The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 444, 17 July 1850, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

Be just and fear not Let all the ends thou ahns't at, be thy Country's, Thy God's, and Truth's.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 7, 1850.

v or some weeks we have not been in a position o give a summary of Irish news, owing to our not having received our files of papers from \-ome ; and now that they have reached us, we

find them most vexatiously (to us) nearly monopolized by voluminous reports of meetings pro and con. on the questions of Protection and Free-Trade. Up to the assembling of Parliament the agitation on this subject was as widespread in Ireland as in England, and was (as is usual in discussions which strongly lay hold of the Irish public mind) even more impetuous, uncompromising, and recriminatory. Dublin was, of course, chosen as the theatre in which their greatest displays of strength were to be exhibited ; and the Kotundo — the largest room it that city— as the stage on which the exhibition was to be made. The " Great Aggregate Meeting of Protectionists" there, is described by the journals in that interest as having been, " for the numbers and station of those who attended it, one of the most influential ever assembled in Ireland for any purpose." The Marquis of Downshire occupied the Chair, and the Speakers were all men of rank and note. The resolutions were numerous, and not always very relevant to the matter in hand. The following is that which came most directly to the point : — " That Irish interests have been, one after another, sacrificed to false notions of Impeiial policy ; that, by the couise of legislation our manufactures have been crushed, our commerce destroyed, our rising shipping iuterest ruined j that by the adoption of the principles of Free Trad", the agricultural interest of Irelend has been l educed to unexampled distrers, and the tradingcommunity of the towns and villages have shared the sufferings of those on whom they were dependent ; and that we are bound to declare our conviction, that until this fatal policy be reversed, and a full and just prolection afforded to all branches of native industry, and particularly agriculture, it is impossible for this country to beprospereus and contented." " One story is good 'till another is told" says the old adage. A few days after, another " Great Meeting" was held in the same place, convened by the Lord Mayor, " to ascertain the true feelings of the public on the all-im-portant subject of Free -Trade." For more than an hour before the commencement of the proceedings, the neighbourhood was crowded by persons anxious to gain admission. Placards were canied about the streets, surmounted by 41b. loaves, with the inscription, " 41b. loaf — price in 1847, 10^d. ; 41b. loaf— price in 1850, 5d." A sack of loaves was carried to the platform, and laid on the committee table. The resolution embodyingthe gist of theproceedings was as follows :—: — " That we look upon the present attempt to revive protection on agricultural produce, as a landlord device to bolster up an iniquitous system of landlord-and-tenant law; and that in order to enable the temnt farmers of this country to meet, successfully, foreign competition and reduced prices consequent thereupon, a corresponding reduction must be made in their rents, and perfect security muat be given them by law that they will enjoy the entire benefit by occupation or full compensation of such labour and capital as they may invest in the improvement of their holdings." Mr. Butt, Q. C. (formerly Archbishop Whateley's Professor of Political Economy in Trinity College and Editor of the Dublin University Magazine, and one of the most eloquent Irish orators) attempted some opposition to this i resolution j but he was received, according to the report, with " groans, tremendous uproar, imitations of cock-crowing, whistling, and all j sorts of noises ;" and the resolution was carried by an immense majority. The scenes thus presented in the metropolis were re-enacted, without any essential varia- ' tion, throughout the country. When the resolutions were unanimously adopted, it was alleged on the opposite side that the meetings were packed, and the general public carefully excluded ; and when opponents did show them selves, they were uncremoniously hooted down by the preponderating party which had gathered the assemblage. A few exceptions are mentioned, however, in which, at meetings convened by Protectionists, a tenant-farmer opposition, usually led on by Roman Catholic priests, proved successful. One of the most notable of these was at Dunmanway, in the county of Cork; where the Rev. Mr. Kelleher, P. P. is stated to have produced a considerable impression by the argument (characterised by the Irish papers as " novel and forcible,") that the advantage which the free admission of foreign corn conferred on the manufacturers of England was also beneficial to the people of Ireland, thousands of whom, who had left their own country, were employed by the manufacturers. " Therefore," the Reverend Speaker argued, " we have an interest in their position, so far from being in a position of antagonism to them." We apprehend that the tenant-far-mers are the class most likely to gain in the end by this struggle. The expectation that protective duties will be re-imposed, we regard as entirely chimerical ; but the tendency of public opinion and the course of events strongly indicate the near approach of some practical legislation for the revision and improvement of the relations between landlord and tenant in Ireland. The proceedings of the Encumbered Estates Commission, of the activity and comprehensiveness of which the papers contain many evidences, are, in one important department, effectively preparing the way for this. Meanwhile, as some set off against the complaints of the agriculturists', we have cheering accounts of progress in other fields of industrial enterprise. The deep-sea fisheries on the west coast, which had been almost entirely suspended during the first two years of the famine, were steadily improving. The coast population of Donegal had generally engaged in the manufacture of kelp, for which they obtained a ready and remunerative sale ; and the

