The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-01-11 00:00:00

tiortrp.

TO A SHAMROCK.

(From the Nevascotian.)
Clothed in a robe of simple green,
Of lowly form and graceful mien ;
Humble, timid, hid from view,
/Seldom seen, and ever new,
Child of Erin's beauteous Isle,
Always greeted with a smile—
Emblem of the graces three,
True Faith, Sweet Hope, and Charity;
Pretty, modest Shamrock tell,
Why in shade, thou lov'st to dwell?
Is there a flower with thee can vie,
Fair though its form, its colour high
For verrnil tint the rose may seem
Of Loveliness—the sovereign Queen—
Proud though in name, 'twill ne'er excel'
The shamrock of the lonely dell;
Till taught by Erin's flowret wild,
Humility, true Beauty's child.
Say, modest Shamrock, is it why,
IR ♦erdant shade thou lev'st to lie ?
The flower queen is deemed the pride
Of Albion's clime, and empire wide—
The Thistle—badge of Scotia's land,
Entwined as 'twere by filial hand,
Round Scotia's name, and victor wreath,
'Mid Laurel leaf and mountain heath ;
More dear to me is Erin's flower
Than Thistle bold, or Rose of power,
Theo, little Shamrock, lift thy head
One moment from thy lowly bed.

CONTE3IPORARY PRESS.

MR. O'CONNELL—MR. PURCELL.
Fruin the Dublin Evening Mail.)
111 presenting the following letter—the most impor-
tant, perhaps, that has appeared in our columns for
many a day—it is our wish rather to make a respect-
ful appeal to the candid judgment oF our opponents
than to give expression to any feeling of gratification
or triumph.
Since the publication of the Evening Mail, we have
been openly, and, we trust, manfully opposed to Mr.
O'Connell. We believed that he never possessed one
particle of public principle—we thought he was at all
times deluding a warm-hearted and generous people
for his own selfish and dishonest purposes. It was our
conviction that he would sacrifice to his own objects
any or every thing human or divine ; and while we
never denied his talents, such as he possesses, we con-
sidered him, as we do still, an impostor upon the
greatest scale that the world has seen since the days of
Mahornet.
In expressing these cons ictions we could not but
write strongly. For this we have been often strongly
censured. Many an honest man who all but worship-
ped the agitator of his country, while depicting wrongs
which she never suffered, has turned his resentment
upon the Mail, and abused us for hinting a disparag-
ing thought against the object of his abstract perfection.
Have we ever denied that there were honest men so
deceived ? Have we ever deprecated, indiscriminately,
the honesty or the honour of our political adversaries?
We ha►e not. There are many sincere—many good
men among them. Would that the discovery of truth
could win them to its path !—that they might accept
the hand of fellowship cordially offered by those who
would rejoice in adding their sincerity and honour to
the best safeguards of our public and common inte-
rests. Such a man is Sharman Crawford, the calum-
niated and reviled friend of all that was liberal. Such
man is Peter Purcell, with whose name we have
often taken a liberty, and cracked a joke, which none
can more easily forgive. But of those and others much
opposed to us we can say, that a breath of baseness or
dishonour never cast a stain upon their name.
Th• following letter will astonish many—it is no
surprise upon us :

