The Sun.
London, England, 1829-01-23 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE-FRIENDS OF CIVIL
AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY,
ON TUESDAY, AT THE ROTUNDA, DUBLIN.

On Tuesday last the great meeting of the Friends
of Civil and Religiceis Liberty wan held at the
Rotunda, in Dublin. Nothing could exceed the in-
terest which attached to this assemblage of persons
of all ranks and of every religious persuasion. The
meeting comprised a representation of the chief part
of the landed .property of the- country, and the
speakers were principally Protestant gentlemen, who
have not hitherto taken a part in the political
struggles which have been permitted so long and so
unhappily to impair and distract the interests of this
afflicted country.
It was impossible to behold this meeting, when
the chair was taken by the Duke of Leinster at
half-past twelve o'clock. without being struck with
the deep and intense interest which attaches to poli-
tical questions in this country. The. Rotunda is a
circular building, capacious enough to afihrd accom-
modation to 4,000 or 5,000 persons. It was filled
in every part. The platform was occupied by the
chief speakers and a considerable body of country
gentlemen. The area in front was filled with one
dense mass of people, apparently of the middling
classes. There were elevated seats for the ladies
in convenient positions, and many of the first fami-
lies in Dublin took their stations upon them.
Among the nobility present we observed Lords
Cloncurry; Bective, Dunally, Milltown, Glengall,
Rossmore, Clanmorris, Killeen, Gormanstown,
Forbes, Riversdale, Clernents Howth, Mr. Cha-
loner, of York, who represented Earl
here, Count Magatney. Of the Baronets there
were—Sir John Newport, Thomas Esmonde,
Charles Styles, Marcus Somerville, C. Morgan, F.
• Macdonnell, &c. Mr. Brownlow, M.P., Mr. Teite,
"M.P., Mr. Van Homrigh, M.P., Hon. Robert King,
N. LP. Denham Jephson,-. M.P., Thomas Lloyd,
-3L1)., Dominick Browne, M.P., Colonel Fitz-
gerald, of Geraldine, county Kildare ; Colonel
Drought, Mr. Berwick, William Crawford,
of -Fermoy ; Robert • Roe, of sans Scowl ;
Hon. David Plunkett, John Power, of Kil-
feacle ; Richard.. Trench, Henry Napier, Richard
Sinclair, Daniel O'Connell, William Shannon Craw-
furd, Captain Francis Evans, Hon. E. Preston,
Louis Perrin (King's Counsel), Gerald Deere,
O'Farrell of Ballisea, &c. Among the country
gentlemen were the Ponsonbys, the Powers of Ka-
keußy aad Waterford, the Prestons, the Bovsce's.of
Wexford, the :Sappers of Meath, the Tiglues, the
W yges of Waterford, the sons of O'Connor Don, and
the heads of the principal families in the different
counties of Irehmd. The gentleman of the bar were
aletrin pretty full attendance—Nlr. O'Connell, Mr.
Shiel, Mr. Leader, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Cuthbert.
The mercantile interests were also engaged in these
- proceedings, and commercial property to an im-
mense amount was likewise represented in the room.
Upon the Duke of LEINSTER taking the chair
(nn the motion of Alderman l'l'Kenny, seconded by
Colonel Fitzgerald), the applause was loud and
universal, His Grace briefly, addressed the Meet-
ing, hoping that the gentlemen who should address
them would be at brief as possible, and confine
themselves solely to the regular business of the
day, which met necessarily be of long duration.
If was very desirable they should try and finish
without an adjournment, and he hoped the Meeting
would contribute to promote that object.—(Hear.)
Seeretariee were then eppointed;eand the Rev.
E. GROVES (one of them) read the different letters
of the noblemen and gentlemen who were unavoid-
ebly absent in England.
