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-"quoad style, imagery, and effect, we never perused a more exquisite production." Mr. Curran, however, has declared that he did not write it, by the mouth of a Mr. Lube. This gentleman acknowledged, at a meeting of the Catholic petitioners (as the members composing the Rump of the Catholic Board call themselves), that Mr. Curran had written to him a letter, which the boisterous petitioners demanded to be read and read it was. We shall here subjoin two or three extracts from this letter, franked to Mr. Lube, by the Duke of Sussex; and we shall take the liberty of observing, that, 'bating a few personalities, the latter production is just as severe on the Board as the former; and if Mr. Curran has bravery enough to own the one, he need not have taken any pains to deny the authenticity of the other.

"You cannot believe the transition from sympathy to detestation which we [the Irish] have excited in England-an hatred of our barbarisma contempt of our strength, which has acted only upon and against ourselves. I see only one way of getting out. If Ireland had the modesty and firmness to disclaim all that had been done and said in her name, perhaps it might have some effect in bringing back our friends and disarming our enemies. I think the people of sense and property, who were really scared away, ought to present a petition, signed only by their own class: It ought to disavow all that could truly be denied; it ought to impeach no one. I don't myself impute guilt of intention to those who even have stabbed the hopes and character of Ireland to the heart.-Innocence ought to plead for mistake. Besides, there should be no tone of crimination-no air of King's evidence. When I look back on what the Board has done, my shame and surprise are still increased.-They met for petition-they were too busy for that-but they had time for every thing else; they became a court of the most formidable attainder-arraignment without notice, and conviction without proof; sentence against character and person-the victim proclaimed an outlaw-the executive magistrate tried and anathematized."

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They deified Dr. Milner for the very reason why they should have left him where he was-namely, because he was deserted by the English Catholics. In their persecution of Lalor and Caulfield, they openly attacked whatever right of election remained. They attacked their most tried friends in Parliament-Canning not an honest man-Grattan a fool -Castlereagh a knave-Plunket a deserter. They abused. the English Catholics, under whose long and tried character of property and allegiance our cause might have found shelter. They employ Lord Donoughmore and Mr. Grattan, and insult them both-and that in a way marking their utter ignorance of parliamentary proceedings, as well as

personal decorum. They petition the legislature; and, while they are. on their knees in civil supplication, they mix with their prayer the menaces of commercial War-A fine time, no doubt, for non-consumption combinations! When the same was tried before, we were found unequal to resist the adverse weight of British capital defensively and vindictively employed against us; the consumer here was sacrificed to the avarice, and the poor labouring artists to the arrogance of an unfeeling master ma nufacturer."

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"Don't mistake me, I do not mean that nothing, save the petition, should have been mentioned at that Board, but I mean that their silence on the real causes and remedies of our sufferings shews them grossly ig Borant or regardless of them. So far as they alluded at all to these subjects, the tendency was merely to inflame-to make our lower orders turbulent and furious, and so far expose them as unfit, as undeserving of mild or rational treatment; but these notables thought they were raising themselves by the apery of legislation-by appealing to the mob upon points of law and constitution. They replied in their meetings to the speeches in Parliament, and finally, and I see no apology that can be made for it, they embroil the country, still more by forcing upon it points exclusively religious, and with which the laity should not have presumed to meddle. First, they complain that the great mass of the people, and that most truly, are kept in a degree of ignorance unknown in any other region of the earth. And next, they call upon these honorary theologians, upon this very barbarized mass, to decide upon the Veto as a most profound point of clerical difficulty. With respect to the clergy themselves, a most respectable order, this has been peculiarly unfeeling-for reasons in which, I remember, you agreed. It has involved them in cruel and unjust suspicion on all sides, lessening their credit with the high, and their authority with the humble. And see the fruits of all this, -no member of either house would venture to stir our question, and instead of an extension of civil rights, we get the insurrection act passed, without opposition, and enabling government, by a single dash of the pen, to put Ireland in a state such as the world never saw. All our affectation was for our beloved prelates, and our dear poor orders; and upon these, peculiarly, have we pulled down these horrors."

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We differ from Mr. Curran in what he says in the last sentence but one. The government of that country will never act so tyrannical a part as "to put Ireland in such a state as the world never saw, by a single dash of the pen." Before the provisions of the peace-bill shall attach on any part of that island, we may be sure that proof will be expected of

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its perturbed state; and in that event, it, were criminal in the government not to make use of the energies with which it is wisely armed; and has the world never seen! a country where the life and property of the inha bitants have been endangered, placed under the aegis of the magistracy, or the protection of the military? Our letter-writer bere fell into his ancient habits of oratory.

THE RUMP OF THE CATHOLIC BOARD.

A very numerous meeting of the Roman Catholics of Dublin, assembled on the 26th of November, at Mr. Fitzpatrick's, in Capel Street, Owen O'Conor, Esq. of Ballinagar, in the chair. Mr. Dan. O'Connell opened the business, and we shall here give our readers the commencement of his speech, principally that they may see the letters of Lord Fingall and Sir Edward Bellew.