TO THE EniTot OP THE FREEMAN'S JOURNAL.
Ste,—ln announcing my determination to retire from the
Precursor Society, I deem it due to the security of my cha-
racter to atat• the circumstances that have influenced me in
coming to this decision; for did 1 remain satisfied with a
simple and unexplanatory letter of resignation, I doubtless
would expos. my political conduct to the censure of incon-
sisteacy, and my motives to the most unjust imputations;
for these reasons I have decided on making this public
statement.
Oa the 9th of December I ascertained that Mr. Lawrence
Pine, the treasurer of the Precursor Society, had resigned
his trust, for reasons which he can best explain himself. This
eireamatance led me to make inquiries as to the disposition
of the faads—it induced me to see where the sums remitted
from the county had been lodged, and to whose custody they
had been entrusted. With seine surprise I discovered that
all the money received from the day of the organization of
the society up to the period of my inquire, were safely lodged
in the Tralee branch of the National Bank, to the credit of
Daniel O'Connell, Esq., M.P. Upon finding this to he the
ense, 1 lest sot a moment in communicating with Mr. O'Con-
nell's friends; I mentioned without reserve what my opi-
nions were; I stated that the future prosperity of the society
and his own character depended on the funds being trans-
ferred to ether hands. Those who are his most devoted ad-
herents all concurred in spy views, and besought me to speak
to him as the subject. I did so, and represented the matter
to him as forcibly as I was able—impressed on his mind the
impropriety and licipolicy of having the funds so situated. I
stated the suspicious appearance which such a disposal would
have, sot alone with our political opponents—with his per-
mai foes, but with the public generally. I urged that if he
desired it the funds might he lodged in the National Bank;
but that it was perfectly indispensable that they should bo
ander the coutroul and to the credit of treasurers publicly
appointed. He appeared struck with the prudence of my
observations, and agreed to my suggestions. He even went
farther than I anticipated ; for he said the money should be
invested is the Hibernian Bank, not the National Bank.
With his perfect concurrence and sanction, I solicited three
gentlemen, Messrs. Ignatius Callaghan, L. Finn, and Janice
Martin, to undertake the office of treasurers, and, at my re-
quest, they consented to act, and were accordingly proposed to
this high trust by Mr. O'Connell, and were approved of by the
unanimous consent of a public meeting, on the 9th December.
Having accomplished my object—having performed what
appeared to mein be a duty of a most imperative nature—l
laboured in sususpecting confidence, and with all my energy,
to place upon a secure and permanent basis an association
which I fondly hoped would be the means of ameliorating
the defective institutions of the country. Div anticipations
were, however, interrupted, and my apprehensions excited
by having stay attesitiuc again directed by a member of the
asseeiatioa to the condition of its financial department; and
I do sot hesitate to state that my surprise, as well as my feel-
ings of disapprobstiou, were strongly aroused by finding that
not one shilliag of the funds had been paid to the treasurers
from the period of their appointment, or prior to it, up to the
elate of my second inquiry, tho 28th ult. I saw, with pain
and regret, that the loins already received, and in progress
of receipt, were still lodged in the Trdlee Branch of the Na-
tional Bank, to the credit of Mr. O'Connell ; and that my
personal remonstrance, and those of his friends, had been
attended with no useful effect, inasmuch as the same objec-
tionable management of finance was in full operation. Un-
eter such circumstances, I saw that it nas my imperative duty
ta take the most active and instant measures with a view to
the remedy of this defect. Fur the protection of my own
personal honour and character I clearly saw how incumbent
it was on me to demonstrate to the gentlemen who, by my
interference, were induced to act as treasurers, that at least
1 was no party to the proceedings which made them sinecur-
ists—uominal guardians of the people's money in the eyes of
the public, but, in truth and tact, entrusted with no real re-
speasibilitv. As a member of the committee—as a man of
honour aid sincerity—l was bound to protest against this
delusion; a; the individual who had solicited those gentle-
men to assume their office, I was above all bowel to clear
myself of conduct so equivocal. Therefore in the committee
roots, upon the 419th Ult., in the presence of others 1 spoke
to Mr. O'Connell—without success. /I is answers were vague
cad ausatisfertory—his reasons for persevering in his own
Genree were, in my maim!, of no value. I then remonstrated
with him, through the agency ()flair private friends; the same
sluices. awaited their efforts which hail attended my appeal ;
and having nee other alternative, I then addressed to him a
letter, of which the following is a copy :
" NIT DEAR SlR,—Since I saw you yesterday 1 have been
thinking about the feuds of the Precursor Association, and,
in consequence, I am, if possible, the more convinced that
the prosperity, nay, the very existence of the society depends
ea maintainieg the public confidence which we now so ex-
tensively possess. With this view you will pardon me for
again suggesting to you the propriety, if not the necessity,
of having our accounts ul receipts and disbursements up to
this period at once audited, and the balance paid into the
hands of our treasurers.
" You will recollect that the gentlemen who have under-
taken to act as treasurers were approved of by you, previous
to their acceptance of the task, and by you were proposed to
their office, at a public meeting of the body. I have duly
eonsidered the objections you referred to as to the delay and
difficulty of procuring money through a finance committee,
with all the promptitude which an unexpected emergency
might require, but I respectfully contend that this objection
is not tenable, whet it is obvious that there exists no proba-
bility of a sudden demand arising; and above all, when we
know the thoroegh confidence which every member of the
committee reposes in the expediency of any matter vou may
think it right to suggest, with a view to the expenditure of
oar Nude.
" Is conclusien, I cannot help feeling that if the manage.
anent and control:0 of the funds with which tee ere entrusted
be eontinued on the present system, and be an exhibited to
the people, against which no precautions can he taken, the
public confisleace which we now enjoy is inevitably lost, no
matter hew pare oar motives and well intended our conduct.
Believe me, with unalterable regard and esteem, your's faith-
telly, " PETERPLIWELL.
" Dee. 30, 1838."
To this letter, Mr. O'Connell has not condecended to
reply. This discourtesy to sue I pars over, and merely men-
tioa it to explain why I have not addressed to him this letter,
instead of to you, Sir. In conclusion, I have to express a
hope that this public statement will produce that effect upon
what I conceive to be his erroneous conduct, which neither
entreaty, advice, our remonstrence has been able to accom-
plish, for I am reluctantly obliged to state, that even upon
this day I have seen, by the books of the society, that since
Nay letter or the 30th nitioso two additional sums of money
have undergone the same process of investment. Allow me to
add, that I eourider so sacred a fund as that which has been
collected from the hard earnings of a confiding peasantry
should not only be secure (which I fully believe to be in the
hands of Mr. O'Connell), but that it should he so placed as
to be above suspicion, even in the minds of our political
1111111111011. From the various circumstances which I have
brought tinier refr notice, I feel I have only one course to
adopt, and that is, relieving myself from all future responsi-
hility, by separating for ever from the Precursor Society.—
I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,
PETEP. PURCELL.
Saturday, sth January, 1839.

Coal. or R AIt.ROA DI.--The cost of the Manchester and
Liverpool Railway was ':30,000 per mile; of the Dublin and
Yirtestown, .£10.0b0; of the French, about £15,000; and in
America from V2,O(X) to £6,000.
The sum of £18,600 has been already contributed to the
farad now raising for the erection of ten new churches in the
parish of Birmingham; and the committee have had the offer
of two or three sites if approved.

UNIVERSITY COLLAGE, LONDON.—One of the learned
professore of this college has resigned his chair, in consequence
of the impediments which have been thrown in his way, with
respect to the prosecution of experiments in animal magnet-
ism.-01,server.—[Dr. Elliotson is the person alluded to.]
Tan MURDER Nr.wcAsTr.ti.—lt is reported that Sir.
Follett hes been retained on the part of Bolsin for
his defence. Mr. Cresswell is said to hare been retained also.
The late Mr. Jnstice Park, who was through life a great
stickler for propriety of professional costime, is said to have
once stopped the present Sir Frederick Williams, while open-
ing a cause on the Western Circuit, for being attired, as his
44424 deemed it, in 4D unrinr like wig.