefit of the Constitution. The
very fixity of the Crown takes away from lawless ambition
the greatest prize in human life. And,lwith all our love
for America, we must admit that, although her contests
for the rulership are attended with no loss of life, yet it
creates such dissensions, and is the cause of so much un-
happiness, that even though wo thought it right that there
should be such an election, still I must be allowed to say
that I look with respect to the wisdom which devised the
fixity of the sovereignty, and by that means gave secu-
rity to every family in the country.—([lear.) I candidly
confess to you, however, that your House of Lords are no
favourites of mine. Blame me, if you Cheers and
laughter.) But here I?m ready to receive your censure,
if you differ from me.—( Hear, bear.) What I complain of
most, with respect to them, is this—that while we leave to
them their privileges, they wish not to give to the people the
full enjoyment of their franchise ; and the duty that I call
upon you to perfcrm is this, that while you leave to the
Lords their privileges, you must take care that the people
—that every one of them—shall have his franchise.—
(Cheers.) I am, therefore, one of the advocates for the
Government project. I call, thou, on the behalf of the
movement, fur these things. I demand, in the first in-
stance, that there be no property qualification for yotu
representatives.—( Hear, hear, hear.) We lawyers are
fond of quoting a precedent. In Scotland there is no pro-
perty qualification for a representative, and they are as
shrewd a people as any in the empire—(Laughter)—as
well able, too, to take care of themselves—(Laughter)—
and, having made that allusion, let me say, as well able to
take care of others—( Hear)—end to take care also of the
public purse (I do not exaggerate) as if it were their own
private money. And I flatter myself that is no small
eulogium for a Member of Parliament. I give you
the Scotch precedent, owl WM come to Ireland.—,