The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-22 00:00:00

T II Eye

establish a separate Government in Ireland.—(Elear,
hear.) Sir, whatever there might be either in the
disguise of their objects or the want of power
to carry them into execution, a great stimulus has been
given to the movement by the events which have taken
place within the last few months. The misfortune tell
upon Ireland of a blight in the potato crop and the want
of food for millions of her people, and the artificial means
which bad to be resorted to for supplying the deficiency
afforded the leaders of the movement the means of fur-
thering their object, the procuring a separation between
the two countries, and of exciting the passions of the
people against the Government. As far as I know, they
did nothing to appease the passions of the people or to
supply their wants; while, on the other hand, eight mil-
lions were lavished by this House upon Ireland, and
400,0001. was contributed towards mitigating the suffer-
ings of her people by the charitably-disposed inhabit.
ants of England and Scotland.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.)
All that was contributed on tho part of these persons
was seditious harangues and inflammatory appeals to
the passions, and by misrepresenting the motives of this
country in voting the money, and the amount of the con-
tributions that were given.—(Hear.) But, Sir, when
Ireland was in some degree, but very slowly, recovering
from that great calamity—when the evils consequent
upon it, though still very severe, were somewhat miti-
gated there occurred an event in a neighbouring
country which has been productive of encouragement to
all who wish to overthrow established institutions

