The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-02 00:00:00

JUSTICE TO IRELAND.

GREAT MEETING IN COVENT-
GARDEN.
Mr. T. DUITCOIO33I9, M.P. (in continuation from our Afternoon
Valens of yesterday), said—He hoped they would unani-
loons!), adopt the resolution.--("We will.") If so, he felt con-
fident that there was not a single enlightened constituency in
England which Would not follow such a noble example,
and if it were so fellowed the release of Mr. O'Connell and
his fellow-prisoners would be certain, and they would even-
tuilly.pcure to the Irish people that that justice would be
done tnem which ha hoped they would never cease to require.
Mr. StliaCteil HaltroßD seconded the resolution. He
bad been told that morning that he must net come there
to-day, because it would not be a respectable meeting. He
..void ask any one who saw them assembled there if such a
body of ns as he saw there assembled before him were
le or not ?—(Hear, hear.) He was glad to see a
ineet*g so numerous- and so respectable assembled to assist
Cheri int vindicating their .rights.—(Cheers.) If they
did not vindicate the rights of others, let them look
to their own, or the unconstitutional principles which were
tow adopted in Ireland would soon be adopted here.—(Loud
cheese.) As an Englishman he had always felt deep sym-
pathy for Ireland, and he was prepared to come forward
and vindicate the rights of that country as willingly
aa he tiould those of his own.—(Cries of Hear, hear.")
lie was grare there were others better qualified to address
them on the subject of Ireland, but, as an inhabitant of
Westminster, he could not refuse himself the satisfaction of
conning forward to second this resolution.—(Cheers.) He
hoped this was only the beginning of a demenstration which
would extend to every part of England, Scotland, and
Ireland, and would show that the
~people were determined
tot to be trampled under foot by any class whatever.
It was absurd to expect that the Members of Parliament
would stand up for the rights of the people unless the people
told them, in language that could not be misunderstood, that
each was their duty, and that they expected them to per-
form it.—(Loud cheers.) He hoped that in a short time ,
they would effect the liberation of Mr. O'Connell
and his friends, who were the victims of an act of
extraordinary tyranny.—(Loud cheers.) He would not
detain than longer, bat would content himself with saying
that there "was no one more attached to the cause of civil and re-
ligious liberty that: himself, and he should as an humble instru-
ment be always ready to raise his voice in favour of the people
whenever he could•be of the slightest use to them.—(Cheers.)
The Bear BAILIFF said, that Colonel Rawdon, ALP. for
the City of Armagh, in Ireland, was desirous to address the
meeting in support of the resolution.
Colonel Rawnost, who was received with vehement cheer-
sag, said, that he was not in the habit of taking any share
in the political proceedings of the City of Westminster, but he
attended here this day,..as an elector of this city, to protest with
bits fellow-citizens against an attack which had been made
upon the Constitution.—(Cheers.) He was also here as one
of the representatives of the Irish people, calling on the
peeple. of England to express to the Government of this
country their sense of the insult which had been
Inflicted upon Ireland.—(Great cheering.) He would here
emphatically state to the meeting, that trial by jury had been
tampered with—(Renewed cheering)—and nowhere was it
better known than in this city of Westminster. Now great
were the benefits which arose from that institution. The
electors of Westminster knew, and had often proved, that
trial by jury was the bulwark of their liberties—he would not
say of their lis'es, for he knew that they agreed with him in
valuing more their liberties than their lives. He had told
Clem that the constitution had been invaded, and he would tell
them why ?Magna Charta, of which every Englishman had
heard and was justly proud, enacted that by the right of trial
by jury it was meant that every Englishman should be tried
by his equals. That was the opinion of an eminent lawyer,
3edge Blackstone. Magna Charts stated farther that no
Dian eliould be imprisoned without a lawful judgment, and
equal justice should be done to every man. He believed that
this provision of Magna Charta was confirmed by the Bill of
Bights; and he now stated in the presence of the English
prose, and in 'that great meeting, that the Bill of Rights had
been invaded. It stated most expressly that juries should be
duly empannelled and returned.—(Cheers.) Now, the Lord
tleyor and citizens of Dublin, and numerous other bodies,
bad petitioned the House of Commons, and complained (he
I allayed with justice) that the jury had not been properly
empannelled.—(Cheers.) He thought it was so, and he
believed that all the meeting thought so too.—(Cheers.) Was
be not right then in saving that the Bill of Rights had been
invaded ?—(Cheers.) Well, then, they knew that this might
be only the first step.—(Hear, hear.) But it was in the
power of the 'constituency of England to put a stop to the
inroads upon the Constitution.—(Renewed cheering.) He
'as convinced of this as much as of any fact recorded in his-
tory, that the liberties of this country were maintained by,
end "were based upon, free discussion.—(Hear, hear.) But
there had been in. Ireland an attempt to suppress free discus-
eion, and it was for that meeting, and meetings like it, to say
whether the same thing should not be done shortly here.—
( Loud cries of " No, no—never more," and vehement
eaeering.) There had been a new construction of the
law of conspiracy-'-in fact, it was as much a new law
• A new eqnstruction of the law. He did not know but
t iat y that new -law the Government might not make
It Mnonrable Friend, the Member for Finsbury, as
;Jest a conspirator as Daniel O'Connell.—(Great cheering
..end laughter.) That was the fact ; for, mind, if they took
hillmeeting, and put to that the dinner which he (Mr.