The Hon. ROBERT KING, M.P. for Cork, having
come forward, amid loud cheering,
My Lord Duke—A, resolution has beeneommitted
to me to propose for the consideration of this meet-
ing, which I shall beg to preface by observing, how
highly gratifying it is to behold rank and influence
in this present assembly united for the attainment of
one common object, and that object its regards Ire-
land the most vitally' importimt, namely emancipa-
tion. tinder present circumstances it is demanded
by the highest considerations that van influence man,
iustiee, sound policy, and humanity towards an un-
fortunate, distracted, and hitherto misgoverned coun-
try. With respect to emancipation, I am indeed a
sincere and ardent friend, but then it must -be with;
out any compromise of principles; with regard to
securities, I know none more binding than the affec-
tions of a grateful people. I am happy meal among
the Protestants of the county Cork the cause I will
not-say of the Catholics, but that of justice and of
it-eland, advances daily. To the Noble Marquis, to
him who has been the proximate cause of this
bleesisig, the gratitude of this ,country is for ever
due; hut for nothing more than that inestimable
legacy, his parting admonition, comprieed in that
never-tc-be-forgetteo letter to Dr. Curtis, A pro..
csharacterizeel by the soundest and most states-
manlike views.
Mr. D. LATOUCHE seconded the resolution.
Mr. Jolts ill`Caeh, a Methodist preacher, thought
to interrupt .he harmony' of the meeting at this
stage of the proceedings, but was called to order by
the Noble Chaieman, who said, that as the gentle-
man was not a sapporter of the objects contem-
plated by the requisitionists, he could not be heard
at this hour; if, however, the gentleman remained
till the business of the day was gone through, he
should then be heard with patience.
The motion was then put, and carried unani-
mously.
Lord DUNALLY—My Lord Duke and Gentle-
men, I have the honour to move the adoption of the
second resolution. I shall at present only say, it is
my decided opinion, and I speak from an intimate
knowledge of the state of Ireland, that neither
peace, harmony, nor prosperity can exist here, until
order is restored, and the union of ell classes ce-
mented, by a Bill, granting to the Catholics full,
free, and unrestricted emancipation. (Loud and
'continued appie;:se-)
Mr. Bovsee, of the cr,unty of Wexford—My Lord
Duke, I trust I can apprec;ate, as it is meet I should
do, the too flattering distinction irrinlied in the per"-
mission now given me to second the resolution
which we bare just beard read. lam of opinion,
and ever have been, that all laws which go to con-
stitute religious belief a test or qualifleatlon CM' eligi-
bility to civil franchises, are in themselves unjust,
tyrannical, absurd ; and that slavery, be civil,
political, or religious, cannot co-exist, and, in point
of fact, never has co-existed, with the fair developee
ment of the national resources of any people. If I
am right in this, I think it a corollary presumebly,
if not technically deducible from the proposition,
that the least fallible tests, the best securities, and
the soundest guarantees of a nation's greatness, are
to be sought atone in a fuil, free, and unrestricted
enjoyment of the rights of conscience,and the rights
of citizenship. It', then, I be asked to adduce a
verification of my dictum, I will refer toa country
whose wretchedness is such as to defy every attempt
an description. Yes, to that transceedantly wretched
country, which has called together here to day, to
plead her cause, to break a lance in her constitu-
tional battle—to minister to her_ urgent wants—to
senotrate her drooping hopes, and, eventually, as I do
mist, (notwithstanding whatever 'of indecent levity
or diplomatic dissimulation her, -rernonstrances may
have to encounter in high places) to elaborate her
prosperity and repose, has called tegethei, I say,
here to-day, her noblest,
_" virtuest, discreetest
sons." Look around vou, my Lord Duke, and tell
me whether her appeal has been made in vain. My
proposition then and its inference will admit of no
more fitting illustration, than that which wotild result
from contrasting the actnal moral and civil phrases,
which fi our own, sad in the sister island, at this
moment present themselves to the mintl's.eye of a
diecerning and candid observer. In the one, rnan
walks erect and fearless, in the sublime conecions-
oess--in the eomentuding attitude of his noble and
exalted nature-
- Lard of dieliou beatt end eagle-eye."
But what,is the"state of Ireland l oh ! curse on
the contrtist.i fifer!, we have the withering and irras
tional subjection of tjte di.sfranchised millions, to the
acrogat andit.aesrtit)ible supremacy of the priyileed