The Sun.
London, England, 1835-10-23 00:00:00

ARRIVAL OF MR. O'CONNELL

IN LIMERICK.

(Abridged from the Dublin Freeman's Journal of.
Wednesday.)
INIr. O'Connell's arrival in Limerick, at half-past five
o'clock on Monday evening, was announced by the cheering
of the people, as his carriage drove along the streets. A
public reception had been originally contemplated' but Mr.
O'Connell declined it, in consequence of the ill health of
one of his family.
Mr. O'Connell was accompanied by his lady and the
Younger members of (his family. He drove to Molony's
Hotel, Catherine-street, where several respectable friends
immediately waited to pay their respects, and bid hits wel-
come to their city.

THE DINNER TO MR. O'CONNELL.
In the evening this civic entertainment was given,' at
Swinburn's Hotel, to our distinguished countryman, by
nearly three hundred inhabitants of this city and its imme-
diate vicinage. The tickets of admission were limited by
the Committee, the size of the room rendering such a pre-
caution necessary, in order to secure accommodation for
those who attended. The company sat down at half past
seven o'clock.
WILLIAM ROCHE, Esq., M P., in the Chair.
On the Chairman's right sat Mr. O'Connell, with T.
rt
Doctor
Esq. (Castlejane), W. Howley, Esq., T. Roche, Esq.,
--)octor Carroll, &c. &c. ; and on the left David Roche,
AP., M.P., L. Murray, Esq., Maurice O'Connell, Esq.,
W. Piercy, Esq., John Boyce, Esq., Pierce Creaghe,
Esq., Captain Keane, &c. &c.
After the usual loyal toasts, the CHAIRMAN said—Now,
my friends, I approach a toast, for .the announcement of
which I perceive every bosom at this alike patriotic and
festive board awaiting with mingled feelings of impatience
and exultation—(Hear, hear)—" O'Connell, our distin-
guished guest, whose virtuous labours require no eulogium."
Here the entire company rose and gave nine times nine
with the greatest enthusiasm. When the cheering had
subsided
Mr. O'CONNELL rose, and spoke as follows—l have
°rten expressed to you my sentiments, and yet. I fear I shall
be tedious in the length at which I would still wish to ad.-
dress you—(No)—but let me ask you what brought you
here ? What, I answer, has brought you but your- sym-
pathies with me in struggling for the common cause and
our common country. We had to be sure many delicacies,
many difficulties, and many dangers, but we have nearly
overcome them all. Brighter hopes are springing for us,
and better days are approaching for unhappy Ireland—
(Cheers)—and for the assistance I have received from the
brave men of Limerick, I beg them to accept the most ar-‘
'dent expression of my gratitue. Well then I shall divide
my life into three periods. It is now twenty-five years
since I had the honour of receiving the first public dinner
in Limerick, and let me ask you what was then the state of
Ireland and of your city, and compare it to what it is now?
Was there not a corporation here then ? Was there not
here a close and corporate borough ? Is it so now ?
Well, we achieved emancipation ; and, in doing so, we
even did our enemies some service. Our creed was
religious equality, and we dare -even those very enemies,
who were most violently opposed to us, to point out
"e single expression that savoured of sectarian feel-
Ing, or exclusion—(Great cheering)—to fetter the free-
dom of conscience ; and, in the great and glorious moral
onion of strength that we presented, we have the proud
gratification to think that, in battling for emancipation, we
set. England and Scotland an example—we taught them
bow to achieve the attainment of their own rights by the
lame moral force which. we used .in Ireland. I have now
to go over the second chapter of the history of my life,
Which comprises a period of five years, devbted to the con-
vielorsuigoirtitoia
of Orangemen
into Irishmen. I must confess the
t
very foolish, but the experiment was still right.
Such an assertion may appear quite paradoxical, but it is
however literally true. Oh ! how we would, have been
taunted by the Cumberlanders with never having extended.
to them the right hand of fellowship—with never having
made any advances towards conciliating the ruthless fac-
-64- My ;first experiment in the cause of civil and reli-
gious liberty was, thank God, successful and triumphant ;
ziiiubemt;
os f second was a decided failure, for there was no pos-
conciliating an Orangeman. The third series in
the classification of my life was, my exertions for the repeal
of the Union._(Cheers.) [Here a voice at the lower end
roomrof the
cried out, " Hurrah for Repeal."] I like that
cheer ; it is an honest, hearty Irish voice, indicative, of an
honest, an ardent longing for Repeal. But why did we
ever agitate the Repeal question ? Simply because the
British Parliament never did justice to Ireland since the
Passing of the Act of Union.—( Hear, hear, and cheers.)
When I saw such injustice practised ; I saw such a
difference between the treatment of England and Scotland
'on the one hand, and Ireland on the other, then did I
hur-
rah for the Repeal ; and I here wish it to be understood,
that if a full Measure of justice be not dealt out to Ireland,
am quite ready to hurrah for the Repeal again as before.
(Tremendous cheering, which lasted several minutes.)
.We made an experiment on the Orangemen.—(Here the
-"on. and Learned Gentleman was a little interrupted by