Duncoinbe) attended the other day, not far from this market,
tied on the name subject—(Laughter)—and if they were to
• 'set this meeting and that speech, and one dinner and another
laugh)— ' they might, under their new law, make
very good case of conspiracy—(Cheers and great
14) " .
j—and the Hon. Member for Finsbury might be in-
I sughte?
d imprisoned. He knew that the people of
dieted
England wel*.ajust, and that the people of Westminster were
re-eminently :atelligent, and no attack upon liberty could
lie made without their protesting against it, in this place—
( Cov'ant-garden MatSitet)—and they were assembled here now
to protest against an. encroachment on the trial by jury.—
Her}. It might be proper for him to allude shortly to one
111:mewl:deb was introduced into the resolution—he meant
that of Daniel O'Connell.—(lmmense and long-continued
cheeriugs with waving of hats and handkerchiefs for several
He (Col. R.) wished to tell the meeting that he
-.vas no folloWer of Mr. O'Connell's. He did not belong to
Its had no party, bUt his country.—(Hear, hear).
(At this time a gentleman, who was stated to be " Captain
.A.ckerley " had-procured some stool or chair upon which he
'elevated 'himself close to the hustings, and addressed the
rneeting in so vociferous a manner, as to drown the voice of
she gallant Colonel. He paid no regard to the indignant
tries of " Shame, shame—off, off," with which he was assailed
srom all parts of the meeting. At length, by a sudden rush
the enraged.crowd,.the captain and his rostrum were over-
-"turned together, and the eccentric orator, it would seem, put
completely hers de combat, for he did not again present him-
melf to the meeting. Order being restored)—
Colonel RAWDpN 'proceeded.. The country, and, indeed,
anankind 'were under a deep debt of gratitude to Mr.
,t)'Oc.tinell;seho:had ever advocated the rights of freemen, what-
esveetheir colour or religion might be—(Cheering)—and were
-they, now that he was in prison, to hesitate in coming
Jorwardia cause ?—,Cheers.) It was because he was in
views_ that: he (Colonel Rawdon) raised his voice in his
;favour. He had never done so before. But as a Member of
Xarliament-e-a represeistative of the Irish people—and also as
an enactor of the great city of Westminster, ho should be
asliansed of himself if he did not denounce the unconstitu-
tional proceedings of the Government.—(Cheers.) Sir T.
-Wilde, a lawyer, of whom they had all heard, defended the
.at.dtation for which Mr. O'Connell was imprisoned, and he
der (led it • itpon the ground that no redress of grievances
was e'var obtained without agitation.—(Elear, hear.) It was
for that,. 'reason they were . assembled here this day, 'to
agitate .0:K1 • discuss:. their grievances, and to send
petitop to, the Jiouso of Commons. He thanked them
fo; the .• manner which they had heard him ; and he con-
.rratulated the.conntry, upon the generous sympathy which
`had_ been evinces,' fir the oppressed in Ireland, which would
,do much to produce harmony between the two countries.—
(Hear, hear.) Let them not istop to see What had been
;done in Ireland repeated in' England ; but if they
'were not both Watchful. and energetic that would be done.—
(The Gallant Colonel retired amidst loud and repeated
cheers) •
The resolution was then put, and carried by acclamations
'salad and long continued.
veh. . Dzytaveas.
