The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-13 00:00:00

repeated that declaration, and the people were content to
have the clergy as they were, and would never consent to
their becoming the minions of power or the bribed servants
of the state. It was said in England that the Government
wanted to create an establishment for the Roman Catholic
clergy; but they could not, should not do it; and he cau-
tioned them against making the attempt, for they could do
nothing more calculated to afford to the people a worse spe-
cimen of treachery. They were content with their church
as it was ; they were ready to support it, and they did sup-
port it in a manner truly wonderful, considering the poverty,
of the nation. Any sect or individual, therefore, who con-
gratulated themselves on the prospect of the Roman Catholic
clergy becoming the pensioners of the state deceived them-
selves most egregiously. Whilst on the subject of religion
he would refer to the Bequests Act; and he insisted that the
clauses in that Act of an, oppressive nature should be struck
out. He alluded particularly to the mortmain clause.—
(Hear, hear.) All he required was that this should be con-
sidered on Catholic principles, as he insisted that any mea-
sure affecting Protestant or Presbyterian interests should be
considered on Protestant and Presbyterian principles. Par-
tiality to none—fair play to all.—(Cheers.) It was also de-
sirable that the charter of the national schools should be re-
considered, with a view of placing Catholie children more
immediately under the control of the Roman Catholic bishop.
He was prepared to accede the same power to those who dif-
fered from him in religion. The national system of education
could not be effective unless the alteration he suggested were
adopted.—( Hear, hear.) He insisted likewise on a revi.
sion of the " Infidel Colleges" Act. He likewise wished this
measure to be considered on Catholic principles. The Roman
Catholic hierarchy had protested against that measure, and
their remonstrances should be attended to. They believed
that any system of education which had not religion for
its basis must be fatal, and they consequently refused their
sanction to the Government scheme. They saw the
effects of Government schools in Prussia and in
France on the morals of the people, and they were
determined to protect the youth of Ireland from such disas-
trous consequences. On the part of the people of Ireland
he (Mr. O'Connell) declared that unless the Government
amended that Act, they could not hope to win the hearts of
the Irish people.—(Cheers.) There was another point con-
nected with religion to which he wished to call the attention
of the executive—the necessity of attaching chapels for
Roman Catholic purposes to the different workhouses
throughout the country. The utility of them mu: tbe ob-
vious to any one acquainted with the Irish character.
Public opinion called for the re-consideration of the Marriage
Act. Through some blunder this Act, which was intended
to give freedom of conscience to the Presbyterians, had be-
come, by the decision of same of the judges, a trap for
the Catholic clergy. (The Honourable Gentleman explained
the nature and tendencies of the Act.) The amendment of
that measure was one of the first things he should press on
the attention of the Legislature; and in doing so he had the
sanction of the bishops. The next point to which he would
refer was the Established Church. The people were perfectly
ready to give the Government reasonable time for effecting
such changes as were absolutely necessary; but they did ex-
pect that it would be reduced to the actual wants of the Pro-
testants. In saying this, however, he wished it to be under-
stood that vested rights should be scrupulously respected,
and that no clergyman should be deprived of the advantage
which he at present enjoyed, but should continue in full pos-
session of it during the period of his life. To act in any way
contrary would be arrant robbery.—(Cheers.) The Hon.
Gentleman proceeded to enumerate his demands on the Go-
vernment. In the first place he implored of them not to make
any attempt to bribe the Roman Catholic clergy; secondly,
he required an alteration in the Bequests Act ; thirdly, a re-
vision of the charter of the national schools ; fourthly, amend-
ments in the " Infidel Colleges" Act; fifthly, an alteration in
the Marriage Act--a law which placed the Roman Catholic
clergy under the hazard of committing felony; sixthly, the
establishment of chapels in the different workhouses; and,
lastly, an equitable appropriation of the revenues of the Esta-
blished Church. He would submit these suggestions to the
consideration of Parliament, and if they were acted upon
the English press and the English people would have the
advantage of him; but if they were not, it would unques-
tionably strengthen him in his arguments in favour of
repeal. Sir Robert Peel had declared, at a most important
moment, that the people of Ireland should be placed on a
footing of perfect equality, political and religious, with
the people of England. If this principle were to be acted
upon the number of representatives should be increased,
the elective franchise should be extended, the municipal
corporations reformed and placed on the same basis as
those of England and Scotland ; above all, the appoint-
ment of sheriffs should be vested in them. The appointment
of sheriffs by the people was absolutely necessary to secure
the due administration of justice. Their offers of conciliation
would be a mere mockery if they did not give to Ireland the
same municipal privileges as those enjoyed by England.
Then there was the Landlord and Tenant Bill. If the Go-
vernment wished to see tranquillity permanently restored to
this country, if they wished to put an end to agrarian dis-
turbances, let them give to Ireland a good Landlord and
Tenant Bill, which would secure to both parties the enjoy-
ment of their just rights and privileges. He (Mr. O'Connell)
was most happy to observe that since the accession of the
present Government to power a single outrage of a serious
character had not occurred.—(Cheers.) That circumstance
ought to prove to Lord John Russell that the people had
every confidence in him, and were willing to give his Ad-
ministration every trial. The Hon. Gentleman concluded
by impressing on the Executive the necessity of reducing
the stamp -duty on leases, and of passing an Act for prevent-
ing distraint for rent in certain cases, and to deprive
landlords of the power of ejecting unless where the tenant
possessed a lease ; and, above all, the absolute necessity of
imposing an absentee tax. Let the Government carry out
these suggestions, and they would have the support of
every well-minded individual in the empire.
Mr. O'Cornkrzza. again rose, and brought up the following
report of the committee appointed to consider the case
of the Nation. He (Mr. O'Connell) would not wish to
injure the property of that journal, and therefore would
abstain from making any remarks with reference to it. He
merely wished that the Association should sever itself
from it :

" The general committee to which it was referred to con-
sider and report • whether there be any such connexion be-
tween this Association and the Nation newspaper as may
require a severance of that connexion,' beg leave respectfully
to state to the Association—
" 1. That it is a standing rule of the Association that any
person or persons contributing a sum of 10/. to the repeal
rent, and transmitting same to the funds of the Association,
have a right to have the sum of 11. 6s. out of said sum of 101.
allocated for the purpose of having a Dublin newspaper, re-
ceived by the party or parties so subscribing, until that sum
is exhausted.

