The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-20 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN FEB. 17.—The usual weekly meeting of the
Repeal Association, held to-day, in the Conciliation Hall,
was very much crowded. Mr. O'Connell made his appear-
ance amid loud and enthusiastic peals of acclamation. The
lion. and Learned Gentleman was accompanied by Robert
Dillon Browne, Esq., M.P., William Smith O'Brien, Esq.,
M.P., Edmund Burke Roche, Esq., M.P., James Kelly, Esq.,
M.P., Morgan O'Connell, Esq., M.P., P. J. Somers, Esq.
M.P., Thomas Davis, Esq, Thomas Macnevin, Esq., and
some other members of the Committee.

Mr. Macievrx, on the motion of the Member for Lime-
rick, having been called to the Chair, addressed the meeting
at some length.
Mr. Jot's O'Coxxer.t., M.P., referred to a subject of some
interest in the financial statement of the Prime Minister in
Parliament. He confessed he did not take quite the grateful
view that others were inclined to take of the benefit which
it was thought one portion of his proposition would confer on
the people of Ireland. He was fully aware of the benefit
that the reduction in the duty on glass would confer on the
poorer classes, for it would enable them to have more light,
and make their cabins more conducive to the health of the
inmates; but their gratitude, or rather, their joy for such a
boon, should not make them lose sight of the gross injustice
continued upon them by the omissions of the Minister in other
respects towards Ireland.—(Cheers.)
Mr. O'CONNELL rose amid loud cheers, and announced the
receipt of a remittance from the county Louth, and in doing
so he took occasion to observe, that when Mr. Montesquieu
Bellew was canvassing that county he avowed himself a de-
termined repealer. That gentleman was now praising Peel,
and appeared quite forgetful that he had obtained his scat
by professing the strongest repeal principles. He hoped
he got something for being a renegade. He (Mr. O'Con-
nell) pronounced him, from that spot, to be " a most un-
savoury renegade." At the next election some other person
would be returned to represent that noble county—the
county Louth ; and if Mr. Bellew showed his face, ugly as
it was, it would be handsomer going there than it would be
going away.
Mr. O'Cossrer.r, again rose, and said he had to hand in
521. lie. from Washington, in the district of Colombia, and
230/. from Baltimore.—(Cheers.) The Hon. and Learned
Gentleman expressed his deep gratitude, and that of the
Association, to their :American friends. The Hon. and
Learned Gentleman concluded by moving that it. be referred
to a Committee to prepare suitable replies to the American
correspondence.
Mr. Somens seconded the motion, which passed.
Mr. O'CONNELL wished to make an observation or two. in
reference to the increased grant to May nooth. He had been
informed that Peel intended making the grant 26,000/. per
annum, besides which, the buildings were to be repaired,
under the superintendence and at the expense of the Board
of Public Works. He had been reproached with neglecting
to oppose this grant, and reminded of his oft-repeated prin-
ciple—that every religion should pay its own clergymen.
That, certainly, was his principle, and he should like very
much to see it carried out ; but, while the Established Church
took money from the Catholics and Dissenters, for which it
gave no value, he would take all he could get for Maynooth.
Mr. R. D. BROWNE, having expressed his full concurrence
in the Liberator's observations respecting American sym-
pathy, referred to the recent speech of Mr. Wakley, in which
that Hon. Gentleman alluded to the absence of Irish Members
from Parliament, and invited them to come forward and
expose the grievances of their country, if any existed.
Mr. O'CONNELL proceeded to comment upon the speeches
recently delivered by Mr. Wakley in the debates on the Ad-
dress and the Budget. Mr. Wakley had been made a mouth-
piece of, to insinuate charges against Irish Members, which
were totally without foundation ; and he (Mr. O'Connell)
charged him with the grossest ignorance regarding Irish
affairs. This ignorance was so " crass," that it seemed to
be pretended, and Mr. Wakley- was in the position of
" Abegoil, who went to hell without sin." In reply to the
demand made by Mr. Wakley, that Irish Members should
make a distinct declaration of the measures they required
and would be contented with, Mr. O'C. read a number of do-
cuments published by himself, and other members of the
Repeal Association, when the Precursor Society existed,
in which the required list of grievances and their remedies,
were put forward. Mr. Wakley's ignorance, pretended or
real, of these public documents, proved him unfit to legislate
for the country, and Ireland could put no confidence in a Par-
liament composed of such persons. The Hon. Gentleman
concluded his speech, which was a comparatively short
address, by moving that copies of the reports, and other do-
cuments, to which he had alluded, should be forwarded to
Mr. IVakley by the Secretary of the Association.
Mr. E.B. ROCHE seconded the motion.

Mr. O'CONNELL mentioned, that on the next day of meet-
ing he would give notice •f a resolution to the effect, that a
petition to Parliament should be prepared, praying for a re-
peal of those clauses in the Emancipation Act which affected
the Jesuits and other regular clergy.—(Cheers.)
The rent for the week was announced to be 7511. lOs. sd.