The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-06 00:00:00

THE IRISH STATE TRIALS.

The following announcement appeared in the Birming-
ham papers: _ •

" TOWN'S MEETING.
" TO T. WESTON, ESQ., MAYOR OF BIRMINGHAM.
" We, the undersigned inhabitants of the borough of
Birmingham, respectfully request that you will convene
a town's meeting, to consider the propriety of petitioning
Parliament, and taking such other steps as may be re-
quisite to protect the constitutional liberties of the Bri-
tish people from the dangers to which recent proceedings
in Ireland have exposed them."
[Here follows a list of upwards of 250 names of the
most influential persons of the town, and upwards of 500
additional names, it is stated, have been obtained since
the placard was printed.]
" In compliance with the above requisition, I hereby
convene a meeting of the inhabitants of this borough, to
be held in the Town-hall, on Wednesday next, March 6,
1844, at one o'clock.

" THOMAS WESTON, Mayor.
1 "D. O'Connell, Esq., M.P., will attend.
" Tickets of admission to the side bo.alleries, price Is.
open to ladies), to be had of the hall keeper, door in
pongreve-street."
In addition to the above names, there were appended to
the requisition several hundreds of respectable inha-
bitants, who there can be no doubt, will attend, to give ex-
pression to their unqualified dissatisfaction at the recent
proceedings in Ireland. Mr. O'Connell, who will-attend,
will no doubt be the attraction of the day, and will be
bailed by the people of Birmingham in such a manner
s cannot fail, in connexion with his triumphant reeep-
pion in London, to subdue those asperities which have
itherto existed between his countrymen and the people
f England. The following is a copy of the invitation
pon which the Hon. Gentleman has consented to attend.
Other members of- Mr. O'Connell's family, particularly
Mr. John O'Connell, are anxiously looked for:—
" TO DANIEL O'CONNELL, M.P.
" In consequence of the extraordinary proceedings which
(have lately taken place in Ireland, by which it is apprehended
`that the constitutional liberties of the inhabitants of the whole
kingdom have been endangered, it has been decided to hold a
town's meeting of this borough, under the presidency of the
Mayor, to consider the propriety of petitioning Parliament on
the subject.
" The requisitionists comprise a large proportion of the
town council and nearly seven hundred inhabitants, whose
signatures were affixed in one day ; and on behalf of those
gentlemen I have the pleasure to request thy attendance at
the meeting, which is to be held in the Town-hall on Wed-
nesday next, at one o'clock P.M.
" Tam desired to add that the requisitionists will be happy
to welcome auy of thy Family or friends on that occasion. I
I am, very respectfully,
" JOSEPH STURGE, Chairman of the
Committee appointed to make the
arrangements on behalf of the
requisitionists."
BIRMINGHAM, TUESDAY EVENING.--AS the time ap-
proaches for the town's meeting to-morrow, the interest in-
creases, and a very general desire seems topervade all par-
, ties to see and hear Mr. O'Connell, who has signified his
intention to be present. The demand for tickets of admission
to the side and organ galleries is very considerable, and there
can be no doubt of the meeting being a very decided demon-
stration against the policy of the present Government in re-
' ference to Ireland. This morning Mr. Sturge received the
following letter from 'Mr. O'Connell, which was this day laid
before the committee of management:—
" Trafalgar Hotel, Spring-gardens, March 4, 1844.
"My respected Friend,—l had the honour of receiving
j your letter, written as Chairman of the Committee of the
larrangement for a public meeting to be held on the 6th inst.
I (Wednesday), in the Town-hall of Birmingham, containing
lan invitation, with grateful alacrity. It gives me heartfelt
pleasure to find that the wise and the good at Birmingham
i sympathise , with the sorrows and grievances of the long.
oppressed people of Ireland.
" I rejoice also to perceive that the men of Birmingham
i appreciate justly the objects , which our common enemy had
lin view in the recent trials in Ireland. The anti-freedom
party are wise in their generation ; they are quite aware
that if that which is now a mere matter of fact, namely, the
recent trial, be confirmed into a precedent, there will be thus
established ' judge-made law,' to be used as an instrument
by which, and indeed to extinguish all those peaceable com-
binations, by means of which all our institutions can safely
be ameliorated, and British liberty secured.
"It is, therefore, incumbent on the friends of justice to all,
and of constitutional freedom, to, rally against this monster
attempt to put down free discussions, and to prevent organised
petition and remonstrance.

"If the anti-freedom party succeeded in the present in-
stance, they will secure to a sordid and selfish oligarchy that
legislative power which they now have corruptly usurped
and most corruptly abused ;, and they will leave to the people
of these realms no other mode of- getting rid of the abomi-
nable system of class legislation than by force, violence, and
revolutionary movements—modes of action which neither
you nor I will ever consent to resort to. Now, therefore, is
the time for the wise and the good to rally together to crush
the wicked attempts to annihilate, under the forms of law,
great constitutional principles.
" In this struggle for the abolition of class legislation, and
for the termination of oligarchical power, you will find the
peaceful and loyal people of Ireland tranquilly giving you
their assistance, and no man will be more ardent and perse-
vering in his humble but strenuous exertions to afford you
that assistance than your devoted humble
" DANIEL O'CONNELL.
"Joseph Sturge, Chairman, &c.