The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-04 00:00:00

IRELAND.
TITE POTATO DISEASE.
DUBLIN, DEC. I.—The accounts brought by the latest pro-
vincial journals are, in the aggregate, by far the most favour-
able that have been received since the first appearance of the
distemper, and the opinion is daily gaining ground " that the
injury sustained will prove to be very short of what was ap-
prehended, and the great alarm and excitement created con-
siderably exaggerated, and in many instances for interested
purposes." Such is the view now entertained of the
subject by a Repeal paper (the Cork Reporter), and having
made the candid admission that the panic was kept
up, if not created, for an "interested purpose," it will
scarcely answer hereafter to charge those who, from
the outset, were inclined to take a less gloomy view
of the prospect, with being actuated by factious motives
in their opposition to the reiterated cry of impend-
ing famine. There is a wide difference between actual star-
vation and temporary scarcity—the latter being of itself an
evil of sufficient magnitude to justify the precaution of any
Government sincerely disposed to take measures for avert-
ing what, in Ireland, must be regarded as a national ca-
lamity. The reports from Cork, Kerry, Wexford, and some
districts of the north. all speak of the gradual subsidence of
the disease which, from whatever cause, appears to have re'
ceived a decided check ; and there is every hope that from
the great abundance of the crop, and admitting that the
average loss all over the kingdom would amount to one-
fourth of the whole, enough will remain to preclude the pos-
sibility of an actual dearth of this essential article of food.
Several other provincial papers have given less favourable
accounts.

REPEAL ASSOCIATION'.
The usual weekly meeting of the members of this body
was held to day at one o'clock, in the Conciliation-hall, and
was rather thinly attended. Mr. O'Connell, who was at a
meeting of the Corporation at an early hoar, made his ap-
pearance in his aldermanic robes and cocked hat, and was
accompanied by Mr. O'Brien, M.P., Mr. J. O'Connell, M.P.,
and several of the less prominent members of the Committee.
Upon the motion of the Learned Gentlemun, the chair was
taken by Mr. Richard A. Fitzgerald, M.P. for the county
of Tipperary.
The CHAIRMAN briefly addressed the meeting, and handed
in 2/. as his own subscription and that of his infant son, for
the present year. He said, that since he last had the
honour of attending in his place in that Hall, he had
travelled over a great part of Europe, and he was
happy at being enabled to state that there was a strong
feeling in favour of the struggle Irishmen were making to
restore to their country her Parliament; while, at the same
time, he never heard anything urged which did not fully
bear out the doctrine preached by their great leader—" peace
and perseverance."—(Hear, hear.) The Learned Gentleman
having in very warm language expressed the indignation he
felt, as a Roman Catholic, at being obliged to take the oaths
put to Members of his religion upon taking their seats in the
British Senate, went on to say, that lie felt some difliculty on
his way home to decide as to whether he should remain in
London and watch the proceedings of the Legislature upon
Irish affairs, without meddling in anything English, or come
home and take his place in the Conciliation-hall, the repre-
sentative assembly of Ireland.—(Cheers.) His decision was,
however, in favour of Ireland. Ile was a peaceful agitator;
yet, if the necessity arose for it, his arm would not be want-
ing to protect his fellow-countrymen from unjust oppression
and tyranny.—(Cheers.)
Mr. O'Coerereet said, he was deeply affected at being
obliged, in the discharge of his duty, to announce the death
of his Hon. Friend Mr. Hutchinson, whose last subscription
was acknowledged on the previous day they met. It was at
all times a melancholy task to make such an announcement,
but particularly so when it referred to a patriot, who was an
influential member of a bigoted Conservative family.—(Hear.)
Mr. O'BarieN also expressed his deep regret at the loss
which Ireland had sustained by the Hon. Gentleman's death,
and took the opportunity of noticing a subject he had re-
ferred to on the previous Monday. He had stated that an
eminent barrister was obliged to cease from practising in the
Court of Chancery, owing to the overbearing impudence of
Sir Edward Sugden, and he had mentioned the cause and
other particulars concerning the cessation. Now, he (Mr.