the loud and lusty cheering of the individual whom he be-
fore complimented.) I find, my friend, I praised you too
Much a while ago. Will you reserve your cheers for a
Proper time ? One of my experiments on the Orangemen
Was to get their grand masteitio/. per annum during
his life. This was no bad experiment for him. I did the
same for the coal meters of Dublin ; though not so much
4
amount, yet it may be to them of as much value and
Importance as the retiring allowance of the grand .master
of
all the Orangemen. Well, my experiments on the
Orange faction having ceased, I am now making another
experiment, and that is to see whether Repeal will be
becessary or not ,s or whether Ireland will get justice
without a domestic legislature. I have travelled through
England and Scotland. I have, then, gone among the
reformers of both countries, and how did I address
them ?—" Reformers of England and Scotland, the people of
I▪
reland want your assistance. They call. on you to rally in
the cause of liberty. They have assisted you in every mea-
sure calculated to promote your advantages, or extend your
liberties. In the name of Ireland, your best ally in the bat-
tle for constitutional freedom, rally round the Whigs, who
are now determined to do Ireland justice." I succeeded with
those brave and gallant men—those ardent supporters and
enthusiastic lovers of constitutional liberty, and with one
eonsentaneous shout did they respond to me, that Ireland
should be free. I told them of the necessity of my seeking
for Repeal. I told them of the injustice that was ever
done to Ireland, and that there was no alternative but jus-
tice for my country, or repeal of tie .Union.—(Loud and
continued cheers.) But we baVe at length a parliament
and a ministry determined on doing us justice, a new sera
indeed in the government of Ireland. How has she been
governed hitherto ? She has been governed by a faction,
fora faction, and through a faction. The administration is
31owt changed ; we haire now an administration that have the
inclination and the power to do justice to Ireland—but what
do I say ? The Lords are still 'an impediment to every use-
ful measure of reform.—(Heart hear.) Up to the period of
the present ministry taking office, we never had one deter-
mined to do justice to Ireland. It mattered not how satis-
factory in its results—how beneficial in its. consequences,
any. measure for the good of Ireland may happen to be, even
Lord Limerick was not enough to cause its rejection. How,
then, arc we to look for reform ? The Lords are determined
t,°
?oppose every measure for amelioration, and what are we to
Simply to cause a reform among themselves. But
I'll be told by some that their Lordships may be 'in better
temper, and wait a little longer—even till next year, till
we see what is to happen.—(Hear, and cheers.) Even
'mine of the English newspapers, and among them a Mr.
Baines, of the Leeds Mercury, desires us to "wait a while."
-.lle, good soul, tells us.that there are young Lords grow-
ing up, and that the old ones must soon die—no great loss
to the nation, if they persevere in their opposition to re-
foras—but we will die ourselves in the mean time, and are we
to do without reform till the end of our lives—(Laughter)—
or tiil the Lords get into good temper, which may be much
. about the same time ?—(Continued laughter.) Truly this
reminds one of the Frenchman's promise to his horse,
when starving at sea, that if he lived on till they got ashore,
he'd get plenty of provender.—(Laughter.) Why, there
35 at Newark a stupid being, Lord Sandon, with his son
in the Reuse of Commons—there is not a lordling among
the whole tribe of them, that better loves a job than
tee young Lord. Old Nick and young Nick—a beautiful
Pair together.—(Loud laughter.) There is also Lord
I\laLs fle ld and. his heir, Lord Stormont, whom it is loath-
Some to name, wasting his sweetness and perfumery in tha
IH°use of Lo;ds.—(Laughter.) The House of Commons,
a repeat it,' was nothing .hitherto but.an instalment of the
Lords. The House of Commons was entirely under the
auspices
of Wellington and Peel, but it is now under the
Control of popular influence ; and. with the assistance of a
House of Commons we will yet have a whole-
some control .over the Lordi though at present subject to
no control whatsoever. Am I right then to abandon repeal
for the present ? In Dublin we had a meeting on the same
subject. The Trades' Union adjourned for twelve months,
and We came to the resolution of seeing what could be clone
Without a domestic legislature. I care not for the means,
nut give me the ends. What care Iby what means those
ends are brought about, provided they give peace, happi-
ness, and prosperity to Ireland.—(Cheers.) It is true I
.v
let at the Castle, but are my visits there for the obtain-
mg of any favours or kindness for myself ? I may be honoured
with a place at the Lord Lieutenant's board, but I do not
4 sB"nle the smiles of to-day to secure a reception for the
1.1
s,e!'t• I want no favours, no kindness for myself ;my only
nect is the good of Ireland.—(Cheers.) I give my feeble
• support to the Government, because that Government is
resolved
i
els°lved to do justice to Ireland.—(Cheers.) I confess
re s so much of nationality about me, that I would wish
to
see her a nation again, but I would lay aside all pride and