The Sun.
London, England, 1829-01-24 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THP. LONDON JOURNALS.

. .
We copy from an Irish Paper at Itapiart of the
Tproceedings at the very impoetant Meeting at
?the Rotunda in Dublin, 'on Tuesday last. This
Meeting may be 'deemed the commencement of
.a new asra in Ireland, or rather a revival of the
period of 1782, almost the only chapter in the
iiistory of Ireland on which au Irishman can
P.Ook back with unmingled satisfaction. On
Tuesday, Catholics and Protestants, laying aside
sectarian jealousies, and animated only by a sense
of the evils which afflict their earteinon country,
easteeed into a holy alliance to use their utmost
endeavours to put an end to the great obstacle
to the happiness and prosperity of Ireland. It
was a meeting of the men most sitelinguiehed
for rank, property, character, and influence in
the country. The principle Which unites Pro-
teetants and Catholics in this neble emleaeolar
was happily expressed by Grattan, ilk Ali An-
swer to an Address of the Volstaiteers of Ire-
land, as quoted 'ny his rreplesw, Mr. E. Ber-
wick :—" Tine Irish Protestant. can never, be
free until. the Irish Catholic ceases to be a
slave." At this Meeting several of the moat
distinguished Protestants made the amende
honorable to their Catholic brethren. They
frankly and honestly owned that they had
not exerted themselves for the common cause
with the zeal and energy which became them.
4“ Hitherto," said Mr. E. Berwick, " I speak
with the utmost respect, you havv done but little
for the Catholic, I know that as individuals, you
feel strongly and speak warmly on the subject—
that as Members of Parliament, you have fur-
thered it by your eloquence and your vote ; but
I still assert, that as a body, considering the
magnitude of the question, and the immense--
the crowning assistance, your rank, your wealth,
your talent, your virtue could give it, if pro-
perly brought to bear upon it, your exertions on
Its behalf have been trifling and insignificant ;
and I say, that what you have done till now for
the Catholics has been more hi the light of the
condescension of a patron than the energetic
assistance of a friend." This feeling was ex-
'pressed with equal cordiality by Protestant Gen-
tlemen from all parts of Ireland. Justice was
done to the Catholic Agitator ; a tardy justice,
but not the less valuable ; for, the magnanimity
which confesses error elevates a man, while the
sullen obstinacy which persists in error in spite wf
conviction is deserving of contempt. " Look to
the progress of the Catholic Question (said the elo-
event speaker alluded to), and tell me whether
the moderation of its friends has not ever been a
stumbling-block in its way ? For more than 20
years succeeding the Union, the question made
but little way, Petitions, I know, were drawn
up and presented, and the annual farce of the
presentation of these petitions was performed,
and orations were made, and the orator was ad-
vanced, but the cause stood still. The question
of Catholic freedom was looked on in England
in somewhat the same light as a turnpike bill, or
attended to as a g'Jod occasion for judging of
Irish oratory. • All the time the fell spirit of
Orangeism brooded on the land. At length the
Catholic discovered, that if he would succeed,
be must put his own shoulder to the wheel. The
first stone of the Association was laid—the
nation shook herself as if from sleep—the people
hearkened with erected minds to the voice of an
Assembly calling them to liberty. See what the
exertions of the Catholic have achieved in a few
years for cause !he has made the priest a pa-
triot, the indolent Aristocrat an active labourer in
the common cause, the grovelling serf an indepen-
dent freeman, he has restored the purity of elec-
tion, he has restored submission to the law, he
has quenched the torch of sedition and lighted
up the lamp of liberty." This is a very just picture
of what agitation has produced ; and if the
result has been such, why will we refuse to do
;ustice to the means? The greatest agitator
Was the greatest patriot. We dwell on this, not
to refute the absurd doctrine that England must
not be bullied—because brute obstinacy must
always.be bullied—because all that is enlightened
and liberal in England saw the necessity of doing
justice to Ireland, and because the portion cha-
racterised by brute obstinacy, has never moved
till it was bullied—bullied in 1782—bullied in
1793. We dwell on it because Sir James Gra-
ham, ,manly and independent as he is, has al-
lowed himself, if we may judge from his late
election speech, to be carried away by the cant
that the Catholics have injured their cause by
their avant of moderation. No ; the Meeting of
Tuesday refutes the position. The Meetings of
Brunswickers throughout the country, the
drunken ravages of the Orangemen—all prove
that the Catholics have gained ground, and that
they have victory almost within their grasp.
The appeal of the Brunswickers to the animal
part, if we may so speak of 'the nation,
to yeomen and hinds, whose rubicond jowls be-
speak a better digestion of bacon than of food
for-thought, bespeaks the desperation of the in-
terested enemies of the happiness and prosperLy •
of the empire. It is a bad sign when an int-
rested enemy is placid ; his anger proves his
sense of danger : the moderation which pleases
him must be injurious to the cause to:which he
is opposed. It cannot escape observation, that
this ii:lcetinf,T of Protestant and Catholic Noble-
men and Gentlemenj is a very different meeting,
in point of respectability, from any meeting yet
held of the enemies of emancipation. These
meetings have been strong in rancorous Parsons,
strong in Corporation men, but they have not
been strong in rank, property, and character. It
cannot have escaped observation, that at the late
election of a representative Peer Ihr Ireland, the
candidate opposed to emancipation was left in
a small minority. What name, then, shall we
give to that state of things in a country, to which
the rank, property, and at least five-sixths of the
population are opposed? We repeat the ob-
servation, that Tuesday was a proud day for Ire-
land.—Morning Chronicle.

