The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-05 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, SEPT. 2.—The weekly meeting of the Re-
peal "Association was held to-day in the Conciliation
Hall, which presented a crowded appearance. Robert
Dillon Browne, Esq., M.P., for Mayo, discharged the
duties ofleader with great ability, in the absence of John
Smith O'Brien, Esq., M.P., and Henry Grattan, Esq.,
M.P. for IVicklow. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman,
who was greeted with loud and rapturous applause on
taking his seat next to Mr. O'Connell's chair, moved that
James O'Hea, Esq., barrister-at-law, and one of the
junior coun'serfur the traversers in the Irish State trials,
do preside.. _ _ _

The Learned CHAIRMAN called the attention of the
meeting to the fact, that since the incarceration of Mr.
O'Connell and his fellow-martyrs, the chair had been in-
variably filled by Members of Parliament—men of rank
and station ; but the Committee had, on the present oc-
casion, deviated from the principles which regulated
the selection of chairman, and selected so humble an in-
dividual as himself to hold that high and important
position, for the purpose of showing to the lowliest mem-
bers of the Association that the highest honours which
the Association could bestow were as open to them as
to their superiors in rank and wealth. Mr. O'Hea then
alluded to the fact, that while they (the Repeal-
ers) were holding their great national weekly as-
sembly on that day, the House of Lords were pro-
nouncing judgment on the writ of error in the
great State cause of the Queen v. O'Connell. He was
perfectly aware that if' that legal decision should be ad-
verse to the Repeal meetings, it would be turned to an
improper and unjustifiable use. The Premier of Eng-
' land had said, in his place in Parliament, that Mr.
i O'Connell and his compatriots had had a fair trial—
(Loud cries of " NO, no")—and if the decision of the
English Judges and Law Lords on the record proved un-
I favourable to the men who were suffering incarceration
for their country, he had no doubt on his mind but that
the Tory press and the Tory speakers would assert that
• such decision was corroborative testimony that the pri-
soners were fairly and impartially tried. The Chairman
then argued at great length and with considerable
ability, that even in deciding adversely to the prisoners
the House of Lords would make no pronouncement
whatever a: to the fairness or unfairness of the Judge's
charge to the jury empannelled for Mr. O'Connell's trial.
He forewarned the public mind not to be led away by the
'arguments of the Tory pre. ss. They should remember
that it was upon the proceedings on the record that the
House of Lords was to decide, and not on the merits of
the case.—(Hear.) Alluding to the present state and
present prospects of the great national cause, the Chair-
man said that he saw no reason for despair, much less
for despondency, but every reason for Cheerfulness.
War was impending, and it seemed unavoidable—it was
all but proclaimed. In such an event occurring Sir
Robert Peel said he relied upon the loyalty of the Irish
people.—(Laughter, and, ironical cheers.) He was
right, however, and he might rely that the Irish would
be found like a wall of fire around their Sovereign. But
he asked,,had the Minister any 'right to oppress, to bar-
rass the Irish people, and t,) strain their loyalty too
far ? Was' it reasonable to expect that they would
bear the brunt of the battle, and reap no advantages
from the victory ? The Tangiers pepper would perhaps
season some agreeable condiment, of which the Irish
people would be called upon to 'partake. It was their
(the Repealers') time to make their own terms. As he