abundance of that particular kind of sea- weed which yields a large quantity of iodine had secured to the people a good price, especially since the recent discovery of the value of iodine as a dye. The peasantry were also deriving much advantage from the manufacture of friezes and woollen socks and stockings ; and merchants and brokers from Londonderry and other towns were to be seen at the fairs and markets in Dungloe, Glenties, and Ardra, purchasing these goods from the native manufacturers. Belfast, which stands foremost amongst the cities and towns of Ireland for commercial spirit and progress, shares largely in the measure of prosperity which Ulster is realising*. It now numbers 52 flax spinning factories, giving employment to IS,OOO individuals, whose yearly wages amount to £300,000 ; and 40 firms in Belfasst are engaged in the embroidered muslin trade, which gives employment to 18,000 persons — mostly young women — in the surrounding neighbourhood. Various cottonspinning mills have also been established. The imports of Belfast are estimated at £4,000,000 sterling, and the exports at £4,500,000 . . On the coast of Mayo, an energetic stranger had supplied the fishermen with boats, tackle, sheds for storing, and other requisites for the fishery .and was carrying on his operations with zeal and success, by the aid of men who had acquired skill in preparing fish for the market of Liverpool from the instructions of the curer employed by the Irish Board of Fisheries at Belmullet. . . At the southern extremity of the island, Bantry Bay had been selected as the field of similar speculation, and the fishery was already in active opeiation under English management . . We condense these gratifying statements chiefly from the editorial columns of the Times, where they are adduced in reply to the representations of the distress and depression of the country advanced at Protectionist meetings ; but we presume they may be received as substantially correct. Political feeling, however, seemed to have undergone little, if any, mitigation. Sympathy with Lord Roden and the other magistrates dismissed from office on account of the Dolly's Brae tragedy, and denunciations of the Government which had dismissed them, continued to be warmly expressed. The address to Lord Roden, which had been for some time in preparation, had been presented. The document had upwards of 8,000 signatures, amongst which were to be found the names of fifty Peers, seventy Members of Parliameut, Honoiables, and Baronets, nearly two hundred Deputy Lieutenants, and eight hundred Mngistraies. . . On the other hand, the f< <"ian Catholics of Ulster, having succeeded in their effort for the removal of his Lordship from the bench, had essayed another bold stroke by petitioning the Lord Lieutenant to "supersede in-the commission of the peace those magistrates who, at a petty session held at Castlwellan on the 9th of October, refused to take informations against persons proved to have formed a portion of an avowedly illegal assembly" — (that of the Orangemen on the 12th of July). Lord Clarendon met this request | with a temperately worded but firm refusal. He said that, while he was "fully sensible how important it is that in the administration of justice, distinctions of creed and party should be unknown," yet he could not recommend the dismissal of magistrates who were not personally implicated in the transactions impugned; they acted on their own judgment and responsibility in refusing the informations ; and they should not be removed merely because they declined to abide by the opinion of the law officer of the Crown. The papers give returns showing a remarkable decrease in the numbers of Electors in Ireland. The numbers on the registry in 1843 arc stated to have been 117,448, which in 1849 had diminished to 72,216, shewing a decrease of nearly 40 per cent, in six years. In some counties the constituencies appeared almost likely to be annihilated. This is attributed partly to neglect of the registries, but chiefly to the depopulating effects of famine and disease, eviction and emigration. Mr. John O'Connell had addressed a letter to his constituents, announcing his intention of resigning his seat for Limerick on the ground that " circumstances not of his own creation had so limited his means, as to necessitate the resumption and pursuit of his profession." A provincial journalist was malicious enough to suggest that this was a bait thrown out with the view of catching a subscription to enable him to retain his place in parliament. " Mr. John" indignantly denied this ; but the Nation, notwithstanding, declared the offer of resignation to be " a vulgar trick to raise money under false pretences." What ever may have been the fact, " Mr. John" (as his Kerry couutrymen would say) ' is not his father's son" in the art of raising money, any more than in any other description of talent, and no " rent" was forthcoming. After some coquetting, he finally consented to oblige his constituents by retaining his seat. The Rev. Dr. Cullen was to be the new Roman Catholic Primate of Ireland The presidency of the Irish College at Rome vacated by this appointment was to be conferred on the Very Rev. Dr. Kirby, who had held the situation of Vice-Pres dent.. . . .The Freeman's Journal also announces with " unmixed delight" that the Very Rev. Dr. Mi ley, (the i late Daniel O'Connell's spirttual adviser),

