The Sun.
London, England, 1840-04-16 00:00:00

IRELAND.

GREAT MEETING —Shortly after two o'clock on Tues-
day, there was a numerous and highly respectable meet-
ing at the Corn Exchange, Dublin. It was called by
Mr. O'Connell, in order that arrangements might be
made "for an aggregate meeting of the Citizens of
Dublin. en Easter Monday, in order to petition against
Lord Stanley's Bill, intended for the destruction of the
constituency of Ireland." Mr. O'Connell addressed the
meeting at great length, on the subject of the subjoined
Resolutions which were unanimously adopted:—
Resolved—That it is now admitted, even by Lord Stanley
himself, that the object of his Bill is the profligate one of
destroying the franchise in Ireland, and placing the repre-
sentation in the hands of the landlord,, thus repealing for
Ireland, not only the Reform Act directly, but by inevitable
consequence, the Emancipation Act—and that under the
peculiar circumstances in which that active and able enemy
of Ireland has taken up the subject, it is imperatively ne-
cessary that all the Liberal portion of Ireland should,
without any delay, rouse itself into legal and constitu-
tional opposition, and prepare and present petitions to
Parliament, in the strongest terms consistent with respect,
deprecating and denouncing the scorpion attempt to injure
and degrade Ireland.
Resolved—That we do therefore recommend the hold-
ing of provincial meetings, one in each of the four pro-
vinces of Ireland, on as early a day as may be convenient,
and that the meeting for the province of .Leins.ter be held
in Dublin on Monday next.
Resolved—That we also strongly recommend meetings
in every county, city, town, and parish in Ireland to pre-
pare and present petitions to oppose and denounce the
scorpion Bill now before the House of Commons ; and
We recommend that each district should adopt a form of
petition for itself, respectful in terms, but strong and firm
in sentiment.

.....
Resolved—That the increased experience of the mode
of working the registration in Ireland has practically
shown to those who have heretofore concurred in some
of the alterations suggested by the Scorpion Bill, that it
would be impossible to prevent the destruction of the
constituency by any such measure; we, therefore, emphati-
cally call for an unanimous and universal expression of dis-
approbation of that Bill.
Resolved—That a Committee be appointed to find a
proper plate, and make arrangement for the aggregate
meeting of the province of Lcinster, on Monday next,
and to send out circulars and take all other necessary
means to facilitate accommodation and attendance.
Resolved—That we do also recommend that an aggre-
gate meeting of the Liberals in Ireland be held in Dub-
lin, on or about May 1, or upon some other day before
May 4 ; such day to be fixed by the provincial meetings,
in order to send over to London a sufficient number of
persons to reuse the attention of the English Reformers to
the envenomed blow made upon Irish franchises by Stan-
ley's Bill, and to concert the best means of procuring its
defeat.

Mr. DRUNINIOND. —We have to state, and with deep re.
Bret, that Mr. Drummond, the Under Secretary, lies yer
dangerously ill at his Lodge, in the Park.—Dublin Even.
illy Post of Tuesday.

THE REV. Mn. NPCAUL.—The extraordinary circum-
stances connected with the prosecution of this Rev. Gen-
tleman, who is a Catholic curate in the county of Fer-
managh, must be fresh in the recollection of our readers.
His conviction afforded a very remarkable illustration of
the Jury system in Fermanagh. A Jury of that county,
despite of the entire weight of probability in the evidence
—despite of the authority of the almanack bearing upon
that evidence—and, we may add also, of the charge of
the presiding Judge, Baron Penuefather—found him
guilty of a totally unprovoked assault, and the Rev. Gen-
tleman was, in consequence, sentenced to a term of im-
prisonment, and the payment of a fine of 501.
So far as incarceration was concerned, the Rev. Mr.
M'Caul has suffered the full penalty of his sentence; but
we are happy to announce that the Lord Lieutenant has
comstuted the fine from 501. to 405., and the Rev. Gen-
tleman has been, in consequence, released from the gaol
of Enniskillen, where, if the pecuniary penalty had not
been remitted, his imprisonment might have extended to
the end of the year. —1 bid.
Inisit DESERTERS.—REPEAL.—In the Dublin Evening
Post of Tuesday, after some not very complimentary com-
ments on Sir Wm. Brabazon and the defence that Hon,
Gentleman has put forth, the following remarks are found:—
" But Major Macnamara has been also absent—and no
apology has been offered. On looking through the lifts
we find other defaulters, whose names we are very much
distressed to find there. We shall not name them. We
do not wish to be personal in regard to gentlemen with
whom we have an acquaintance. But this ne will say,
that if such lapses be repeated, the sooner they make up
their minds to retire from Parliament the better it will be
for their own peace of mind and their respectability as gen-
tlemen.
6' We arc on the eve, we apprehend, of a very fierce, if

