sy of a
certain party in the Hall found expression through its proper organs,
and I was called to order in the name of the law. A violation of law to
_praise_ William Smith O'Brien! The chairman decided it was. To such
decision I scorned to submit, and I read the letter to the end, amidst
the most enthusiastic cheers of the audience. I was proceeding to read
another letter from another clergyman of the same town, written in a
very different spirit, when I was besought to withhold it, and entreated
not to read it. I complied. It is but fair to add here that on the
Saturday previous, an article was published in the _Nation_, some
expressions of which Mr. O'Connell considered personally insulting.

Whether Mr. O'Connell was influenced by one or all of these occurrences,
cannot be affirmed here. But he proceeded to Ireland in the course of
the week, and suddenly called a meeting of the Committee of the
Association, before which he arraigned us of discourtesy to him in
London, found fault with the meeting at Liverpool, accused the _Nation_
of attacking him, and, finally, expressed his unequivocal disapprobation
of my resistance to the order of the chairman in the Hall. The
deputation explained their conduct in London, and the motives that
governed them, with which he appeared to be satisfied. All connection
with the proceeding in Liverpool with which he took offence, was
disclaimed, and, finally, Mr. Duffy satisfied him that no offence was
meant him in the _Nation_, and that the passage of which he complained
had no reference to him.

The discussion was a long and, to some extent, an angry one. It ended,
however, as we thought, amicably. Mr. O'Connell had proposed at the
outset two objects, namely, to express a solemn condemnation of the
proceedings in Liverpool, and to expel the _Nation_ from the
Association. The rule of the Association was to send to every locality,
at the expense of the body, whatever papers the subscribers of a
certain sum desired. There were then three other weekly papers in
Dublin, The _Register_, the _Freeman_, and the _Old Irelander_. The
_Nation_ had a circulation nearly equal to that of all the others. Its
expulsion from the Association would at once deprive it of all the
circulation it had through its agency, thus involving a very serious
pecuniary loss to Mr. Duffy.

The two positions were abandoned, and the Committee separated on
amicable terms. Another subject of importance was under discuss