The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-13 00:00:00

IRELAND.
tn Maw, Nov. 9.—The weekly meeting of the Repeal As-
. socispo'it)he'd to-day at the Concil ation Hall, was very well
-; • attended-1' Mr. O'Connell, acconspan,ed by William Smith
es,
• sO'Briet NO Captain Roderick, entered the Hall, and was re-
cess loud cheers.
out notion of the Hon. and Learned Member for Ccrk
county'
atE o'DoNNtu., Esq., of Cottage, Carrick .on-Suir,
.).! wan.Zl to the Chair. He briefly thanked the meeting
fOr • e tiour conferred onThim, in calling him to preside at
,4% ost, respectable meeting. He hoped that he should
. •rform its duties to their most perfect satisfaction.
Mr. RAY read the minutes of proceedings at the last
meeting.
Mr. O'CossEen handed in several sums of money, and
announced his intention of visiting Waterford in the course
of the ensuing fortnight, for the purpose of endeavouriofng
to heal the existing differences between the Repealers
that district. He then acknowledged the receipt of 1/. Os. Bd.
from Drury-lane Ward, per Mr. Thomas H. O'ConnelJ, R.W.,
&c. &c., who acquainted them that in former days it was the
custom with Irishmen in London to meet on Sunday and
Monday nights, in low public-houses, at what were called
smoking clubs, every man bringing as many acquaintances
as he could, each man paying sixpence to be spent in the
house, but now this state of things was quite changed. They
met this time in public-houses, twenty meetings at one and
the same time, though they had no count or squire to preside.
Those public-house meetings had as presidents sometimes a
lady and sometimes a lord, to whom there was paid as much
respect as if the lord of the manor sat as chairman.
Mr. W. S. O'BRIEN addressed the meeting at great length.
lie alluded in terms of deep despondency to the decline of
the potato crop, but congratulated the meeting on the spirit
already evinced throughout the country to refuse charity
from England, and called upon them as they valued their
national character to meet the present crisis with energyand
resolution. Having reviewed the recent suggestions to save
the potatoes, he could not conceal from himself that the awful
calamity was impending, and that nothing but the merciful
intervention of Providence could protect them from the most
disastrous consequences resulting from the failure of the po-
tato crop. He did not allude to this topic with a view to
encourage
.t,tie sentiment of despair; on the contrary, he
called on tht:lrish nation, upon that occasion, to show them-
selves worthy of the high character they were seeking to
attain amongst the nations of the earth. He called on them
to exhibit a manliness of determination, such as the exigence
of the case required; and he congratulated them that the
universal sentiment hitherto exhibited upon that subject had
been, that they would accept of no English charity. The
resources of that country were still abundantly adequate to
maintain their population, and until those resources should
have been utterly exhausted, he hoped there would be no
man in Ireland who would degrade himself to ask the aid of
a subscription from England. Already they had been given
to understand by the English press, that in the event of their
accepting any relief, however trifling, from England, they
would regard them as ungrateful, if they did not abandon the
efforts they were making to achieve the legislative inde-
pendence of their country.—(Hear.) Let them be prepared to
meet whatever difficulties—whatever calamities might arise,
an the spirit of men contending for freedom, and relying
on Providence and on themselves. That Association had
been censured for not having taken an earlier part with refer-
ence to the present calamity, but he did not think such
censures justifiable. For his part, he did not hesitate to
say that he felt there would be much danger in their point-
ing out anything which might have a tendency to mislead,
and that was the reason why he, for one, did forbear to give
any expression of opinion on the subject, until they should
have made up t heir minds on what was the best course
to be pursued. He had himself suggested the propriety of
offering a prize for the best suggestion, having in view the
prevention of the extension of the potato disease; but he
was afraid that such suggestion would hardly prove effica-
cious at that moment. It would, however, be the duty of
the Committee to watch over that subject with the most
intense anxiety, and to adopt from week to week, and
from day to day, whatever course appeared most con-
ducive to the interests of the country, and he felt cer-
tain that the Committee would not shrink from the task
they bad so long performed of being the friends and advo-
cates of the Itiapeople.—(Cheers.) He had himself arrived
at the concluM that remedies were almost useless, and
that they should trust in Providence for averting the
consequences of the Calamity. It was on the present occa-
sion that they felt the absolute necessity for a domestic Le-
gislature. Such a Legislature would call into action the
combined wisdom of the nation, for the purpose of miti-
gating the evils with which they were threatened. What
was the conduct of the Government ? A deputation, headed
by the chief magistrate, of the leading noblemen and gen-
tlemen of the county, waited upon the Lord-Lieutenant
at his country abode, for the purpose of impressing on his
Excellency the immediate necessity that existed for taking
immediate measures to arrest the famine to which they
were exposed. How was that deputation received? It was
received with contumely and contempt; It was supposed that
Parliament would have been called together, and that some
means might be devised wherebythepeople would be enabled
to procure food—that they would promote the extension of
public works, and that they would facilitate private enterprise.
But expectation had been disappointed. Had the suggestions
laid before the House of Commons during the last session,
with reference to the relations between landlord and tenant,
been adopted, an ample opportunity for the employment of
labour could now be exercised in draining and other im-
provements. He (Mr. O'Brien) was a representative of the
Irish people, and his voice ought to be as powerful in that
hall as in the House of Commons ; and he would assert that
the Government would commit a sin against God, and a
crime against man, unless they called Parliament together
before Christmas, to take the state of the country into
consideration.—(Cheers.) The Hon. Gentleman then pro-
ceeded at considerable length to advert to the foreign rela-
tions of England, and commented upon the many dangers
which threatened her from without, and urged the absolute
necessity of conciliating Ireland as the only means of escap-
ing the perils which environed her. The condupt of the va-
rious Governments of England since the period of the union
was not of such a nature as ought to induce the people to be
Ratified with those baneful measures. Measures which were
boasted as being those of conciliation, always came alloyed
with some unfortunate clauses which rendered them unpa-
latable. He adverted to the Colleges Act, and though lie
was the friend of mixed education, he censured the Govern-
ment for not paying more attention to the remonstrances of
the Catholic Prel.ates, who were unanimous in condemning
the measure. After some further observations of a strong
character, Mr. O'Brien resumed his seat, loudly applauded.
Mr. O'6oNNELL having eulogized Mr. O'Brien's speech,
said that the manner in which the Executive here had
treated the Committee appointed to watch over the progress
of the potato rot had compelled them to address the Prime
Minister on the subject, and would throw on him the entire
responsibility. The Irish people, it appeared, were asking
for bread, and they received but a stone. He (Mr. O'Con-
nell) feared that some outbreak would be the result of the
present scarcity, but he warned the people against resorting
to violence. The Hon. Gentleman then, in an excellent
speech, which the tat( ness of the hour precludes the possi-
bility of presenting, drew a comparison between the condi-
tion of the IriAi in 1782, as related by Arthur Young, and
their present situation, as noticed in Lord Devon's landlord
and tenant commission report, and contended that their des-
titution was the result of the union.
Mr. Jolts: O'CONNELL, in reference to the expression of
Mr. O'Brien, relative to the College Bill, repeated his argu-
lnenta against that measure, and pronounced it dangerous to
the faith and morals of the Catholic people of Ireland. Not-
withstanding Mr. O'Brien's assertions about Mixed educa-
tion, he continued of the same opinion regarding the godless
tA)llegeg scheme.
Mr. S. O'BRIEN considered that he had studiously avoided
giving utterance to any sentiments which he thought might
prove displeasing to the Hon. Member for Kilkenny.
Mr. O'CONNELL referred to the acceptance of a President-
ship in one of the new colleges by the Very Rev. Dr. Kirwan.
That reverend gentleman was his friend, and he could scarcely
believe he would have countenanced a scheme which had
been unanimously condemed by the. Roman Catholic hierar-
chy. God help the people, but I trust the thought will not
cross their minds, that the clergy will be accessible to
bribery. lied any man told me that 1)r. Kirwan would
have accepted a situation under the Colleges Act, I would as
soon believe that a stieam could be turned up the side of a
mountain.
After a vast variety of routine business was transacted, the
rent for the week was announced to be 300/. 17s. 6d., and the
meeting then separated.