was unanimously chosen at the meeting of the Irish prelates, President of the Irish College at Paris, the late President, Dr. McSweeny, ha- { ving retired on a pension. Mr. Edward Berwick had been selected as the successor of the late Rev. Dr. Kirwan, in the presidentship of the Gal way College. He is described as a gentleman of high literary attainments, and of hereditary liberal principles. "To be sure," says the Times, " the fact of his being a Protestant may be diCrsteful to Dr. McHalr, and his clique of bigots, but no rational person now pays heed to those whisperings of faction. As some compensation, however, for the wounded feelings of those sensitive religionists; a Roman Catholic clergyman — a veritable Celt, the Rev. Mr. O'TooLr, has succeeded Mr. Berwick in the onerous post of vice-president." A frightful catastrophe had occurred at Killarney, by which twenty-seven girls and two women were killed. A fire broke out in a branch woik-house, formerly the college, and notwithstanding every effort for the rescue of the inmates, three lost their lives. Hut the most dreadful part of the catastrophe followed. The cry of ' fire,' and the glare of the flames, awoke the childien in the Brewery (another branch-house). In their eagerness to get out, they rushed madly to the doors and windows, but found them fastened. They then sought an unused loft for the purpose of egress, but the rotten boards gave way, and the remainder of the number we have stated, were killed, and many others frightfully mutilated. The Coroners Jury returned a verdict simply stating these facts and ascribing the catastrophe to " accident and misfor une."

Having devoted so much space to our digest of Irish intelligence, we can only introduce today a few of the notes we have made in the way of epitome of English news, in addition to the copious summary of the proceedings of Parliament which have already appeared in our columns. We shall still have matter for future numbers in the journals lately come to hand. The cross-warfare between the Pre- ctionists and the Free Traders, as waged in almost countless public maetings in England, as well as through the press, occupies so large a portion of our files as might surprise a reader not acquainted with the extent to which some of the journals at home are dependent upon the support of particular political parties, to whose interests they must at all hazards, be specially attentive, — and, to the difficulty which the conductors of the daily papers not seldom experience in finding anything new to fill tkeir columns while Parliament is not sitting, and their consequent readiness to give insertion to matters which during the session they would unceremoniously abridge, or perhaps cast aside altogether- There is really nothing either new or interesting in the reports of the meetings to which we have referred. The same arguments are repeated over and over and over again, the chief diversity of late having been between the meetings at which the contending parties confined them elves to words, and those at which they added to the force of oratory the force of blows. The preparations for the Grand Industrial Exhibition in 1851 were going forward on the magnificent scale which might have been anticipated from the royal and noble patronage under which they have been set on foot. The Committee had resolved to annul the contract with Messrs. Munday, by which the carrying the plan into effect was guaranteed ; as though they considered it both reasonable and liberal on the part of the contractors, public opinion had been expressed so strongly in favour of the scheme as to render any such agreement unnecessary. The whole undertaking would therefore be placed on the basis of a general subscription. The judgment in the celebrated and very important case of Goukam v. the Bishop of Exeter had not been delivered at our latest dates It excited the most intense interest in the Church of England. The prevalent opinion continued to be that the decision would be against the Bishop. The Council of the National Reform Association had issued a Report summing up past progress and indicating future proceedings. It was intended to convene in London, not later than March, a Conference of Reformers from all parts of the United Kingdom, to be followed by a public meeting, at which their conclusions would be announced. The Council urge that all other reforms should be postponed until the suffrage is so widened as to effect " a change in the character of the Commons' House of Parliament." In the Law Reports we find a few cases which had excited peculiar attention. One was an application in the Queen's Bench for leave to file a criminal information against Messrs. Long and Compton, the publishers of the Morning Post, for a libel reflecting on the character of the Count de Thomar, the present Prime Minister of Portugil, and indirectly reflecting on the Queen of Portugal herself. The libel imputed to the Count the having obtained the sum of £158,000 by the most corrupt and immoral practices, and with having had an improper familiarity with the Queen, " by which he well knew how to profit, and by which he had attained influence and power." The Count solemnly and unequivocally denied the truth of these allegations. The Court

