The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-25 00:00:00

IRELAND

GREAT PROVINCIAL REPEAL BANQUET.

LIMERICK, Nov. 20.—Any person who was present
at the Monster meetings of last year, and who could have
beheld the great assemblages which took place in Limerick
this day, would have beheld the same perfect organiza-
tion, the same well-regulated machinery which terrified
the Government last year at Tara or Mullaghmast. At
an early hour the various Trades, Temperance Societies,
and. Political Lodges, not only of Limerick but of EnniS,
and other adjacent towns, assembled with their respec-
tive bands in full uniform, and marched along on the
Ballinacurra-road, in order to meet Mr. O'Connell, and
escort him into the city. At half-past one o'clock, the
procession, which was accompanied by thousands of the
peasantry, extended for two miles along the road, and
the leading band had not long waited at the appointed
place, before Mr. O'Connell arrived. He was seated on
the box of his travelling carriage, and seemed in excel-
lent health and spirits, acknowledging the tremendous
cheering in his warmest manner. Having made
a circuit of the principal parts of the city, the procession
halted at Cruise's Hotel, where Mr. O'Connell addressed
them.

Mr. O'CoNsreee, on making his appearance at the
window of the hotel, was received with the most enthu-
siastic cheering. When silence was at length restored
he proceeded—What a magnificent sight was then before
him. What a glorious exhibition had he witnessed on
that day. Never was his heart more free or more lively
—never did he feel a stronger presentiment that the hour
was not remote when the Irish parliament. would be re-
stored, and the odious Union repealed. —(Loud cheers.)
He knew the word that would strike upon their hearts
and reverberate in their ready shouts. (Renewed
cheers.) He had seen many an exhibition of
popular strength and determination, but never
one to equal and certainly not to exceed the
exhibition of that day.—(Loud cheers.) He had phy-
sical force enough before him to accomplish the worst
of purposes if he had any such design. There was no
monarch of Europe had a larger army at his command
than the volunteer army by which he had been sur-
rounded that day.—(Great cheers.) But what was
most glorious in the people of Ireland was that, with a
power to do mischief, they had no other inclination than
that of confining themselves strictly within the laws of
order and propriety, they ware resolved to commit no
offence against the ordinances of man—no sin against
the law of God.—(Hear.) He did not know when he
had seen so many stalwart, noble-looking, well-dressed
men as he met that day, and where could- he have seen
so many beautiful women.—(Cheers and laughter.) He
had been told that the people were apathetic in the
repeal cause at present. Ile would be glad to know was
there a man who then listened to him who would net, if
necessary, lay down his life to forward the repeal ?-
-(Loud cries of "Not one.") But it was not neces-
sary; and, above all, it was not lawful for them to do so;
and, instead of dying, they would live to see an Irish
Parliament assembled once again in College-green.—
(Cheers.) He stood there in a sacred spot ; he might
be laughed at for the repetition of it ; but he would,
notwithstanding, again remind them that the spot on
which they stood was one that must cause burning
shame to the English people, and redound for ever to
the glory of Irishmen. There it was that their ancestors
—not merely the men alone, but the Irish also—fought,
and bled, and conquered for their country.—(Hear.)
There it was that the treaty between the armies of
Ireland and of England had been solemnlyentered into—
a treaty that had never, up to that hour been performed,
as far as the English nation was concerned, and shame
