The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-10-16 00:00:00

CONTEMPORARY PRESS.

IZEN-r-wAtt COMMENCED.—Suoner than we expected,
-hut not less certainly than we foretold, has the AGITA-
TION, which warred against tithes, arrayed its lines and
and turned its batteries against rents. The campaign
Ins begun in the very quarter where the tithe-war com-
menced, and the Queen's County has the honour of be-
ing first the field of Spoliation in both kinds, Tray,
riusre, lay or clericaf—no matter which—the disaffec-
ted populace are ravening for other -men's estates ; and.
they hold than au appropriation is as just, and perhaps
as feasible, in one case as in the other. Having estab,-
fished the precedent for one species of legalized plunder,
they certainly have smoothed. the way tior further opera-
tions; and beyond all question there is no argument. va-
ltd for rents which was not equally good as to tithes; nor
any case mach for the extinction of the tatter that is not
equally-applicable to the for Mer. Of this we warned the
landed proprietors of Ireland,. at a season when all seem-
ed: prosperous to them, and disastrous to the clergy.—
We told them, unless they came forward to suppress the
meetings, the revolt would soon reach their own doors ;•
and we distinctly showed them that the successful attack
upon clerical income would not only embolden the assault
upon lay property, hut weaken its defences. Well, the
day has caper. The population, headed by their priests,
has demanded the downfall of rents. What will the land-
lords do ? Fight the battle, to be sure. But had it not
been wiser and more humane to have fought the battle of
the weaker party first—and thus have averted the inroad
upon themselves? It is, however, too late now to cum-
plain or to reproach. The evil has come, and it must be
resisted. The landlords must bestir themselves, and they
most make the government bestir themselves. The first
inquiry, however, which should be instituted into the na-
ture of this "predial agitation"—this agrarian conspi
racy, is, what business the Roman Catholic priests have
to interfere with a question so thoroughly civil and Lein-
portal -as the rate of rents between landlord and tenant.
The tithe case, though in reality a question of the same
nature, bore the appearance of a mixed case between spi-
ritual and temporal ; the support of religious service con-
trary to their own, made a plausible pretence for the ip-
termeddling of the Romish clergy. But the present is
purely a civil transaction—a contract between layman
and layman, in which it will be difficult to shew that -the
eh:reit of Rome has any right of jurisdiction. In our
humble opinion, this agitation is but a branch of the
great popish conspiracy, which, under the soubriquet of
repeal, seeks for separation. The object of every distur-
bance which has hitherto afflietedireland has- been to ha-
rass, weaken, disturb, and exterminate the protestant—
that is, the .13,itish ir:tere,t ; and this opposition to rents,
forty-nine fifties of wnieh are protestant property, is the
most daring exhibition of it that has yet been ventured.
—Dublin Evening Mail.

DUBLIN ELECTION •COMMISSION.—We write in the
belief that we are read by gentlemen of honour—to all
such we submit the following and latest specimen of Mr.
Daniel O'Connell.

The exposure of his case on Monday,by striking off in
a few minutes seven hundred witnesses, sworn to be in-
dispensable to it, alarmed him so mulch, that he was com-
pelled to waive his dignity for a day, and to condescend
to.aßpear before the Commissioners. Et occurred to more
titan person that his tone and manner were well cho •
sen fci is purpose yesterday morning,—that.it being now
impossible to reach the majority of his antagonists, there
was nothing left for him but a grievance—and that this
might be attained by judiciously insulting the com-
missioners, and provoking them into a wrong position.
Accordingly we will rit..venture a description of that
which is indescribable—his mode of returning their civil
salutation after a so long an absence—he measured them
with a fine indignation from the head to the toe—he
turned magnificently away—he measured them once
more—he gruniedhe made sounds for which We have
no• types. "Only think," he exclairried, pretty audibly,
at last, "of that fellow having the audacity • to salute
ME ! !"

The Chairman announced that he was ready to proceed
with the evidence. Mr. O'Connell rose, to speak. The
Chairman requested .his observations in writing, as a rule
had been made by the Commissioners which prevented
their receiving communications in any other way.
Mr. O'Connell attacked them and their rules. He fold
themsit was his determination to impeach them fur their
conduCti not only before the Committee, but another tri-
bunal—and NM
.particularly (Mr. Commissioner. Joy).;
that' they had violated their oaths ; that they had done
him the grossest injustice ; that he did not- believe there'
could have been found three members of the Irish Bar
capable of acting as they did. :He insisted upon rending
aloud for them their oath, which they had violated:—,
swear that 1 will, without favour, affection, or ma-
lice—‘.‘ +nark," said he, with violent emphasis—"without
malice." To this, and much more of similar language,
the Commissioners did•not return so much as one angry
word.

Now, let our readers observe—lst. That this language
was addressed to threegentlemen, respecting whose man-
ners or conduct Mr. O'Connell had had no personal know •
ledge for six months.
2d. That of these three gentlemen, one was chosen by
himself from a liSt of more than sixty members of the
"Irish Bar." Another, first named by himself—and the
third selected by himself from three names furnished by
his opponents.
3d. That these three gentlemen are persons esteemed
.and honoured in their profession; whose names have
never yet been stained by the imputation of any dis-
honourable act.

4th. That these gentlemen have acted all tinough this
matter under what they believe to be the solemn sanction
of an. oath.

sth. That every word or act, said or done by them,
touching Mr. O'Connell's case, is on record xf this mo-

went fo'r the. inspection of the whole world, and more
especially for the scrutiny of the committee which Mr.
O'Connell boasts to be his friends.

6th. That lie uttered this language to gentlemen,
whose hands he well knew to be tied up by the position
in which he himself had placed two of them; and that
their duty upon their oaths, and their obligations on
their honour, compelled them to listen in silence to dis
gusting insult, unmeasured falsehoods, and a charge-
against their characters—not of partiality or prejudice,
but of perjury without shame, and from motives of wean
malice.
We submit this, without comment, to all gentlerrien
and'men of honour.. •
It. will be seen by the report elsewhere, that the bully-
ing system was again repeated this morning, and, we
are sorry to say, with increased effect. The conduct
adopted by the commissioners When first assailed might
be considered as dignified forbearance ; but, when the
insult was deliberately repeated, we. confess we think
they:would have better consulted their own honour and
station--,gone further in the vindication of the law, and
in support of the judicial character with which they are
invested, had they, committed to prison the audacious re-
viler of theirmitherity, as theykought and would doubt-
less have done any other indivhlual in the empire, save-
and except Daniel O'Connell himself, for as gross and as
deliberate a contempt of court as ever was perpetrated.
Bate the game Mr. O'Connell is playing is obvious.
He st es that he has not the remotest chance• of bearing
down the majority now legally established against him
and his colleague ; and he hopes by forcing an abrupt
termination of the commission, to raise a point of law
for the committee, which the merits of the case could
never furnish. Thus it is with unsuccessful gamblers,
who ..having lost all their money without the slightest
possibility of retrieving their fortunes, blow out. the
lights and hope in the cenfiision consequent on a " break
up" to regain,some portion of the coin which had pre
yionsly passed ft om them :—but we trust and hope that
the commissioners will be-firm, decided, and consistent,
The public eye is upon then, ; and they ought to feel
• pride in the conscious conviction of, possessing moral
courage sufficient to discharge the duties which justice
demands at their hands.—Dublin Evening Mail.