IRELAND.
The Irish constables have succeeded in arresting a number of young men in different parts of Ireland—twelve at Skibbereen, three at Bantry, nine at Kenmare, fifteen at Belfast. They are chiefly mechanics, shop- keepers, and shopkeepers' assistants. At Skibhereen twelve were arrested in their beds. It is stated that they are members of a secret society, called the Plicenix association; that they engaged in plots to bring over American filibusters, that they or some of them have drilled men and done other unlawful acts. Their betrayer" as the Irish journals cal the "approver," is said to be OM person. This at present is all guess-work, as the prisoners have not been examined in public. The men arrested in the south were taken to Cork.
Of course the people are somewhat excited, and the journals impute the conduct .of the Government to the terror inspired by "a senseless movement" in which the nation did not sympathise.
The Irish jonrnals. contain some instructive remarks in elucidation of the proceedings of the Government hitherto shrouded in mystery. The Belfast :Mercury says that the Phceuix 'Club had no connection with the Ribatid Society. "The club was preparing to receive with open arms the regiment of American militia which we lately heard so miteh about as coming to Ireland to see once More their native land. This Was the ostensible object for such an unprecedented visit from the American militia, but, coupling their avowed. intention to come with the fact of an illegal society being established in Ireland to receive them, it is evident to us that they only wished to feel their way. Colonel Ryan' was to cominand them, and their stay in Ire- land was Mho something about six weeks. • Daring that time they were to encamp (that was the military word employed) in the south and in the north. Great things were, no doubt, expeeted from these Yankee invaders, who would have endeavoured to spread as much disaffection and disloyalty as possible in the breasts of the ignorant people who Would have flocked round them. In faetthere cannot be a.donbt of the object of their intended visit, and the result now proves it. The .British Government has very properly put a stop to their coming, and since they have been stopped the Lord-Lieutenaet of Ireland has issued a proclamation against illegal socie- ties, and the recent arrests of the members of the Phoenix Club have closely followed the proclamation."
The Northern Whig says- " If there be illegal societies among us of any kind, and if the Govern- ment have got reliable information andjustifiable cause for action, let the blow fall, and the harder the -better. If the Government can and will root out all secret and illegal societies, in the name of Heaven and justice let it be done ; and the deed will be one of the hest that Ireland has ever seen. But, just in proportion to the good which the Government will accomplish, if it acts wisely and impartially, will be the amount of deplorable mischief that wilt have been wrought if the Executive have proceeded rashly or on insufficient or unreliable information.' Our eindid opinion of last night's 'work is that, if it prove to have been justly done, it is one of the best things that could have happened- if wrongly done, it will be more disastrous to the future political peace and religious amity of our town than any thing that could have occurred. The persona arrested are all ROMR11 Catholics—the Protestant -corollary inevitably being that they are all Bibandmen.„ We confess that our private view of the conspirators in the police court last night ,Wils; not very terrifying, and that the aspogrof thd secret band' decidedly foolish rather than :formidable. It is not easy to ebrfeeive the ek- isteneci of a treasonable be•seditious confederacy in the town of Belfast- with any tangible object other than that of playing at tOnspirators, as children play at soldiers. • The perfect hopelessness of any such -Matt Vision as plan- ning a French inva4on, or projecting. a Fitilaistering irruptlini into the north kif Ireland, -is ludicrously apparent; if .people will be fools, they must 'ranter for their folly; mid, if they will be wicked, they riruSt be punish-
edforthe cranes." , • • - • • •
The COH:, ConStitqltiOP, /marks; that "the, .treason WAS carried Much further than any On& suspected `.1; • and take§ a lather alarmist tone: - • " There have been nightly Miff daily drilliegs; pikes' have been manufac- tured, arms litre been impoiteil; and the use Of them has been taualit. .111 this was not for nothing; and Government Was not a Minute too early in interfering Lbut it did wisely in to until satisfactory evidence was obtained. The very day after the arrests, however, a party 0f about sixty men were. observed in it field near Durrus. As a person approached in his Fig they lay•down, but When he had passed, and was supposed not to be observing them, they tesureed the attitude out 'of 'which they had been frightened; and went on -with • their mandaenTs. If rumour be correct; ihopmen in 'Brintey arid Skibbereen ate not the only shopmen who Were aware -of what was going on, Mid people who until Thursday 'last supposed theniselVes safe feel very • uncomfortable in the 'prospect of disclosures that may affect them. - A hundred militia left yesterday for Bantry;' and a body of Militia or of military Will, for the Tin...sent; be distributed through the west of the county: Bet why • Sheetht this arrangement be temporary ? Would it not be well for the inegistrates to menimiitliz-e for the permanent location of a military force ? Except at Kinsale there is not a soldier in that' vast tract of liorintry. The police are few, and .the Poitsi guard fewer: And, see • the censeonences l• Arms have, we tinderfAand, been securely lauded from America, and a few' weeks age, a vessel, it is stated, ran into Dunninnway Bay and landed a erirgo of tobacco, which was carried off, and the ultimate destination of it has not, we beli0e, been ascertained. We cannot blame either Coastguard or police for this ; for they are too few in number and too far apart for the duty to be' done. Now,' however, that preparations' for an insurrection have shown Government how little appear- ances lire to he relied on in Ireland; and that they find a portion of the population in treaSonous correspondence with brother disaffectionists in Amenea, the country ought not to be left' dependent on so feeble a pro- tection."
It is remarkable that the' -names and addresses of the persons arrested at Belfast were placed in the possession Of the police, and that these par- ties ties were'fotinclin the house indicated.
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The Xorthein Whig reports a 'meeting of the Belfast Chamber of Corn- rneree held last week to hear a statement front Mr. Lever, the promoter of the Galway line of paeleets, and to consider what support they could give to that undertaking. Subjected to a searching cross-examination, Mr. Lever seems to have answered to the satisfaction of his interrogators. Ho said he proposed to run a weekly mail between Galway and New York in ten days. When Halifax and Quebec are connected by- railway Halifax will be the point of delivery. The mails will then go on by rail to Quebec and New York. The letters will be landed in Halifax in six days, barring accidents. Lord Bury is now engaged 'in an effort to get a line made between Halifax and Quebec. There is a treaty on foot between Mr. Lever and the Government by which the lat- ter are to grunt 1000/. per voyage. The Chamber passed resolutions de- claring that Mr. Lever's project deserved the support of the Government and the-country.
On the motion of Mr. William Bottomley the Chamber also adopted a resolution pledging the Chamber to supjlort the new project for laying a telegraphic wire from Ireland to America, and to mark its support by presenting a memorial to the Government praying for a guarantee.
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