granted the application A case of scandal, which unfortunately could not be contradicted, although the criminal belonged to the highest rank of the British peerage, had been brought before the Consistory Court, by an application on the part of the Duchess of Buckingham, against her husband, for a divorce on the ground of adultery. No opposition was offered, — a course which the Judge (Dr. Lushington) said he thought very proper, and the divorce was decreed The danger of trafficking in Government appointments was illustrated in a case before the Court of Queen's Bench. A person named Paxton had by advertisement offered £lU'/ to any one who could legally procure him an appointment under Government. An ex-officer in the Marines, of the name of Mahom -plied to the advertisement, and obtained .• • m of money on the promise of procuring an appointment for Paxton in the Ordinance Office. The fraud of the transaction was clearly proved, and the offender was sentenced to be imprisoned, amongst misdemeanants of the first class, for twelve months. ... .A decision in the Bail Court had gone in opposition to the popular opinion that a man cannot change his name, without obtaining a loyal license. The Court quoted Lord Ti-NTERDEN to the effect that " when there is no fraud, and that a man meant bona fide to change his name, he may do so without a royal license," and that " the voluntary assumption of the name of a test tor is a legal assumption,". . . .In the Exchequer Chamber a final judgment had been given on the celebrated " Braintree Chutch Kate Case," which had been for several years before the ecclesiastical and common law courts, and had excited great interest amongst both the friends and the opponents of the Church Establishment. It will be enough for our purpose to state that the question to be determined was, whether the churchwardens, with a minority of the parishioners, could make a valid church rate 1 The Court of Queen's Bench had affirmed the validity of the rate, but, from that decision, the case was brought into the Exchequer Chamber on a writ of error. Mr. Baron Platt, Mr. Justice Creswell, Mr. Justice Maule and Mr. Baron Alderson were of opinion that the judgment of the Court below should be affirmed, — arguing that as the vestry meeting had been called under a nomination from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to make a rate for the repair of the Church, and as the amendment refused to make any rate at all, the majority had acted illegally, and the act of the minority must be held good. Mr. Baron Rolfe and Mr. Baron Parke thought that the consent of the majority was necessary, and therefore that the judgment of the Court of Queen's Bench should be reversed. Lord Chief Justice Wilde took the same view. The only legal authority to impose a church rate was a majority of the parishioners in vestry duly assembled. He regarded the conduct of the Braintree majority as having a most dangerous tendency, and being likely to lead to endless mischief ; but that did not transfer the power belonging to them by law, to the minority. His individual opinion was that the judgment of the Court below should be reversed, but, the majority of the Judges having given a contrary opinion, that judgment must be . ii med. This result, which establishes by l.. 1 - 1 that a church rate may be validly made by the churchwardens and a minority of parishioners, in opposition to the majority, affords a theme for popular declamation, of which no doubt, the speakers who itinerate on behalf of the Anti-Mate- Church Association will not be slow to avail themselves.

Colonel and Mrs. Wynyard's Fancy Dress Ball came off lasL night, according to the arrangement which ue notified iv a former number. It is necessarily out of our power to give any particulars respecting it this morning, but we shall do so in our next. Meanwhile we may observe that the preparations which had been made in various quarters, as well as by the lius-i'iiable host and hostess, gave abundant assurance that it would prove such a scene of fashionable enjoyment as has rarely, if ever, before be<»n 'vitnessed in the colony. Mccii - - iNSTtT'-TE. — It had been announced jum, Mr. T. S. Forsaitii would deliver his second Lecture on '• Oiiver Cromwell and his Times," in the Hall of the Institute on Monday evening ; but the inclemency of the weather caused the attendance to be so thin that H. Lynd, Esq., (one of the vice-presi-dents) suggested to the audience the expediency of postponing the Lecture to another evening, when a greater number might avail themselves of the Gpportnnity of hearing it. This proposition was received with general approbation, and Thursday (to-morrow) evening was fixed on for the purpose. Farewell Dinner. — A handsome and wellarranged dinner was given at the Royal Exchange Hotel, on Saturday last, by a number of mercantile gentlemen engaged in the Californian trade, to Captain McKay of the Lord Stanley, and Mr. Bottomley, its owner, and Captain Pearsr, of the Inchinnan, and Mr. McDowall, a passenger by that vessel. The chair and vice-chair were respectively occupied by James Macky, Esq., and Captain Daldy, whose urbanity in these offices added much to the enjoyment of the occasion Several loyal and appropriate toasts were cordially responded jt 0> — and the health of " Our Departing Guests"

was received with especially warm tokens of hearty feeling. The company broke up at a late hour greatly gratified by the social intercourse of the evening. Resident Magistrate's Court. — A man named Joseph Martin (known in his neighbourhood as " Joe the shoemaker ") was brou t ' •up on Friday, on a charge of assault with intent &c, on Frances Hair, wife of Thomas Hair, living at the North Shore The evidence of the woman was given at much length and with great distinctness, and being corroborated by other testimony, the prisoner was on Monday (to which day he had been remanded) fully committed for trial at the next Criminal Session of the Supreme Court.