be upon those who refused to fulfil their deliberate
compact.—(Hear and cheers.) He was quite ready that
the English people should have England, and was it not
perfectly fair that they should ?—(Cries of "Yes.") He
was ready to leave Scotland to the Scotch, and that
was equally fair.—(Hear, hear.) But a little bird
told him, half an hour ago, that there was an-
other thing equally fair, and that was, to have Ireland
for the Irish.—(Hear, hear, and loud cheers.) It was
idle to suppose that they would not carry the repeal.
A hundred thousand voices had that day told him of
their readiness to persevere. He would then call upon
them once again to organise themselves—to select repeal
wardens in every district—to establish repeal reading-
rooms, and repeal libraries,—to adopt steps by which
every man who can have a vote shall be registered—to
agitate, agitate, agitate, peaceably, but determinedly,
and they might be certain of soon having the repeal.—
(Cheers.) One of the greatest evils in the present con-
dition of the country was the system of agrarian out-
rages that prevailed—the power which the law allowed
the ruthless landlord, of converting populous and fruit-
ful districts into desert wastes ; but while he blamed
the crimes of the landlords, let no one think he meant to
excuse those of the tenants. A foul murder had,
within the last few days, been perpetrated in. Clare, and
none of the family of the murdered man wept his fall
more sincerely, or more bitterly than he did. Did they
not know that the red arm of God's vengeance was im-
pended over the murderer ? He was the apostle of a
sect that taught that no amelioration—not even the in-
dependence of Ireland—was worth the shedding of a
single drop of blood. Was there a man there who did
not love Old Ireland ?—(Hear, and cheers.) Could
any man there bear to have it said that they were unfit
to govern themselves, and that England must govern
them ?—(Cheers, and cries of "No.") Could they bear the
insolence of the London newspapers,which insisted upon it
that England must govern them?—(Cries of " No, no.")
In answer to that, he said that she must not.—(Renewed
applause.) The Queen was the Queen of Ireland, as
well as of England. The people of Ireland were attached
to the Crown, but to no other part of the English, as
governing them.—(Cheers.) The Irish people would
be good neighbours to the English, but they would not
be their servants or their slaves.—(Cheers.) There
were reporters from those English journals then present.
Let them inform the English people in the name of the
Irish nation, for he so proclaimed it as their universal
sentiment that they were determined, without reserva-
tion, modification, or revocation, to have their Parlia-
ment in College-green.—(Loud cheering.) The Asso-
ciation would assist them in their efforts, and would
watch over their political education. It would send them
books and newspapers, and assist at the foundation and
extension of repeal reading-rooms.---(Cheers.) He
would advise them to attend to their religious duties, for
he did not wish to have any man struggling for repeal
who did not follow the practice of his Communion.—
(Hear, hear, and loud cheers.) He had given them his
political sermon, which declared that no nation of
9,000,000 was so miserable as to be dragged at the tail
of another; that seventeen of the independent States of
Europe had not the numbers of the people of Ireland.—
(Cheers.) Their physical force, strength—ay, their
bravery—(Great cheering)—but, above all, their re-
ligious feeling and intellect—(Cheers)—that they would
soon make the eighteenth—(Cheers)—by having their
Parliament in College-green, with an Irish Queen, Irish
Lords, and Irish Commons, enacting laws for old Ireland.
Hurrah for Repeal !—(Loud cheering, amid which Mr.
O'Connell withdrew.)
THE BANQUET

