THE FENIAN MOVEMENT 



191 



special vote, were admitted. O'Mahony in his opening address 1 stated 

 the purposes of the convention to be: (1) "to place the organization in 

 a position more suitable to its vast extent and to pass such rules for its 

 direction and management as will render it more efficient and more ready 

 to the hand than it is at present;" (2) "to frame a constitution and a 

 code of by-laws;" (3) "to declare our object and our resources before 

 the world, so that all the friends of Irish freedom may understand us." 



The convention framed a constitution. 2 By this constitution the 

 Brotherhood was changed from one purely military in character to one 

 civil as well as military. The local societies, the constitution provided, 

 were still to be called Circles and were to be presided over by Centres. 

 For the convenience of its membership, each of the larger Circles could 

 have Subcircles. The presiding officer of the Subcircle was the Sub- 

 centre. Over the Circles of each state was a supervisory and adminis- 

 trative official known as the State Centre. Over the State Centres was 

 the national organization with the Head Centre as the chief official. 

 The Head Centre was to be elected annually by a general congress 

 of the Fenian Brotherhood, this election to be subject, however, to the 

 acknowledgment of the"C. E. and I. R. B."^ This general congress 

 was also to elect, upon the nomination of the Head Centre, a central 

 council of five Centres, and a central and an assistant treasurer. The 

 constitution gave extensive and summary powers to the Head Centre. 

 Not only was he to nominate the officials above mentioned, but he was 

 to appoint and have full control over the State Centres, who in their 

 turn had full control over the Circles in their respective states. Even the 

 Centres, though elected by their respective Circles, could not be com- 

 missioned without first receiving the approval of the Head Centre. The 

 Centres were to have great power, especially in case of a call to arms. 

 The organization of the Brotherhood was now, indeed, one "ready to 

 the hand," and certainly in the hands of a strong leader would make 

 a powerful military weapon. 



The constitution declared that the Fenian Brotherhood was a "distinct 



1 Proceedings of the First Fenian National Convention, pp. 5, 6. 



' Proceedings 0} Ike First Fenian National Convention, pp. 46 ff. 



3 Two revolutionary organizations in Ireland. The latter was " The Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood." 



