The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-03 00:00:00

MR.O'CONNELL'S REPLY TO THE

lION. C. LAWLESS.
British Hotel, jermyn-street, July 28, 1846.
My dear Sir,—Meaning you, of course, no kind of dis-
respect, yet I cannot avoid saying that I was sincerely sorry
at receiving your letter of the 18th instant. lam still more
sorry that you thought it right to publish that letter, be-
cause it necessarily imposes upon me the painful act of a
public reply,.
You are—it need not be said—entitled to every kind of
courtesy in manner and in expression, as well as in substance.
Nobody can be less inclined than I am to stint or limit that
courtesy, but I am bound to tell you the whole truth, and
not conceal from you any of the sentiments, however grievous
to me, that your letter has excited.
Addressing you, therefore, with entire civility, and, at the
same time, with perfect candour, I am reduced to the un-
pleasant necessity of telling you that your letter tills me
with anxious fears that Ireland has little to expect from
any exertion of yours. I say this, because in bitter sorrow I
perceive how trivial the pretext is upon which you decline
joining. in the struggle for Irish nationality.
Yet how glorious is that cause—how glorious is the strug-
gle for elevating one's native land from provincial degrada-
tion to legislative independence!
Ireland once had a Parliament of her own. The unsuspi-
cious testimony of the late Lord Clare, and of Mr. Pitt, prove
the extent and rapidity of the improvement of Ireland from
the period of the independence of her Parliament until the
fatal day of the Union.
Ireland was deprived of that Parliament by the foulest
means by which liberty was ever struck down—fraud and
• corruption, and brute force.
How is it possible that you cannot discover the indignity
offered to your native land, and to yourself personally, by the
practical assertion, as a matter of fact, that Englishmen and
Scotchmen are fitter to legislate for Ireland than are the Irish
to make laws for themselves?
Let me now bring you to the pretext under which you de-
cline to join us. Your woids are :
"Lord Milltown suggested the formation of an Irish party
to assist the Ministry, if willing to do justice to Ireland. You
state in your reply that the repealers are determined to do
so. This, my dear sir, is the very point I should wish to see
proved, for a doubt of this has alone prevented my joining
the A ssociation."
Thus, you refuse to join the Association because you doubt
whether I and my fellow-repealers are determined to assist
the Ministry in doing justice to Ireland. How can you doubt
it? I, who take a leading part in the Association, stated
that fact to you as one within my own knowledge, and one
that I was, and am, perfectly ready to realise by my conduct.
I am here to assist the Ministry in doing justice to Ireland.
Every other repeal Member who shall be elected must avow
his readiness to attend, to assist the Ministry in doing justice
to Ireland. It is not possible, I think, for any man reason-
ably to doubt the sincerity with which we repealers declare
and exhibit our determination to assist the present Ministry
to do justice to Ireland.
Upon your own showing, therefore, we are entitled to your
joining us immediately.
But you have an excuse—you allege a fact—you refuse to
join the Association for the following reason :—You allege
that Mr. Sheil is a man of powerful talent—a statement
which everybody must admit—you allege that it was with
difficulty that I prevented his being opposed in his election
for Dungarvan.
Such is your excuse for not being a member of the Asse-
ciation.

I mean no disrespect whatsoever when I sad•, there never
was a more futile excuse for neglecting a great national

UULY
In the first place, let us dispose of the fact, and that the
more readily because it is infinitely more strong in favour of
your excuse than your own statement—the truth being that
I went to Ireland, not to prevent Mr. Shell being opposed
in his election, but to assist in having him opposed by a re-
pealer—if he could be so opposed with a reasonable prospect

of success.
Take the dates. On Friday the writ for Dungarvan was
moved for; on Saturday I started for Liverpool, and on Sun-
day night went across to attend the Association on Monday,
at•cne o'clock.
Monday came, and I attended the Association, but no in-
fimnatioa reached us during the day of any movement in
Dungarvan, or of any candidate in the repeal interest.
I therefore moved that the matter should be referred to the
committee. _ _ .