—to all who wish to promote rebellion
—to all who believe that the Crown and Government of
the empire may be overthrown by force. We cannot
forget that immediately upon that event a deputation
was sent to Paris, comprising among its number a
Member of this House—(Hear, hear)—with a view of
asking the assistance from that country which had first
set the example of rebellion—with a view to obtain the
means of resistance against the authorities of this country.
That negotiation was unsuccessful. The Government of
France, though springing out of revolution, felt its
duties towards neighbouring countries paramount,
and refused to lend its aid.—(Loud cheers.)
But, Sir, although that event failed, the projects of
these parties went on, and there was little or no disguise
any further attempted as to what was in their minds.
We may all remember that a newspaper was set up called
the United Irishman, to whose articles I will not call
the particular attention of this House, or make any ob-
servations with respect to the author of them, because
he is now suffering the penalty of the offence which he
committed; but I wish to call the attention of this House
to the fact, because great sympathy has been shown for
that person, and many have identified themselves with the
sentiments which the author of those articles expressed,
and which were found in Ireland to be articles tending
to the overthrow of the Government of that country by
the dispossession of the Queen from her throne and her
dominions. It is notorious, I say, that every kind of sym-
pathy has been shown for the editor of that paper—
that every sort of indignation has been expressed that
a person who had enunciated such sentiments should
have been punished. It has been declared that be is
one of the best patriots of Ireland, and that so far from
deserving:punishment, :he deserved the best thanks of
his country. In the same sense another newspaper,
which I now hold in my hand has spoken—l mean the
Irish Felon, so called, because it succeeded the United
Irishman, the proprietor of which had bean convicted
of felony. I wish to read a passage from the writings
of one of the contributors, James F. Lalor, who, in a
few words, states the spirit of the sentiments of the
party with whom he is acting. (The Noble Lord then
read the letter, which was to to the effect that
under the existing Government all the rights
of property were mere usurpations and tyranny,
whose sway it was their purpose to abolish
entirely, or lose their lives in the attempt.
The right by which they held the island was that of
conquest, which was the right of the robber on a
large scale. Ireland could not be bound to obey laws
that were passed without her consent. The present
salvation and future security of this country required
that the English Government should at once be
abolished and the English garrison instantly expelled.)
The advice went on to urge the people to organise
and take up arms in their own defence, and we shall
set an example by arming and organizing our-
selves.—(Cries of "Hear, hear.") Now, Sir, these
passages contain in a few words the otject of this con-
spiracy, and the means by which that object is intended
to be obtained. It is declared at once—first, that the
Imperial Government, not of England alone, but the
Government which represents England, Scotland, and
Ireland, is to be utterly abolished—it purposes to take
away from the Queen all her authority, and at the
same time to abolish at once all the rights of property.
Some, indeed, have made a sort of menacing salvo with
respect to those whom they are desirous should join
them in the rebellion; but with respect to the great body
of those who hold property in Ireland—property which
they have acquired by industry—they are to be de-
prived of their rights—in short, the right of of pro-
perty is to be altogether abolished. It is proposed
that the means of effecting this object is by arming,
and being
.ready to encounter any force which
may threaten to put them down.—(Hear, hear.)
Here is another article written more lately, it is in the
iVation of the 3d of July. I need not read it to the
House at length, but it is called " The,Value of the Irish
harvest." It is stated that there is growing upon the
Irish soil 50,000,000/. worth of produce, and it will be
for the Irish Government, or such Government as may
be appointed, to consider in what manner that produce
should be apportioned—what portion may be given
to those who now hold rights of property,
what portion to those who encourage industry, and what
portion is necessary for the purposes of the Government;
but evidently intending that none of the existing rights
of property shall be acknowledged, but that the whole
produce of the Irish soil, by one sweeping confiscation,
shall be held by the muster of what the French called a
Red Republic, men who have no regard for any rule in
social states, men who wished that no society
should be kept together but such as would
satisfy the mind of those who wanted, that the whole
produce of regular industry, property, &c., acquired by
those who wished to see right enforced should by one
desolating measure be distributed according to the de-
cree of those who would attempt to be the rulers of Ire-
land.—(llear, hear.) I will allude to ono passage more
with regard to the objects of these confederates, because
they were stated in a resolution passed evidently
for the purpose of quieting alarm. It has
been felt in in Ireland, and by none more than the Ro-
man Cath jlic clergy, that if such a confederation as has
been formed should succeed, there would be an end of
all respect for liberty and of all regard of what men had
hitherto held sacred, and a code of brute force would be
established. In order to repel these alarms, there
was a meeting of what was called the Dublin
Clubs, and on that occasion a resolution was
moved by Mr. Smith O'Brien, and seconded.
(The Noble Lord then read the resolution and proceeded)
gtuhieseHtohuesier willob object,
easetle
wthbaiat
bin
wthaastnroetsoal.urtelpoenatlhoety
the
not —Now
disguise
umneinotn,tbheuytatrheeboonvnerdthtorootyg; tthbeatsnwoatybinotg tlheses. Gthoa.vnehtrehne-
dismemberment of the empire would satisfy theirbwtskesn.
So much then from their own confessions may obealie-
believe
to be the fact.—(Hear, hear.) You
mabr'ect the
g l that
awaituhldme, necessarilythatinLheovaecectohmropwlisthhme enstwoafytloita. treob j
ion
anyd,
propertyit is
the t
ri
ani Ireland,toro a a
that
iuss belies•
intendede
over-
throw the Government of the United Kingdom, an
put in its place a government to rule over Ireland
.
(Hear, t os o
and to
t oe(aHnearb,eliheeraer.)themThatto iws
isthhetolasotometeid._(tHo
evsarh,ichheayro.u)
I come now, Sir, to that which I have stated would be
the second proposition that I should have to state to the
House, namely, that there are formidable measures pre-
paring intended to produce rebellion, and only too likely
to end in it.—(Hear, hear.) Because, Sir, although
there may be practices the most injurious, yet if
those practices are intended by few persons,
or some insignificant associations, such are
the free institutions of this country, which
permitting every kind; of opinion, that we should be
sacrificing the greater to the less if we were to interfere
by any extraordinary law to crush an evil of small amount.
But, Sir, although I hoped such might have been the
case, I am sorry to • say all the accounts we have re-
ceived have tended to the conclusion that the organiza-
atinodn
inp rmo pa on sye d
partsby he persons
these sth
ecountryi s rapidly
the clubs
continuing,
nrueiardi g;.
passedandgfrseeaol
vogv
enen )rr:ei
thepaibgeeygnrp:ft oeoohoawrni
rts
se rcwinwhio:
hoei insurrection.
0:
or bksrwwere
wieceriri trangieesoi tnnlhpge.
conspiringel
levying
beforeymeenAodgnf hgewraaa:
rcifn
in opposition
e April,r
tl oa w
a justicent dhawtt to the
wasitfehhre
theagainst
So
conspirators Sov-
ereign,
theasdetermined fr
viewm ed by
ot theof s
enodr anoitfiodt.it)
he
eAe
ncoboosnu,fneatdnredyr,aittwi confederation
gaiizsniaotlni ors enpersuad-
ingmis-
sions
persons in great towns, and even in small
towns and villages, to adopt a similar system of
organization. From this time their efforts did not suc-
ceed. The accounts received from the Lord-Lieutenant
tended to induce the belief' that the organization would
not become immediately formidable ; but soon after this
the Lord-Lieutenant and the Lord Chancellor, on infor-
mation that they had received, announced the fact that
confederate clubs were increasing in number, and were be-
coming more,fOrmidable,in their organization. Within the
last month they assumed the character which I am now
about to detail to the House. (The Noble Lord then
read an extract from a letter which had been received, to
the effect that the state of Ireland was such that the Go-
vernment would have either to determine whether they
would ask fresh powers of the House, or make an
immediate organization for civil war. The Noble Lord
then read the accounts which had been received from
Tipperary and from Carrick-on-Suit. At the latter
admittedr
object
to the place no less than five confederate clubs had been estab-
lished, and no one but members were
meetings, which were kept strictly private, thei
apparently being to ascertain the strength of the organiza-
tion. Ihe Noble Lord then read accounts from Tuam,
Dundalk, and Wexford, at which places large meetings
had been held. At the meeting at Timm one of the
speakers said he hoped to see the constabulary soon take
the first rank in the Irish national guard. The Noble
Lord continued)—l should say the method pursued
by these confederates was in general to call a meeting
fur some political object, and then to harangue the
meeting in violent speeches, and immediately afterwards
to form an association or club, which it was arranged
should meet secretly. In the first place, in one instance,
a public meeting was called, speeches were made of a
violent character, and private meetings followed week
after week
, at which no person was admitted
ex cept those belonging to the confederation,
anddesirotu'vseo giving infor
every
person—everymationh2t.atlhe subject—who
proceedings
which was
took place was carefully excluded. At Cork fifteen
confederate clubs had been formed, and about two
thousand names have been enrolled as members. At
Wexford one of the constabulary was refused admit •
tance to a meeting by a sentry at the door, who said he
would rather allow him to walk over his dead body at
the threshold than permit him to pose. Ur. blusher