O'Brien) had since heard that his information was incorrect,
and in justice to his Lordship he felt bouud to state it pub-
licly ; at the same time he could not but still give expression
to the general feeling of the Bar upon the subject generally.
As far as he (Mr. O'Brien) was personally concerned, he
always found Sir Edward Sugden most polite, and he would
be most happy to see him on the English Chancery Bench,
which he had heard was likely to be vacant by the retire-
ment of Lord Lyndhurst, and they would place in his stead a
member of the Irish bar, of Conservative politics, whose ap-
pointment would give universal satisfaction.--(Cheers.)
Mr. O'Cortfeenn added his testimony in favour of the
gentleman alluded to by Mr. O'Brien, as being qualified to
fill the dice of Chancellor in Ireland, observing that the pre-
sent Chancellor was not less impudent, because he had failed
to oblige him to give up practising in his Court; and then
proceeded to apologise for appearing in his corporate robes,
alleging, as his excuse, that he had been at the meeting of
the Corporation, to propose Alderman Keshan as the Repeal
Lord Mayor for the ensuing year, which appointment was
seconded by Alderman Kinahama, Conservative member of
the Council, whom he said he was ready to propose himself next
year, if he only declared for a domestic Legislature.—(Hear.)
The Learned Gentleman then went on to allude to the letter
of the Times Commissioner, dated from Kerry, and said he
knew no one to whom he should feel under greater obliga-
tions, for his fabrications had shown him (Mr. O'Connell)
that he was mistaken as to his opinion of the Irish Tory.
hress ; and from what that press had in justice, done for
im, during the last fortnight, he would beat them out in
kindness, and for the future—no matter what they said of
him—no matter how much they abused him—he would
never say a word against them; and amongst those papers
to which he felt most particularly obliged were—the Evening
Mail and Evening Packet.—(Hear, hear.) He (Mr. O'Con-
nell) was now done for ever withthe "gutter" Commissioner,
whose rascally paper had not the common honesty to publish
his defence in full, after publishing a grossly libellous attack ;
but the secret of it was, that the Irish Conservative gentle-
man was a man of honour, while the writers of the English
Conservative journals were the most calumnious liars that
ever lived.—(Cheers).
Mr. O'BRIEN next addressed the meeting, in bringing up
a report oa the grand jury law from the committee; and in
doing so took occasion to allude to the present state of Ire-
land. He first referred to the failure of the potato crop, and
again, for the last time, called on the Government to
come forward and provide against the starvation of the Irish
people, suggesting as the only remedy that the ports should
be thrown open, and rice, fish, corn, and other provisions
purchased, and stores for the poor, who should be provided
with employment, to enable them to pay for their own sup-
port, and be under no compliment to England for anything.
—(Hear, hear.) To purchase provision without calling
on the English people
,he would suggest an absentee-tax
of 25 per cent., and a property-tax, to include all those
whose property was rated above 50/. per annum under the
poor-law valuation.—(Cheers.) Something it was plain,
should be done, for the people would not starve; and that
"something" should be, in the first instance, to open the
porta. The question had been agitated in England, and the
corn-law question was also engrossing much attention, for
within the past week Lord John Russell had joined with the
members of the Anti-Corn-law League, and on most import-
ant terms.—(hear.) Mr. Cobden, Mr. Villiers, and other
leading members of that body, had publicly announced that
they would support no party that did not act with them on
the corn-law question; and inconformity with that announce-
ment his Lordship had joined them,—and they would, no
doubt, endeavour to merge the question of repeal in the
corn-law question.
Mr. O'Coserniee—Never.—(Loud cries of "Sever, never.")
Mr. O'CONNELL then read an article from the Morning
Chronicle, in which the propriety of erecting a statue to
Cromwell in the new Houses of Parliament was vindicated,
and went over the old farce which has been re-enacted
each week for some months past, of the Wexford slaughter,
&c., to show that he was a man of the most bloodthirsty and
profligate character, and thus unfitted to be preserved in the
recollection of the English people.—(Hear.) In conclusion,
he gave notice that on the next day of meeting he would
go fully into the foreign and domestic state of Ireland, and
lay before the Association an Act of Parliament, to enable
her Majesty to summon her Irish Parliament.