Tuesday came, and for the first time we had a communica
tion from Dungarvan, stating that the election was to take
place the ensuing Saturday, leaving only an interval of
three days, and also informing me that the repeaters of Dun-
garvan were divided, many of them being of opinion that
there ought not to be a contest with so little time to pre-
pare; and several repealers—among whom were some of the
most influential—having already promised to the agent of
Mr. Sheil their votes for that election.
Thursday—the committee-day—arrived, and there was no
further information about Dungarvan. We of the committee
examined strictly and minutely the list of the voters of
Dungarvan, and we were of opinion, with the exception of
one or two, that there was not the least prospect of success-
fully opposing Mr. Sheil at the election, which was to take
place the next day but one.
Some few there were who thought that Dungarvan ought
to be contested at all events, even with the certainty of de-
feat. The majority of the committee were of opinion, as so
was I, that such a course would be vexatious and unbe-
coming, and it was not adopted.
Thus, therefore, if there be anything in your argument,
it is strengthened, not weakened, by the determination of
the repealers--a determination which I coincide in, to sub-
stitute a repealer for Mr. Sheil, if that were practicable.
Its impracticability is manifest, there being from the time
the committee met but one day between us and the election.
Thus I meet your excuse in front. I take the bull by the
horns. I admit that all the repeaters desire to have a re-
pealer returned for Dungarvan instead of Mr. Shell.
Now, I do most respectfully implore of you to consider the
amount of the objection which you raised against joining the
national cause. It is just this—because the repeaters should
prefer a repealer to Mr. Sheil as a Member for Dungarvan.
Recollect, also, I pray you, that if a repealer had been re-
turned in Mr. Shell's place, that repealer would also join with
me in assisting the Government (just what you desire) to do
justice to Ireland.
I know full; well how little chance there is to convince a
public man by a public letter; and yet I do not see how you
can resist joining the Association, at least without abandon-
ing your professed principle of action.
You say you would join the Association if we were ready
to assist the Government in doing justice to Ireland. We
are ready—most ready to assist the Government in that
great work. 'Why do you not at once determine to assist us?
There never was, and there never will be, a period at which
your presence in the Association would do so much good—
it would repair the unhappy feud which the physical force
men have created in the Association—it would restore us all
to agitation by peaceable means alone.
You could, as a matter of course—Lord Cloncurry's son
could, as a matter of course—command a repealer's seat in
Parliament.
I urge this upon ycu, as that seat would give you an op-
portunity of judging of the perfect sincerity of (I use your
own words) " our hearty co-operation with the present Go-
vernment in all the acts of atonement which Lord John
Russell has held out to us."
I have the honour to be, very respectfully, my dear Sir,
your faithful and sincere servant,
DANIEL O'CONNELL.

THE FALL OF RAxx.--During the storm of Satur-
day a depth of rain equal to four and a half inches fell, and yester-
day morning there was an additional half inch of rain, making the
total depth of five inches. As the average depth of rain In a year in
the neighbourhood of London does not much exceed twenty inches,
we have had nearly the quantity of three months fall of rain within
twenty-four hours.
FOOTPATHS STOPPED BY A RAILWAY.-011 Saturday
an investigation took place before the magistrates at Richmond, rela-
tive to an alleged infringement of private and public rights by the
Richmond Railway Company. Mr. Spence, an inhabitant of Mort-
lake, stated that the company had erected a wooden bridge, with
high steps to it, leading to the church, which bridge was a nuisance
to every one, but was particularly unpleasant to ladies, from the ab-
sence of side-boards, or bannisters. lie also said the old road had
been fenced, and made private property. Several other inhabitants
complained of the infringement, which, they stated, kept them from
entering their own property in the manner they had been accustomed
to. The chairman said he was sorry he could not interfere, as the
Railway Act was worded in a particular manner, but he thought
they might get redress in one of the superior Courts if they would
incur the expense.
BOROUGH AND COUNTY VOTERS.—On Saturday, the
lists of voters entitled to vote for boroughs and cities, as also those
who claim to vote for counties, for Members of Parliament for the
several borough cities and divisions of counties in England and
Wales, were posted on the doors of the churches and chapels in each
parish, signed by the respective overseers of such parishes, and are
to continue so posted until the 15th of August, under the provisions
of the Registration of Voters' Act. By the Gth of Victoria, cap. 18,
sec. 25, any persons wilfully damaging, defacing, or altering such
lists, are liable to a penalty of 40s. All persons entitled to vote, or
who have claimed to vote in respect of occupation or property within
such parish, should therefore examine such lists, and see that their
names and places of abode are correctly described therein, so as to
entitle them to vote at any ensuing election.
CHATHAM, AUG. I.—This morning at seven o'clock
eight detachments, selected from the provisional battalion assembled
on the parade ground, to the number of 325 men of the following
corps, Bth Foot, 17th, 22d, 28th, 60th, Ist battalion of Rifles, BGth,
25th, King's Own Borderers, and 78th Highlanders, and after being
inspected each man was provided with the articles of war ; they were
then marched off the ground en route for Gravesend, attended by the
drums and fifes of the provisional battalion, for embarkation on beard
the ship Ann for Bombay and Cananore. The troops on leaving the
barracks were cheered by their comrades assembled to witness their
departure. Seven officers embarked with the above, also ten men
belonging to the 10th Hussars (the Prince of Wales's Own) from the
cavalry depot at Maidstone. Captain James Knox is in command of
the ship.
CRICKET. KENT V. SUSSEX. This match was
brought to a conclusion on Saturday, when the result was 84 runs In
favour of Kent.
ETON v. HARROW.—This match was resumed on
Saturday, and, as was to be anticipated from the disproportion in the
two elevens, brought to a conclusion in favour of Eton. The Han.
rowians were beaten in one innings by 135 runs.
ACCIDENT THROUGH THE BURSTING OF A CANNON.
—On Friday afternoon the Mercers' Company made an excursion to
Richmond, and when off the Wandsworth Distillery were saluted
by firing some small cannon. One of them burst, inflicting such in-
jury on William Goodge, the man who fired it, as to deprive his
friends of all hope of his ultimate recovery. His nose was lite-
rally cut off, and he received several severe scalp wounds. He was
taken, in a state of great agony, to St. George's Hospital.
According to letters from Rome, his Highness the
I'ope intends shortly to RAU a tour through the provinces of the
itonutti tisAtedi.