avf,'

THE POTATO DISEASE.

The accounts received this morning from the provinces are
much to the same effect as the preceding one. The Evening
Mail of this evening says, in general terms, the writer's im-
pression :—" 1. That the crop remaining sound is even yet
equal to an average one. 2. That if it can be saved, it will
prove abundant for every usual purpose. 3. That a great
part of it, if not the whole, may be saved by judicious ma-
nagement. 4. That dryness: i. e. evaporation by ventilation
or otherwise, affords the best means of preservation; and we
add, that the ventilating pit devised by Dr. Halpin seems the
means most applicable on an extensive scale to this process."
Since our last the wiseacre commissioners have issued two
reports, neithea of which has added to their reputation as
practical men, or the instruction of the country in the prac-
tical means of arresting the malady. If either we or our
readers had time or inclination to amuse ourselves with a
critical examioation of their labours, scientific or literary,
we might have a rich fund of entertainment far a winter's
evening. • Such grammar and logic as pervades the following
passage'forin Ale staple of these reports, and exhibit prima
facie evidence of the fitness of the inditer to become a public
instructor:—
"We have ascertained (says the report) that autumn
planting has already been practised thsoughout Fingal, for
the early supply of the Dublin market, and that although
the practice has been nearly discontinued, that has not hap-
pmed for any reason that. affects the present question
Neither do we learn that the early period at which the leaves
-appear above the ground in spring is attended with any
greater risk than what attends precarious clops like the
potato in any season."
Autumn Wanting we find has been already practised
throughout Fingal ; and we commend it as a useful and pre-
cautionary practice; but before the sentence concludes, our
,hopes are dashed Irith the information, that -the practice has
"been Fie rly discontinued, for no reason that affects the pre-
sent qusstion : that is to say, it has without rhyme or reason
been discontinued as soon as it began. But-this is obviously
not the reporter's meaning, and if in the first clause we would
read formerly instead of already, we should come to something
more like sense than as it stands at present, little as that
sense is. We must, however, dismiSs this topic for matter
more urgent, and introduce our readers to such valuable
information as we have selected for their use from our loci
correspondence,