'The selection of such a Nobleman as the
Duke of Northumberland for the Chief-Gover- '
norship of Ireland, appears to us, under all the
circumstances; to be a most judicious appoint-
ment. As long a it is thought necessary to
have a Vice-royalty in Ireland, the person who
fills that office should not only have the advan-
tage of high rank, but of ample fortune ; he
should have the inclination, as well as the means,
to keep a splendid Court. It has been too
much the practice to send over Lord Lieutenants
who wished to save money, not to spend it.
The consequence has been to increase, to a most
ruinous extent, the spirit of absenteeship occa-
sioned by the Union. A rich, gay, and muni-
ficent Vice•regal establishment iii Dublin; al-
though it could not quite counteract the evil
which drains and exhausts Ireland of its natural
resources,vrould have some influence in checking
it. Many of the Irish nobility and gentry who now
squander in foreign lands the produce of their
estates, and are strangers to the tenantry,
would find some attraction at home, and
be induced to spend at least part of the year

in the country from which their incomes are
derived. If there be a Nobleman in England
who is likely to- make the Irish Court attrac-
tive, we think that Nobleman is the Duke of
Northumberland. To the highest title of No-
bility he unites a fortune which no wasteful
habits have impaired, andands ehatotter which no
vices blemish: Moklerate in his politics, he
sipp-orts the existing laws and institutions of his
eonntry as one .who did what he considered. to
be his duty without any inOrdiriate aMbiilOn
either cf power or As a Lord
Lieutenant 'itSf ireland can only act upon the
vre}r&S Which he receives from the Cabinet at
home, it is not necessary that he should much
affect the character of the Statesman bi_kt it is
absolutely requisite he shs.))l'd have that firmness •
of conduct ViA3per pride which would pre-
vent yin 'sacrificing the dignity of his station to
obtain the ominous applause of violent politi-
cians. On this point it is not likely the Duke
of Northumberland, as chief Governor of Ire-
land, would fall into the errors of his predecessor,
It is true the Marquis of Anglesea was better cal-
culated to please the people of that country than
the Marquis of Wellesley, because, with less of
that may be called the pedantry of State, his
style of living was more costly and magnificent.
He did not feel it necessary to atone for former
extravagance tyy a late and unseasonable parsi-
mony—lie liked better to circulate money than
to hoard it, and gave some encouragement to
trade by his example, The Duke of Northum-
berland has more power to do this than Lord
Anglesea had, and, we should think, not less
inclination. At the Coronation of Charles the
Tenth he surpassed the French Court in the
splendour which he gave to that ceremony, as
the Representative of his Sovereign ; besides,
with all the Marquis of Anglesea's inclination to
keep a gay and brilliant Court, there were unfor-
tunate reasons, which do not apply to the Duke
of Northumberland, which deprived it of its
best attraction. His Grace has the happiness
of being united to a lady whose private virtues
give an additional charm to exalted rank.—
Morning Herald.
We now present the remainder of the pro-
ceedings at the very important meeting which
took place at Dublin on the 20th inst., and was
terminated, it appears, on the same day. This
meeting has more the character of a national
convention than any which has taken place in
the United Kingdom for more than a century.
We entreat attention to it. It is another step
towards that grave crisis in the affairs of Ireland
to which recent occurrences, on both sides of
the Channel, have been irresistibly contributing.
It must bring the parties into each other's pre-
sence, and decide the question—for aye or no.
The extraordinary, and to us the encouraging,
feature in the constitution of this meeting has
been its incorporation of the high Protestant in-
terest of Ireland with the Catholic. Let the pub-
lic but consider the list of those noblemen and
gentlemen who bore the chief part in its
proceedings. We have looked over the names