"2. That the selection of the newspaper to be so received
by such subscribing party or parties is left to the parties
themselves, provided such paper shall report the proceedings
of the Association.

" 3. That the newspapers hitherto selected have been the
following :—The Weekly Freeman's Journal, the Weekly Re-
gister, the three-day Freeman, the three•day Pilot, the
Nation, and the Irish Advocate.
"4. That the parties so selecting newspapers are bound to
certify to the Association that every individual subscriber to
the sum above mentioned shall have free access at all times
to read the paper so selected.
" 5. That we are distinctly of opinion that, considering the
highly illegal and unjust decision made by three judges in
the Courb.of Queen's Bench, in the late state prosecutions,
by which they admitted in evidence the contents of news-
papers with which most of the traversers had no connexion
whatsoever, but, on the contrary, many of whom repudiated
such contents, it is our bounden duty not to leave it in the
power of any other tribunal to make a similar, or perhaps
snore unjustifiable, decision.

" And, therefore, we are unanimously of opinion that the
Association should totally sever itself from any imaginable
responsibility on account of, or connexion with, the contents
of newspapers so selected and received as aforesaid.
" G. That the Association should most emphatically dis-
claim any species of responsibility for the contents of any
newspapers so received or sent as aforesaid.
" 7. That there are passages in the Nation newspaper
which render it necessary, for the safety of the Association
from prosecution or indictment, not to permit any subscribers
to the repeal rent in future to allocate any portion of their
subscriptions to payment for the Nation newspaper.
"8. That the Repeal Association is bound, for its own per-
fect safety, to declare that it cannot in future concur in any
way in the circulation or sale, direct or indirect, of the
Nation newspaper."
Some unimportant business having been gone through,
Mr. O'Connell announced the rent for the week to be 33.14
The meeting then adjourned.
ORANGE DISTURBANCES IN ULSTER.
Cavan, and of counter-processions by the Roman Catholic
e n For
ed m someov emdeanytt
s
peasantry. We have learned that the Committee of the:Re-
pbyastotheeroerhanagree
pa been ainccomunonats
gofhanthre4d-
peal Association have determined on sending Mr. Steele
forthwith to the district, in order by his influence amongst
the Catholics to prevent any collision, and to establish peace
and good feeling, if possible, between the parties. Mr.
Steele is to start for Ballyhaise, county of Cavan, probably
this afternoon.

DECAY OF THE FRANCHISE IN IRELAND.
There has been, owing to various causes, a great diminution
in the number of persons qualified to vote at elections for
Parliamentary representatives in Ireland. At the Cork
assizes, on Saturday, there were some appeals from the de-
cisions of the registering barrister. In one case a claimant
had been rejected, and in his case it was stated that house
property had deteriorated one-foujth in value in the borough
of Kinsale.

COMMISSION COURT.—THIS DAY.
1111 GAMY CASE.—THE QUEEN V. WARY DOWNES.
In this case Mr. PixmcErr, Q.C., moved for a habeas cor-
pus test to bring up the body of Henry Augustine Browne,
barrister-at-law, a prisoner in Kilmainham gaol, under
sentence of transportation, to give evidence against Mary
Downes, alias Fitzgerald, alias Browne, who is at present in
custody on a charge of bigamy, for !Living married Henry
Augustine Browne, her husband, Wiliam Fitzgerald, being
at the time alive.

The Court granted the application.
TILUNDER-STORM IN BELFAST.—There was a dreadful
storm of thunder and lightning in Belfast on Saturday.
The electric fluid entered a house attached to a bleach-green
on the banks of the Laen, and killed two workmen. Two
others were severely injured.
SUPPLIES OF INDIAN MEAL—The Kite, revenue cruiser,
Captain Burke, is ordered to take on board Indian meal at
the Government stores, Custom-house Dublin, and proceed
to Arklow, and along le east coast, to deliver it where re-
quired. The Sligo Champion says :—" The Government has
reduced the price of Indian meal in this town to 9s. Al-
though the accounts will be closed upon the 15th, the stores
will be kept open until the present supply is disposed of, and
we believe it will last until September."
MURDER OF A GAMEKEEPER.—On Thursday evening last,
et a late hour, as a poor man named Daniel Cox was pro-
ceeding from Tarmonbarry to Ruske'', accompanied by a
little boy, he was met by a party of ruffians, who cautioned
the boy to go away from Cox ; they then commenced beat-
ing him with stones, broke his arm, and smashed his skull,
and in short finished their .murderous attack before they went
away, as he never spoke afterwards, although not quite dead
when the priest was brought to him. Cox was a game-
keeper of the late Lord Forbes, and was at the time in a
similar situation with Mr. Tradennick ; there was a quan-
tity of stones about the place where the murderous attack
was made, and it is thought that it was in consequence of
making himself disagreeable to poachers by doing his duty
he was murdered. It is reported two men have been arrested.
The poor man was advanced in years, and has left a large
family. The scene of the murder is in the county of Ros-
common, but it is not more than seven !tulles west of this
town.--Longford Journal.
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