The rent was then announced to be 2621. 7s. 31 d., and the
meeting, at four o'clock, adjourned till Monday next.

EARL ST ANH OP E .AND THE
CAMBRIDGESHIRE FARMERS.
The following is a copy of a letter addressed by the Rigir
Hon. Earl Stanhope to Mr. Twiss, Secretary to the Cam
bridgeshire Farmers' Association, in reply to au invitation
sent to his Lordship :
" Chevening, near Sevenoaks, Nov. 26.
" Sir,—l am favoured to-day with your letter, inviting me to
attend the dinner of the Cambridgeshire farmers on the 16th
of January next, and I need not assure you that I have
always been most anxious to co-operate with:my countrymen
in defending their rights and interests ; but I received from
them so little support that my exertions in Parliament were
utterly useless, and 1 have therefore retired for the present
from public life. The circumstances which induced me to
form that determination are fully explained in my letter to
Mr. Wing, of Aylesbury, which was published in the Morn-
ing Post of the 21st of April last, and it would be unneces-
sary to repeat them. It would also be superfluous for me to
advert to the opinions which I have so frequently expressed,
both in and out of Parliament, on the necessity of securing
full and effectual protection to British industry in all its
various branches ; for those opinions ought to be well
known, and I have reason to believe that they are approved
by the great majority of my countrymen.
" It does notlappear from your letter that the Cambridge-
shire farmers require my advice, which could be of no ser-
vice to them unless it was followed, and this was not the case
on former occasions, or my assistance, which would be alto-
gether unavailing unless they propose to act in concert with
other counties in a combined plan of operations, and to co-
operate with other classes of the community in order to
obtain that redress of their grievances which they have an
undoubted right to demand. I think, therefore, that my
presence at the dinner would not be useful, and I must beg
to decline the invitation with which they have honoured me.
" It is the duty, not only of the farmers in Cambridgeshire,
but also of all those who are interested in agriculture, whe-
ther as landlords, as tenants, or as labourers, in every part
of the United Kingdom, to consider what is their present sis
tuation, and what are their future prospects.
" The free-trade policy of the present Ministers, who would
never have been restored to power if their new corn-laws and
their new tariff had been expected by those who sup-
ported them at the last general election—the base and
treacherous and unprincipled conduct of so many of their
adherents, whe, by an utter disregard of their
promisesand
professions, have covered themselves with indelible' dis-
grace, and justly incurred the hatred or contempt of their
fellow-citizens—the indefatigable exertions and reckless at-
tempts which are made by some enemies of the corn-laws,
and the culpable tnipinesier,s of the
•
agricultural community,
which seems at present to be quite benumbed and paralyzed,
—all these circumstances concur in placing this country in a
state of the utmost danger, from which it could be rescued
only by that which I have so often
commended,—by energy and union.' so ineffectually, re-
-1 Patriotism and public
spirit appear to be almostextinct,
tinstltousews%ie-laio aol re enable to
see the perils with which they are u
or who are unwilling- to adopt adequate measures ' all sides,
them, may at last be Instructed by experience andto avert
the evi-
dence of facts.
" I am aware that in come parts of the country there are
farmers who, without being misled by the misrepresentations
and falsehoods of their enemies, begin to view with innitrer!
'nee a repeal of the corn-laws, as
.they suppose that it is in-
evitable, and that it would be less injurious to them if it were
immediate than it would be after their capital had been en-
tirely exhausted. If, indeed, that measure is to be considered
as inevitable, from the zeal and perseverance of those who op-
pose the corn-laws, and from the lamentable torpor of those
who ought to support them.:l do not, like Lord Ashley, Irish or
seek any compromise, in order, as lie expresses it, to break
the force of an inevitable blow.' On the contrary, if free
trade is to be applied with respect to corn, the same principle
must also be applied with respect to all ether articles of ge-
neral consumption, and to all the other products of British
industry, and in such a case let the repeal of all protective
duties be immediate and entire. Under such circumstances
_1
say again, as I did in the House of Lords, ' I throw down
thegauntlet, wad dare you to the attempt.' The effect would
be so violent and so sudden, that even those who are the
mat supine
sbne
who
are would be compelled to act, that even
the most prejudiced would be convinced, and