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not protracted, struggle—certainly, on the threshold of
a very lively and embarrassing Agitation. We regret
the necessity which forces the people on this course.
We arc not blind to its inconveniences, nor deaf to the
arguments of those who deprecate it. But, really, ac can-
not conceal from ourselves that, deserted as the people
of Ireland have been by their Representatives, they are
left without an alternative. They cannot lie down to be
trampled upon by Lord Stanley, the Irish Orangemen,
and the English Tories. Mr. O'Connell threatens to
raise the Repeal Cry—we regret this dotermination of the
lion. Gentleman, sse need not say; but, we should de-
ceive our readers, particularly in England, if we under•
rated the importance of this movement, or pretended to
describe it as a mere temporary expedient."
Loki) STANLEY'S BlLL.—Great meeting's have already
been held in several parts of the country, for the purpose
of petitioning Parliament on Lord Stanley's Bill. Others
arc in progress. In the City of Cork the petition adopted
against th pernicious I reposition of my Lord's Bill has
already received 7,000 signatures. Despite Colonel
Gere,,Mayo will meet.

SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY,

EXETER HALL.

The Messiah, with the additional accompaniments for
the wind instruments, written by Mozart., I.N as last night
performed by this Society with their accustomed strength
in the orchestra and chorus, but with less than their usual
amount of telent in the singers, who were Miss Birch, Miss
Lucombe, Miss Hawes, Mr. Harr:son, Mr. Leffler, and Mr.
Novelle', Although this best and greatest of all Hendel's
works is the musical text-book of the numerous members
of the Sacred Harmonic Society, by whom every one of
its bars is as well known as the alphabet of their own lan-
guage, its performance last night was anything but per-
fect. The conductor's baton was continually at work upon
the desk, and both he and the leader had frequently great
difficulty in keeping the mass well together. When Saul was
produced, a great part o,! which was entirely new to both
' singers and orchestra, its execution was faultless; but, on
the present occasion, an oratorio which ought absolutely to
be known by heart, in consequence of its frequent per-
formance, was, in many instances, executed in a slovenly
manner, for which there cannot be theshadow of an excuse.
This was particularly perceptible in the first chorus, " And
the glory," which at one time was in danger of ending in
confusion. Many of the other choruses were, however,
given pith the necessary precision, both in taking up tho
points and keeping steady time ; but the public arc now
too well accustomed to the superior performances of this
Society to be satisfied with any thing short of perfection in
the Messiah. We hardly know what to say to some of
the singers. Mr. Harrison and Miss Lucombe were
both most deservedly hissed for the same odious fault
of attaching unmeaning codas to the terminations of
Handers airs, which they and some others arc in the
habit of dignifying with the name of cadences. We
are sorry that a young lady poisesdng so many na-
tural gifts should foolishly call down upon herself
the disapprobation of an audience especially critical in the
matter of keeping strictly to what Handel wrote ; but we
hope she will take the hint in good part, and profit by it.
Mr. Harrison amused himself by winding up " Every
valley " with one of the most approved up. and-down
runs from the Covent Garden performance of the 13,g-
-y ar's Opera, an importation which the audience received
with unqualified disapprobation. Mr. Harrison has much
to learn before he can ever hope to take honours in the
field of sterling sacred music, and the first thing he
must do is to banish pseudo ornament. Whether Miss
Birch took warning by the fate of those we have just
named, or whether she allowed her own excellent taste to
govern her singing last night, we do not know ; but cer-
tain it is that she abstained from all embellishment, and
the result was a most satisfactory and delightfully pure
performance. Mr. Novella and Mr. Leffler ware respect-
able, and Miss Hawes was everything which the moat en-
thusiastic admirer of Hasidel's music and sternest advocate
for its correct reading could wish.