of the Chairman, and of those distinguished
persons who spoke in support of the several mo-
tions and resolui ions ; and what is the result ?
The Duke of Leinster ; the eldest son of the
Earl of Kingston ; the resident representative
of the Latouche family ; the eldest son of the
Marquis of Headfort ; Lord Dunally, the newly-
chosen representative Peer ; Sir John Newport,
whose name as a lover of his country, faction
or slander has never dared to touch; Lord lt 035..
more, Earl Milltown ; Lord Clements, eldest
son of the Earl of Leitrim ; Mr. Brownlow, who
needs no panegyric ; Earl of Howth ; Mr. Lloyd,
M.P. for the county of Limerick ; Earl of Glen-
gall, Lord Clanmorris, Messrs. Tuite, Pon-
sonhy, Jephson, Brown, Westenra—all Pro-
testant names, well known and respected in
their country—to the number of thirteen or
fourteen, came forward actively to protest be-
fore the world against the oppression of
their Catholic brethren, as a crying Protes-
tant grievance. Of Catholics there were but
three who made themselves conspicuous, by any
distinct part in the proceedings,—viz. Lord Kil-
leen, who moved a resolution, and Messrs.
O'Connell and Silk], who moved and seconded
a vote of thanks to the Duke .of Leinster. This
is good taste on the part of the Catholics. It is
far more—it is sound and sagacious policy.—
They have been much in the public eye ; of their
sensibility to their own privations there can be
no reasonable doubt. It was wisely done there-
fore to let the loaders of the Irish Protestants
vouch their own sentiments, which have been
falsely represented, and to refute that calumny
which has furnished the English opponents of
Emancipation with their only semblance of or-
piment in behalf of " Protestant Ascendancy."
—lt has been often said by uninformed Eng-
lishmen, This is a quarrel between the Ca-
tholics of Ireland and the Irish Protestants ;"
and the question is then put, " shall we desert
Our own brothers, and leave them at the mercy
of those whom . they regard as their ene-
mies ?" The question is now answered by the
Protestants themselves. " Catholic suffering,"
they tell the English Brunswickers, " is not our
victory, nor yours, but our common grievance."
" Catholic exclusion is not our ascendancy, but
our depression. Until that shall be removed,
life will have no security, enterprise no stimulus,
labour no employment, property no influence, the
natural relations of society no dependence, the
land no peace." It is not, therefore, the Catho-
lics only who complain ; it is the Irish Protest-
ants who reproach the English champions of
Protestantism, that ascendancy is a sword which
wounds them through the sides of the Papists ;
that a fictitious quarrel is got up, as if it were be-
tween Catholic and Protestant in Ireland, to con-
ceal from view the real contest, namely, that
between the great bulk of the Irish nation,
Protestant and Catholic included, and a
small party in England and Ireland, embrac-
ing neither Protestants nor Catholics, but
jobbers in Ireland, and bigots here. We ask,
then, will the same appeals to Protestant sympathy
against Catholic hatred be hazarded . by the
enemies of emancipation in this country, after
such an avowal by the Irish Protestants them-
selves, of an absolute community of feeling
between" them and the suffering Catholics?—
If such deceptions he again tried, the answer is
at hand—the grievance is national, not sectarian.
It is for the Irish Protestant establishments in
church and state, for the peace of society, and
for the preservation. of the Monarchy, that Pro.
testant Ireland now demands liberty for all ranks
of Irish subjects; and if we have never before
conceived such hopes of the success of the cause,
it is4liat it never hitherto appeared to stand upon
so broad a foundation. A proposal was made
before the adjournment of the meeting, that the
name of the Association should be changed
from " Catholic ". to " Irish." If so, and if its
character correspond with its name, the proceed-
ings of the new confederacy must be regulated
on other principles than at present.— Times.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

BO W-S'TR EE:l'.

