Retro: Queen Victoria's autumn visit to Ireland in doubt after threat from Repealers (1845)

The following important communication concerning the proposed visit of Her Majesty The Queen to Ireland had been received in Belfast from the News Letter's London correspondent.

It related to an interview with the Irish deputation who had arrived in London had had with Sir James Graham, the Home Secretary. They met at two o’clock [on Tuesday, June 13] in attendance were the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alderman Sir Timothy O’Brien, Mr Ford, the Town Clerk, and Mr Beasley, who attended with the Lord Mayor as his secretary.

They had travelled to London with “the Address to the Queen from the Corporation, respecting Her Majesty's visit to Ireland during the ensuing autumn”.

The Lord Mayor commenced by expressing his thanks for the courtesy of the Home Secretary, in granting an interview so speedily after his arrival in London.

Sir James Graham said he much regretted that the Lord Mayor had had the trouble of coming over prematurely.

He observed that he had not yet received Her Majesty’s commands as to the day on which she would receive the address on the Throne. He said: “Her Majesty has gone to the Isle of Wight, and will not, in all probability, return until Friday evening, after which I will take the earliest opportunity of learning Her Majesty's pleasure on the subject.”

Sir James continued to say that he was not aware of Her Majesty ever having expressed an intention, as yet, of visiting Ireland; she had never expressed such intention to him, “nor had there been any communication made on the subject to the Irish government”.

He was, he said, “aware that when rumours on the subject first went abroad, the intelligence had been received in Ireland with universal joy”.

He added: “In the way, in fact, it might be expected that such an event would be hailed by the Irish people; but why the tone should have been totally altered, by any speech in Parliament, of any member of the legislature, I cannot understand.”

He asked how could it be expected that he would advise Her Majesty to proceed to Ireland after it had been announced that “the horses under the Royal carriage were to be affrighted in the streets of Dublin with the shouts of Repeal – that the sound was to force, like a shot into the Royal Councils - that certain gentlemen were to appear in their Repeal uniform of the Eighty-two Club at Her Majesty’s lever?”

Alderman O'Brien observed that it was hard – “he might say unjust” – to decide against the people of the entire country, because an article of “a certain nature which had appeared in a newspaper”.

Sir James replied: “True, but that was not all. The newspaper publication had been followed up by speeches at the Conciliation Hall and resolutions – and there were the Monster Meetings commencing again. If Her Majesty went to Ireland, and was to be met in this way, do you imagine she would give any assurance on the question but the one Her Majesty had already communicated through her minister to Parliament?”

The Town Clerk observed that he remembered the visit of George the Fourth. He said: “I believe that the right to address the Sovereign on the Throne in Ireland was confined to the church, the university, and the corporation, and I am certain that neither of those bodies, nor, indeed, any of the Irish people, will do any act whatever that could, in the least degree, offend a Sovereign so much beloved in Ireland.

He expressed his “thorough conviction” that “the Irish character, for loyally and courtesy, will not be lessened by the reception they would give their Queen”.

Sir James Graham said the Corporation of Dublin had certainly had done everything that could be desired in the matter. He then spoke in very eulogistic terms of the address of the Corporation, “as a document that was most gratifying to Her Majesty”.

He said: “That address does not omit a word that should have been introduced, and I am certain the sentiments it contained express the sincere feelings of the Irish people.”