took place in the theatre, a neat and spacious building
of an oblong form, elegantly fitted up for the occasion.
The boxes were reserved for the ladies, and more than
500 of the famed Limerick lasses—the belles of Ireland,
availed themselves of the privilege, so that the upper
part of the house presented an array of beauty which
could not easily be surpassed. Upwards of 800 gentle-
men, including several corporators and town commis-
sioners, in their robes of office, sat down to an excellent
dinner. The officers of the city Corporation, with their
maces, &c., stood behind the chairman, Mr. W. S.
O'Brien, M.P.
On the right of the chair sat Mr. O'Connell, Dr.
M'Hale, Titular Archbishop of Tuam ; the Roman Ca•
tholic Bishop of Elkhin, Mr. J. O'Brien, M.P, Mr. E. B.
Roche, M.P., Mr. E. Kelly, M.P., Mr. E. Powell, M.P.,
Mr. M. J. O'Connell, M.P., Mr. H. Bridgeman,. M.P.,
Sir V. Blake, M.P., Mr. N. Maher, M.P., Mr. D. Cal-
laghan, M.P., and Sir R. Musgrave, Bart. On theleft
were the Mayors of Limerick, Cork, Clonmel, Sir B.
Morris, locum tenens of the Mayor of Waterford, Alder..
man Lyons, Mr. Steele, Mr. Barrett, and Dr. Gray.
Immediately after dinner, the usual loyal toasts hav-
ing been drunk, •
The CHAIRMAN proposed the toast of " Ireland and
her people," to which Mr. KELLY, M.P., replied.
The CHAIRMAN then, in terms of eloquence and feel-
ing, proposed the toast of " Mr. O'Connell," coupled
with Repeal of the Union.
Air—" O'Connell is free."
Mr. O'Comeem. rose, and was received with the most
unbounded enthusiasm, the entire company rising and
cheering for several minutes. When silence had been
at length restored, the Hon. and Learned Gentle-
man proceeded—This is, I think, what is called a com-
memoration, which means something joyful for bygone
events. Now, I would always like bygones to be by-
gones, and rather to think of the future.—(Hear, and
cheers.) I never was fond of "glorious and immortal
memories "—(Laughter)—l wish to think, not of what
we did, but of what we will do, and I am come amongst
you for that purpose—not exactly like a giant refreshed
with wine, but like an agitator, invigorated by the sea-
breezes and the beagle-hunting of the mountains.—
(Cheers.) I am, to be sure, as little fit to be treated as
a martyr as any person I know of—l play the part
badly. My appearance is, you may perceive, not at all
suited for the Apothecary in Romeo and Juliet—
(Laughter.) But if I have acquired more of strength
and vigour, and more of energy of mind, it is because
I see a clear prospect before me, that if we be but true
to ourselves, Ireland must soon belong. to the Irish.
John Bull, our sister country—for John is a sister, not-
withstanding his name—(A laugh)—turns on me, and
says, What right have you to be a nation, or to govern
yourselves ? Where did you get the charter, or when
did I concede to you the privilege of allowing you to be
men sufficiently honest to govern your own country ?
Our charter is not derived from you, John. It is de-
rived from our nature. It has the patent seal of
the Creator upon it, and we would be wretches
it we did not vindicate our lawful right.—(Loud cheers.)
I have much thought upon the impenetrability of truth
into England. I solemnly declare that it appears to me
as if a kind of adamantine wall surrounded that coun-
try, making it impervious to every approach of truth.
It may arrive on the four wings of heaven, and with the
force of electricity to every human being elsewhere, but
the fact is most astounding that it never can penetrate
into England.—(Hear, hear.) I am resolved to perse-
vere until I compel England to understand the grievances
of which we complain. I am resolved that they shall do
so, and no thanks to them. In the first place, they must
learn to understand the grievance and the injustice of
the present centralisation system. They call it centralisa-
tion, and yet they place the Government in the remotest
corner of the kingdom. If they had fixed upon Chester,
for instance, for that purpose, I could understand it ; but
instead of doing so. they went to the farthest spot they
could make out, and then John Bull, who never blun-
ders, calls that centralisatior. My complaint of centrali-
sation is that it takes away from Ireland all that would
otherwise be earned by Irishmen in carrying on the Go-
vernment, and in the collection of the revenue ; where •
as, now all is swallowed up by the centralisation system,