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"Mr. O'Connell rose, and expressed a wish to read a letter touching the present convocation, which he, as one of the individuals who were instrumental in its institution, had received from the Earl of Fingall. His Lordship had been requested to honour the meeting with his attendance, and he couched his answer in the following terms:

"Killeen Castle, Nov. 23, 1814. "Dear Sir, I have had the pleasure to receive your letter, expressing the wish of several Catholic gentlemen that I should attend a meeting to be held at No. 4, Capel Street, on Saturday next-With much respect for the opinions of the gentlemen who have considered this meeting advisable, I cannot but state to you, that to me it appears that when the result of circumstances now depending, to which it is unnecessary to allude, shall be made known, a much better opportunity will be offered for laying the ground-work of an application to Parliament, and the adoption of such measures as shall be most likely to deserve and ensure unanimity in our body-an object, I trust, I need not say I have ever proved myself most anxious to promote.

"I am, dear Sir, with much regard,

"Your humble and obedient servant,

er Daniel O'Connell, Esq. Merrion Square."

"FINGALL."

"Mr. O'Connell had taken the liberty of addressing a few lines in answer, not for the purpose of dissuading his Lordship from the determina

tion he was sure he had, after due consideration, formed, but for the purpose of procuring an explanation of certain expressions used in reference to the late mission to Rome, on the general results or nature of which he had conceived that his Lordship would have been able to communicate particulars, which were as yet unknown to the public. The following is the reply:

"Killeen Castle, Nov. 25, 1814.

"Dear Sir,-Your letter of yesterday I have just had the pleasure to receive; although I can hardly conceive that the circumstances to which I thought it unnecessary to allude must be pretty generally evident and understood, I have no difficulty in saying that I meant the conclusion of deliberations some time depending at Rome, much connected with our question. Perfectly unacquainted with the period when this result shall be made known, I feel it impossible for me to form any idea as to the time when we ought to meet to prepare ourselves for our application to the legislature. We bave scarcely ever seen a discussion of our claims in Parliament till an advanced period in the session, and I cannot see any thing to press our preparation for it at this moment. In the propriety, with due reference as to the time and convenience of our tried friends in Parliament, of unceasingly petitioning till we succeed, no one concurs more heartily than I do. I cannot foresee any thing likely to make me alter the opinion I have formed, as well as, you say, many other gentlemen, that we ought not to let this session pass without an application. "Give me leave to return you my thanks for the obliging manner you express yourself in my regard, and the opinion stated in my last.

"I am, dear Sir, with much regard,
"Your humble and obedient servant,

"Daniel O'Connell, Esq. Merrion Square."

"FINGALL."

"Mr. O'Connell next stated, that a letter similar to that which had been sent to Lord Fingall was addressed to Sir Edward Bellew.—The following is the answer :

"Barmeath, Nov. 21, 1814.

"Dear Sir, I had the honour of receiving your letter respecting a meeting of Roman Catholic gentlemen, on Saturday the 26th instant. I have communicated with some gentlemen, who have received similar letters, and all of them agree in opinion with me, that any meeting at present would be premature, but entertain no objection to the principle of

a meeting at another period. Under these circumstances, I trust my not attending on Saturday the 26th instant will be excused.

"I have the honour to be,

"Your most obedient humble servant,

"EDWARD BELLEW."

As I take it for granted that unanimity is the object of the meeting, might it not be worthy of the consideration of the gentlemen proposing it, whether it might not be advisable to postpone it till we all agree in its propriety?-a period which, I trust, and, as to my own opinion, think, cannot be far distant."

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Were the inatter to stand over till the Roman Catholics shall "alt agree" on any material point, the meeting must have been postponed to a very distant day. The "period" when the Vetoists and Anti-vetoists,' as they are called, shall be of one mind, cannot be ascertained. After a few observations from Mr. M'Donnel, Mr. O'Gorman, &c. it' was resolved that the petition to Parliament should be renewed, that the meeting should be adjourned to the 3d of December, and that the chairman should in the mean time write to Lord Fingall;-the persecutions of that

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On the 3d of December a second meeting took place at Mr. Fitzpa trick's. Mr. O'Conor was again called to the chair;-and we shall here give the speech with which he opened the session; the rather because it communicates the result of the chairman's letter to Lord Fingall, and also another to Sir Edward Bellew.

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"Mr. O'Gonor being again called to the chair, he begged leave to state the result of communications he had had, agreeably to the directions of the last meeting, with the Earl of Fingall and Sir Edward Bellew. The noble lord had favoured him with rather a long, and certainly polite and conciliatory note. His lordship avows his cordial and ready willingness to join in a requisition for an aggregate meeting, but he cannot persuade himself that it would be consistent in him to attend at, Capel Street before the arrival of Doctor Murray. This circumstance his lordship greatly regrets-but it affords him much satisfaction to think that it could not be taken as an indication of his indifference to unanimity, or the diminution in the slightest possible degree of his zeal for the full and perfect emancipation of the Catholics of Ireland. Mr. O'Conor stated that Sir Edward Bellew's note was couched in similar terms.-He read both the communications, and they were, together with some others not so material, delivered into the hands of the secretary. He besides stated,

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