;tlate Member for Cheshire, came for-
Mr. stove the next. resolution, which was, that a peti-
ward' to .
ton founcaeei. on .resolution esolution just agreed to be
Parliament. • He thought that the
presented td.asa more especially the constituency of West-
whole =TAM a" se great obligations to the distinguished
eainster, were track. for Finsbury, for having directed the
and-PatriPtic.Atelni a this city to points, which for some
attention. of the electors
.esuao,
or
otherAtim_., bee, su.areredi_to sink into apathetic desue-
at had esst always been so. Some years
tude.e-dear. Th of the Government as they
ago such don ct on the part
were novtassetamed to amader eaould have . kindled a flame
in Westnainster • that • would hsYO aroused the whole
country.. The Most distinguished ma,
rt in Ireland had been
*objected to imprisonment at the ,very lime when .a writ of
e.nor was pending• which mightedeclare hint innocent; and
we scarcely recovered from our suspense at this when we
disco 'voted that the Government was reading our letters in the
1;;iso tne.--(Cheers,) As far as the petition went, he
WAS extremely good, and he felt extremely
thought
in being called on to propose it. But he ur
g
ed
-the meetillg not to think that by this petition they honouredwould
eltrikesat tt‘e root of_ the evil. There were two machines of
aegiebtOen;:itta. they might as well petition the two hands
.ola Watch-to set the works right as petition those machines
-t cure the eviie. of Government. They had themselves the
tract} n ow; of those machines, and if they had made
for.tharnsafreaa bed of thorns they must lie on it.-(Cheers,
am:Aeries of True, trite.") The only way, as we under-
stood the Hon. Gentleman, to obtain a redress of grievances
• ween;thei'theuseseple eheuld
,properli exercise their power of
'eleotakfittillil WS of CommODS. e concluded by moving
esliat the petitien'be adopted as that of the meeting.
lit'Ltoo. In aeconding the motion, said that the last
tint\ e he had thipleasure ofineeting his brother electors in that
-oleos* was on the occasion when Sir F. Burdett was defeated.
ri,lncis was now...in his grave, and they might let his
faults eZeep with him.—(Hear, hear.) But he (fir. M'Leod)
never Sidi 80 much-pleasure in coining before them as he did
in the cense. of Mr. O'Coneell, a man who deserved so much
conntrfe, and who had committed :no offence, and
broken les ‘law;---(Hear.) , The very judge that sentenced
Nal shed tea:* whilst he pronounced the will of the Court,
obeerved that , the most remarkable part of Mr.
anclannell's conduat was his constant amid successful endea-
,.6ure-- to preserve the peace and prevent disturbance. Well,
that might be Irish lays--to send a man to prison for keeping
the peac..l.-<Lanithtt4') would they let him out soon if he
i
a eowius?-h,-(he ers and laughter.) It was
ncased 'kick up
dagger:ass thing for Epg n.ento look on quietly at such
thin (Chtaers..); The Goeeransent,who had acted so in
Ireland, would send every man in that meeting to prison
.--they, dared. "(Cheers.) In seeking the redress of
rievances, the
p‘ Vple had no right to destroy property,
to be riotous, Or to .Commitdepredations upon each other ;
had.a right .to meet in thousands and tens of
but they seat2iament forredrees.—(Cheers.) He
thousands to petition a
ae and Scotland had been too remiss
was eaLisfied that Engle
rescreeingjustice done' to Ireland, and that they would I
suffer for their retnissnessomlese they came forward now and
juetice done to you, when
said. to Ireland " We will
al; h of me sent to
we see the most just, wise,
c 1
riedn."—(" lleari hear," and cLeers umane.) For hisn part he
(Dlr. ; Mood) declared, as a Scotchwan, that if justice were
.notapeedily done to Mr. O'Connell and. tho people of Ireland,
_she himself would become a repealer.—(tereat cheering.)
Andeed he was .not certain how far he mighti g? yet.—(A.
Algigh.) - At first he had a drop of the Whig pewit in his
Irnelititat coustitutionA laugh)—then he became
iCAI d now he wa.4 happy to say that lie was a
sthoseegh Chartist • and if the Government
in went
h on
own
in
• AU. ;,Mole-:: manner; he must . go on is
Toroineseualziee repealer--(Cheers and laughter.) He was
• mauled Stebefiere that Lord Howick was going on the same
road with
fe„,„,, himself,'e and he thought that Lord. John Russell
won ms-O;YerP-dong`,Mar-cli behind them, if he had
laettt love Caeyr.
4, --(Meer* and laughter.) He had never
64911
algariab "me" ificent a meeting as the present.
.nor,riea,ceinatere orderly, He was proud of that, for no-
. thiluA Would the eneriA.4 of the people desire more than to
see I.l(3tlng. "if we were so" said " they
_ would drink
Ont.he,,lth and bad luck to nit."---(A laugh). He concluded
by sewn: 'VIK the resolution, and 'reading the petition, which
.was adarcv. Tianip?owity, amidst the most enthasiastio
cheering. • - - -