APPREUENSION AND COMMITTAL OF A BANKER'S
CLERK, FOR EXTENSIVE EMBEZZLEMENT.—Yester-
day Henry Domnen a middle aged matt, of, extremely
teApectabie aPpeatanice, was liroit'sbi th this office by
Taunton, a principal officer, charged with embciiling
the sum of the prOperty, of Mr, Robett
Davis, of No: 190, Sliorediteli, merehatit and banttet:
At the calmest liqiiest of the prosecutor, the cx-
amination of the prisoner
:took place in a private
room, and every effort was made by the former to
prevent the facts which were elicited on the inquiry
from obtaining publicity;, but the Mowing is ti Cot:.
rect.statement 41' 111 that grin pied
the prosecutor, described himself .as
a merchant and banker, and it appeared that the
prisoner (who was formerly a draper and haber-
dasher, in Regent-street) had been in his employ-
ment for about four years, during the last two of
which he was the confidential clerk of the establish-
ment—resided in the house, had the sole controul
and care of the accounts and of all the monies in
hand, and the most implicit confidence was placed
in his integrity by Mr. Davis. On Monday morning
last, about 11 o'clock, Mr. Davis arrived from his scat
in the Conn tiy, and, proceeding to the bank, discovered
that the prisotierand his wife had left the house, taking
sVith them their son, a boy of twelve years of age,
and that they had also taken their wearing apparel,
trunks, and other necessaries. This discovery led
to an immediate inspection of the hank books, and
Mr. Davis ascertained that there were defalcations
on the part of the prisoner to the amount of 1,3601.
He came instantly to this office, and applied to Sir
Richard Birnie for a warrant, which was granted,
and put into the hands of Taunton, who commenced
an inquiry with his usual vigilance, and he ascertain-
ed beyond doubt, in the course of a few hours, that
tie prisoner, his wife and child, had left London by
the Liverpool mail, on Sunday night last. Taunton,
accompanied IT Mr. Needham, who had formerly
been a confidential clerk of Mr. Davis, left town by
the mail on Monday night, and they traced the pri-
soner and his family from town to town -until they
arrived at Liverpool, where the officer learned that
the fugitives had been put down by the mail at the
Saracen's Head Inn, in Dale-street; and that after
seeing their luggage safely deposited in the coach-
office, they walked away ; but in a short time the
prisoner returned with a hackney-coach, and took
away the trunks. Taunton, by inquiring at the
hackney-coach stand, soon discovered the coach-
man who had assisted in removing the trunks,
and learned from him that he had driven the
prisoner to the York Hotel, in Williamson-square,
where the prisoner and his family slept one
night, and departed the following day in a coach,
but the keeper of the York Hotel knew not whither
they were gone to. Taunton pursued his inquiry,
and finally succeeded in tracing the parties to a
boarding-house, No. 5, Union-street, where he found
the prisoner sitting up with his wife and child. When
Taunton made his errand known, a scene of the most
distressing description took place. The wife fainted,
the prisoner burst into a flood of tears, and the son,
who is a very interesting boy clung to his father and
begged that he might not be separated from him.
Taunton searched the prisoner and his trunks, and
about 2001. inhume), were found. Taunton asked
the prisoner how it was, with the income he had
and the large sums embezzled, be had so little re-
maining ? and the prisoner replied, " Oh, Mr. Taun-
ton, I have been a mad fool—l have squandered it
away." The parties left Liverpool by the mail on
Wednesday, and arrived in London on Thursday
night, only three days after the departure of Taunton
from London.

