longed by the attention of its managers, the minuteness, accuracy, and the fidelity of its accounts, and the propriety of its expenditure. For the first time in his life, he (Mr. O'Connell) should say, that the Catholic people would owe him a debt of gratitude, should the Catholic rent succeed to the extent he expected, and should it be firmly established.

The learned gentleman concluded with moving the following resolutions :

That it is necessary to have a clerk employed to assist in managing the collection of the Catholic rent, and in the distribution of the books and reports, and in carrying on correspondence with the several parishes, cities, and counties in Ireland, and in keeping the accounts of the Association., so that each member shall be able to see, at all times, the amount of all local and individual subscriptions, and the application of every shilling expended.

"That the Association do proceed on Friday next to elect such clerk by ballot.

"That the amount of the salary to be paid to such clerk be referred to the committee of accounts, who are to report the nature and extent of the duties of such clerk, and the remuneration to be accorded to him.

"That such remuneration, however, he not paid, unless the Association at large shall, on motion, of which a fortnight's notice shall be given, approve of the same.

Another and a final struggle was now made to limit the salary proposed for Mr. Dwyer, £100 being the limit suggested-but the amendinent was lost upon a division.

Cornelius M'Loughlin, the good and venerable old patriot, who, after a long and honoured life of upwards of ninety years, throughout which he was ever faithful to his country in her time of need, now sleeps, these three years back, in Glasnevin cemetery, “the sleep that knows no earthly waking," attended on this day, as throughout his life he did, whenever he thought that Daniel O'Connell wanted him!-giving his firm support to the original motion, he said that, "it could not but excite surprise in a man of business, to hear them dispute about a salary of £150 for the services to be performed. For his own part, he would only express his astonishment that a competent person could be found to undertake such work for such a salary."

And thus was at length carried the first appointment of the most excellent and valuable secretary of the Catholic Association, old Edward Dwyer!

But though carried, the annoyance to Mr. O'Connell on the score of it was partially revived, even at the very next meeting, and often afterwards during the existence of the Association. And in many another case of much the same merits and nature, had he to encounter paltry oppositions and controversies of a similar kind throughout the whole course of his subsequent agitations.

On the succeeding Saturday the tactics of the cavillers led them to assail, generally, the report of the Finance Committee, which had recommended the salary of Edward Dwyer, and in the course of the discussion the calumny against Mr. O'Connell on the subject of the printer, Tracy, was rather unnecessarily re-introduced. Mr. O'Connel! xpressed himself warmly upon this.

He said he thought he could now at last trace the source from whence the malignant aspersions of the Orange press had originally emanated. (Cheers.)

If the press of Dublin had meant fairly towards him, they would have published the statement given in that truly Irish and independent journal, the "Cork Mercantile Chronicle. In that paper there had been set out an extract from the ledger of that establishment, giving the statement of the account of wages, in debtor and creditor form, between the late Harding Tracy and that journal. From this statement it most clearly and satisfactorily appeared that Tracy's wife was not only paid her husband's full wages while he was in prison, but so accurate and minute was the account, that it proved she had received ten shillings and elevenpence over and above the actual sum of those wages.

The statement from the Chronicle's ledger also contained other important facts, entirely corroborative of the fidelity and accuracy of the account in question :-facts to which he (Mr. O'Connell) had pledged himself on a former day, and defied contradiction. Yet the Dublin press had taken no notice whatever! It might perhaps answer some of the purposes of a "liberal Catholic," who had written for the Orange press to charge him with leaving persons to suffer. (Cheers.)

MR. KIRWAN.-"If that allusion is intended for me, I distinctly deny the charge."

MR. O'CONNELL rejoiced to hear the contradiction. He was always ready to avow, and be responsible for what he really said, but he protested against any responsibility for language which newspapers, for their own purposes or particular views, might attribute to him. Mr. Magee was prosecuted for a speech of his (Mr. O'Connell's), but on that occasion he informed Mr. Magee he was ready to avow what he said upon the occasion of that speech, and if he would take his (Mr. O'C.'s) own words, he should have them.

He made the same proposal to the Attorney-General, in court, and offered him a report of the speech taken in short-hand, by Mr. Kernan, the barrister. That avowal and proposal never appeared in any of the Dublin newspapers-and was he now sti fied in calling it a base press?

Here Mr. Mullen made some suggestion to Mr. O'Connell, who, resuming said.

No, Mr. Mullen is mistaken, we are kept from the enjoyment of our rights as freemen, and the term of our degradation prolonged by the want of spirit, zeal, and independence of a press in Dublin, which assumes a character to which it is not entitled.

either by talent or virtue. Mr. Magee was convicted for the speech alluded to, but was never sentenced, because the AttorneyGeneral's great object in the prosecution was to fasten upon him (Mr. O'C.).

It was painful to have to speak in the tone he did; but men should defend their character when assailed, and neither the unworthy aspersions of Mr. Kirwan, nor the unfair conduct of the press, could be allowed to pass without reproof.

An explanation was then made by Mr. Kirwan, and the matter terminated.

SATURDAY, JULY 17.