without one shilling going into the pockets of Irishmen.
On the score then of centralisation alone and of its ill
effk cts, I demand a repeal of the union.—(Cheers.) I
appeal to you again, was ever anything so preposterous
and unjust as allowing the present limited number of
Members of Parliament to Ireland ? England has 548.
Ireland has but 105, and too of them belong to Trinity
College, which may be considered as not being in Ireland
at all. They certainly do not speak Irish there' and
they have still less of Irish feeling among them. Lord
Castlereagh admitted that Ireland ought to have 179
Members at the time of the union ; and I find by the
last printed returns of population and revenue, that Ire-
land ought to have 175 Members. At the time of the
Reform Bill I offered to take 150 Members. The Irish
Members in Parliament at the time were willing to take
that number, but they refused our demands, and Ireland
got an addition of only five Members. But Scotland,
with only two millions of inhabitants, got eight addi.
tional Members, while Ireland, with eight millions of
inhabitants, got only five.—(Hear, hear.) In England
the Members were given according to the scale of popu-
lation. Every county in England having more than
50,000 inhabitants got an additional Member. Every
county having more than 100,000 inhabitants got two ad-
ditional Members, and so on. Yorkshire got 8 or 10 addi-
tional Members, and other counties got 4, or 5 or 6 ; but
not a single additional Member was given to any county
in Ireland. The consequence is, that Cork, the
county which I represent, has a rural population of
700,000 persons, and only two representatives. Wales
with a population of 800,000, has twenty-eight Members.
—(Hear, hear.) South Lancashire with a population
of 28,000 inhabitants, has four representatives, while
Galway and Mayo, with nearly 900,000 inhabitants,
has but precisely the same number between them.—
(Hear.) Again I turn to John Bull, and ask him—
How dare you talk to me of a union, after the treatment
that Ireland received in the measure of municipal re-
form ? You gave Scotland municipal reform two years
after you gave England municipal reform. For five
years you refused municipal reform to Ireland.—(Hear.)
That is what you call justice to Ireland, but what I
call an ingredient of separation.—(Cheers.) My next
argument is derived from the financial robbery done
to Ireland by the union, and I am sorry to
find that that very able man, Mr. Sharman Craw-
ford, does not seem to understand this matter at
all. At the time of the union England owed a debt of
440,000,0001,whi1e Ireland owed but 20,000,000/., and they
since made us liable to have their 440,000,0001., while
they generously took upon themselves half our
20,000,0004 Mr. Sharman Crawford does not appear to
know that it was expressly stipulated by the union that
Ireland never should be made liable for any part of the
interest of this 440,000,0001., and that England should
be taxed to the amount of 16,000,000/. a year on articles
that were to pay no duty in Ireland ; and yet with the
exception of the assessed taxes, which were dropped
because they were found to be unproductive in Ireland,
and the income-tax, which is a modern introduction,
there is no tax in England that does not also exist in
Ireland. But of all the evils of the union there is none
more ruinous in its effects on this country than the
absentee drain, which is daily increasing in its amount,
and which already exceeds six millions a year. I tell
England there must be a cure for this evil, and that the
only cure for it is the repeal of the union.—(Hear.) I
have detained you long.—(Cries of " No, no ; go on.")
There is no use saying no, no—you can't put back the
clock.—(Cheers and laughter.) Well, I have but a few
words more to say to you. They are these :—The
period of my life cannot now, in the course of nature,
be long.—(Cries of " No, no.") Yes, I have fallen
into the sear and yellow leaf, and the span of
my life is measured by a few fleeting years, in all
human probability, by far less ; but this I tell you, be
the time long or short, I am determined, till the grave
calls upon me, that not a week, not a day, not an hour
shall pass, without my thinking how I may do good to
Ireland, and acting for her independence.—(Cheers.)
No matter what disappointment or treachery I was met
with, I shall work on.—(Loud cheers.) Will you work
on with me ?—{Cries of "We will.") Aye, well I
know it.—(Cheers.) The brave, the religious, the
moral people of Ireland, will work on with me. Even if
we fail, is it not delightful to be engaged in a struggle
for one's country.—(Cheers.) What do I feel course
through my veins at the thought, which he who never
has been in that struggle can never feel—(Cheers)--as
he goes crawling along calculating on which side lies the
profit Poor paltry wretch, if such there be, I tell him
to reckon the throbbings of my heart as it beats with
all its pulse for old Ireland, and to know what the plea-
sure is which I feel in struggling for liberty.—(Great
cheers.) That is my duty and my happiness, and recol-
lecting that loved land, the fairest, sweetest spot on
earth—more fertile, more populous than sixteen states
of Europe—more powerful, I will say, too, than almost
any state—for her tremendous physical force is concen-
trated in a narrow compass—can I doubt that such a
country was fitted for one day, of prosperity and happi-
ness ?—(Cheers.) Aye, that day is near at hand. The
morning star of independence has shone forth. I think
the sun of liberty will soon appear over our horizon, and
rise into the ascendant, giving light to all, and infusing
the life, heat, and animation of liberty into old Ireland.
Having resumed his seat amid applause, which lasted
some time.

Mr. O'CONNELL again rose to propose the health of
the Chairman, which he did in terms of high eulogy, as
the descendant of Brian Borroihme.
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks.
Other toasts followed, 'after which the company sepa-
rated at past midnight.