Mr. Davis produced his books, containing a debtor
and creditor account between him and the prisoner,
and exhibited them to Sir R. Birnic; and he proved
that the sum embezzled by the prisoner was to the
amount already stated.
Sir R. BIRDIE inquired of Mr. Davis how it was
that the prisoner could have embczzled so large a
sum without his knowledge, especially when it ap-
peared that part of it had been abstracted many
months ago ?
Mr. Davis said that he had care of parochial
funds to a large amount, and the parish authorities
would be paid in no other way than in cash, and he
was consequently compelled to keep a large supply
of money always in the house. Of the money the
prisoner had the custody ; and of course had great
facilities for committing depredations.
Sir R. BIRNIE—This is a great misfortune; he
was not sufficiently controulcd ; a partner could not
have possessed more power.
Mr. Davis said he had had the highest confidence
in the prisoner, who had formerly been a respectable
tradesman, and he had it in his power to commit
depredations to a much greater extent, if he had
been so inclined, because there were always cheques
signed by him (Mr. Davis), to a greater amount,
for which the prisoner might have obtained cash at
any hour, by merely putting his name to them.

Sir R. BIRNIE Observed-that was a circumstance
greatly in favour of the accused ; and, addressing
the unhappy tnan, said, I am ready, and indeed
bound, to hear anything you have to say in your de-
fence; but I would suggest to you, as you have no
legal adviser here, to reserve your defence for another
place, as you must be committed on this evidence.
The prisoner, who appeared much dejected,
thanked Sir Richard, and said he had no defence to
offer. He was conscious he . had injured'a very
kind and generous master.
Sir it BIRSIE asked Mr. Davis what salary he
paid the prisoner ?—Mr. Davis said that he gave
him 1001. -a year, and he had a house to live in,
with coals, candles, furnit:tre,

Sir R. BIRNIE asked the prisoner how he could
have run through above a thousand pounds, having
so small a family 2—The prisoner, covering his face
with his hands, said,l will tell the truth, sir Richard
Birnie. I unhappily formed a criminal connection
with a female of extravagant habits and dashing no-
toriety, at the west end of the town, and I was so
enamoured of her that I could not break off the con-
nection ; and it has brought inc to the present dis-
graceful situation.
Sir R. BIRNIE—I thought there must have been
something of that sort.
The prisoner was then fully committed to -New-
gate to take his trial, and Mr. Davis was bound
over to prosecute. _ _

Mrs. Downer, the wife of the prisoner, a lady like
woman, was in the outer office throughout the day,
in a state of mind bordering on distraction.

UNION-HALL.

SHAM PIETY.—A man named James Edwards,
in the service of a 111 r. Chadwick, was charged with
stealing some articles of dress, the property of his
master. The prisoner wa taken into the prosecu-
tor's house Flom motives of charity, and during the
time he was there recommended himself by his
Strict attention to his religious duties. His lodging
he converted into a kind of prayer meeting, where
psalm singing and praying were pursued with the
greatest zeal, and to the annoyance of those in the
vicinity not se religiously inclined. Notwithstanding
this display of sanctity, he was suspected of having
robbed his master, and on his person being searched
the pawnbroker's duplicates of the stolen articles
were found. He was committed for trial.

HAMBURGH, JAN. 16.—The Elbe is now
full of drifting ice, and the passage across interrupted.
A MODERATOR'S WlG.—The members of
the general assembly of the kirk of Scotland, like those
of parliament, do not all speak on public questions. One
venerable minister, who had often been urged in vain to
speak, rose during an interesting debate to address the mo-
derator. His appearance was hailed with general plea-
sure, and great things were expected from him. But
another member had gained the eye of the chair before
him; be was, however, assured by the moderator that it
would be highly gratifying to all the assembly to listen
to his opinions nex.. At length his turn came. He
was loudly called for. He rose. The silence and expec-
tations were profound. " Moderator," said he, '6 I
merely arose to tell you that your wig is awry.; that's all."
..—,Paisley Advertiser.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, JAN. 23.

The Judges came down in procession about one
o'clock.
The Common Scrjeant, on the invitation of Lord
Temerden, took hiyi rout within the bar, his Majesty
having granted him a patent of precedency,