QUESTION OF HOLDING AN AGGREGATE MEETING OF CATHOLICS.

MR. O'CONNELL said he had cheerfully conceded to the opinion of his friends, though contrary to his own, that there should be no aggregate meeting in Dublin till the first week in November next, and that the Association should adjourn for general business from the 31st July till the second Saturday in October.

He then gave notice for the appointment of committees to prepare an address to the people of England, and drafts of the following petitions to parliament, to be submitted to the aggregate meeting.

To pray that the Protestant Dissenters of England may be placed upon the same footing as the Protestant Dissenters of Ireland.

That the education of the poor in Ireland may be confined to morality and literature, and not consist of proselytism.

Upon church rates-praying that the poor Catholic peasant may not be obliged to pay for the repairs and embellishment of a splendid church, for the use of a few families. Mr. O'Connell here instanced a case in Chancery, in which he was engaged, and it was no matter of doubt, that a sum of £500 had been three times levied to repair a church, and it was not finished yet.

There were at this moment, in the town of Carlow, two hundred men seeking employment at twopence per day, and who, but for the exertions of the Catholic clergy and Doctor Doyle, would have ere now perished from famine, leaving numerous families to share the same horrible fate. Yet in this neighbourhood, where there are but thirteen Protestant families, and a church

capable of affording accommodation to thirty times the number, they are about erecting a new one, towards which the famishing peasant, when his potato garden yields a return to his laborious toil, must contribute.

Also drafts of petitions relative to the diminution of tithes, and increasing the facility of paying them in kind. And for the better administration of justice in Ireland.

In June of this year a public dinner was given to Mr. O'Connell, of which the followin was the newspaper report :—

DINNER TO MR. O'CONNELL.

Thursday, 3rd inst., the public dinner given to Mr. O'Connell took place at the Corn Exchange. A few minutes after seven o'clock,

The Chair was taken by COLONEL BUTLER.

At the right hand of the chair sat Mr. O'Connell: Mr. O'Gorman, the "secretary to the Catholic Association, sat on the left hand of the chair; and next to Mr. O'Gorman sat Mr. Sheil, who was a guest. Nearly three hundred sat down to dinner.

The two vice-presidents were, Mr. Francis Wyse and Mr. Nicholas Mahon. As soon as the cloth was removed, the chairman gave the usual loyal toasts. The chairman then gave,

"Our guest, Daniel O'Connell, Esq., the honest and uncompromising cham pion of civil and religious liberty."-This toast was drank with four times four. and was followed by general cheering, waving of handkerchiefs, and every demonstration of enthusiastic applause.

MR. O'CONNELL rose to return thanks, on which the applause was renewed. When silence was restored, that gentleman spoke to the following effect :-

Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen-There certainly are sensations infinitely too big for utterance; when a man talks of wanting words, it merely happens that he wants ideas. That, however is not my case, for ideas so crowd upon my mind, and so unite in forming that grateful feeling in my breast, to express which even the powerful dialect of my native land must fail. I defy the vigorous expression even of Ireland's ancient tongue to express that feeling. No, gentlemen, I am not able to express it; nor shall I take up your time in the presumptuous attempt. What is it that has brought us together? Not the humble individual who addresses you. Millions could not buy the suffrages of the men whom I see crowding this room; wealth could not buy your voices; let me hope that simple honesty has done it. It is that principle of disinterested affection for the finest

and most wretched country in the world, that has brought us together. The freedom of my native country has been my first object through life; and no matter how I may be calumniated. I will, while I have breath, struggle to make Ireland what she ought to be

"Great, glorious, and free;

The firs. flower of the earth-the first gem of the sea

When I see such an assemblage as that present this day, I will not dare to despair. From this moment I cherish hope, and will make a vow to my country not to despair. There is not the physical force in Great Britain to prevent Ireland's rights. What is the principle on which we act.? We respect the constitution-we revere the throne.

I love that part of the constitution, the Commons' House of Parliament. It is as if the nation at large were to congregate; and if members are selected to represent the people, it is because it would be impossible that the entire nation could form one assembly. Every being, however, who cannot attend, is supposed to have his representative, though some of the agents who are elected, and who should be responsible to the public at large, sell the people's rights for a portion of the people's money.

If in our struggle to obtain our rights, we do not pause to calculate and weigh every word-if we use the language of honest indignation to the congregated Orange phalanx of bigotted oppressors, let us not be condemned for it, we ought to be applauded. It shows at least the value we set on the privileges of which we have been deprived. Ought we not, then, to spek in the language of indignation?

It has been said that I have been intemperate. Gentlemen, I acknowledge I have been intemperate. I will be intemperate, and I ought to be intemperate; I have three hundred witnesses here that I am intemperate; I have passed a career of twenty one years in the cause of Ireland; I have served three apprenticeships in looking for her rights. In all our efforts to regain our own rights, we have never attempted to infringe on the rights of others. Where is the man who can place his hand, or point his finger, on one word that we have used derogatory to the rights of others? I speak not of myself alone, for it would be presumption; but I speak of those better, abler, and more talented men, who have acted with me (applause); and who, like me, are closing their years before the struggle in which they have been so long engaged, has closed,