A meeting of' the citizens of Dublin, summoned by the
Lord Mayor in compliance with a requisition most respectably signed, was held at the Royal Exchange, on Monday, for the purpose of petitioning Par- liament against the continuance of the monopoly of the Bank of Ireland. This subject excites great interest in Ireland, mid espe- cially in Dublin, as well it may ; for we find, from the speeches and resolutions, that a cross piece of injustice towards the iuliabitants of the Irish capital is contemplated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The plan is to continue the exclusive privileges of the Bank of Ireland, within the city of Dublin, and live miles outside. What Dublin has done to deserve such treatment, it is not easy to discover. But Drogheda and Galway, with less than a tenth part of the population of Dublin, are to have the benefit of a free trade in banking, while the capital is to be continued under the claws of the Bank of Ireland. Mr. Dwyer referred to the well-known remark of Lord Livei pool, that exclusive privileges tin l) were gone out of fashion ; but the observation is very imapplicable to our own times. Smile facts were stated at the meeting sufficient of themselves to show the injuti- ous working of Mr. Spring Rice's pet system of monopoly. It ti.mears that it is a common practice for Dublin merchants tel go to Belfast, Liverpool, and Glasgow, for discounts, in consquence of the high rates of interest charged in Dublin. Various private banks in Enghied do a much larger business than the Bank of Ireland. There really seems to be not one valid reason for public or Parliamentary support of Mr. Rice's scheme ; nevertheless, it is pretty celtain that it will be carried unless a most powerful opposition is raised. Of all the cities in Ire. land, Dublin most requires a free trade in banking; and Dublin is the only one which is not to enjoy its advantages ! For the business-like resolutions passed at the Dublin meeting, we refer the reader to our adverti&ng columns.
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