IRELAND.
Mr. Gavan Duffy, Member for New Ross, has issued a farewell address to his constituents, announcing at the same time his withdrawal from public life and his proximate departure from the United Kingdom. He draws a gloomy picture of the Irish cause. He has spared no pains in public and private to rally the National party; but in vain. "A preter- natural apathy reigns over the country, disheartened by corruption, or pampered by a false and temporary prosperity."
" The Irish party is reduced to a handful ; the popular organization is deserted by those who created it ; prelates of the Irish Church throng the ranks of our opponents, priest is arrayed against priest and parish against parish ; shameless political profligacy is openly defended and applauded ; the special opportunity sent by Heaven for our deliverance is bartered away to an English faction ; and the ultimate aim for which alone I laboured—to give back to Ireland her national existence—is forgotten or repudiated. Till all this be changed there seems to me no more hope for the Irish cause than for the corpse on the dissecting-table. . . . For, seven years I have kept the green flag flying, alone, or with but a handful of friends ; -for twice seven years I have thought, written, and acted to one sole end. In these years I have been five times prosecuted by the English Government—in '42, in '44, in '46, in '48, and '49, and wasted thirteen months of my life in English prisons." Now he gives up the conflict in hopeless despair ; above all, since he sees that no advantage has been taken of "England's difficulty."
" 'England's difficulty is Ireland's opportunity.' That point has arrived at which our hopes were to culminate ; to shut our eyes upon it is national suicide. The emergency of the empire is the old and proved epoeh of Ire- land's success. With the victories of Washington came free trade and inde- pendence; with the victories of Dumouriez came the first instalment of Ca- tholic liberty; with the victories of Todleben and Lipmndi might come an Irish nation if we stood on our rights like our fathers. If we do not claim and compel them now, when, in Heaven's name, will the fit time come ? If we permit this precious opportunity to be bartered away for College charters or sold a bargain for prompt payment by the rank and file of Castle Catholics, tinder what conceivable circumstances will a better arrive?"
-It is understood that Mr. Duffy selects one of the Australian colonies for his retreat ; with the intention of confining himself there exclusively to the practice of the-legal profession.
An important meeting was held at the Dublin Manelonliouse on Satur- day, for the purpose of passing resolutions urging the Government to carry , into immediate effect the improved postal and passenger communication between London and Dublin contemplated by the act of Parliament re- cently passed to facilitate that object. The Lord Mayor presided ; and among the speakers were the Duke of Leinster, the Governor of the Bank of Ireland, Lord Howth, Mr. Blackburne, Colonel Latouche, Mr. George Hamilton, the President of the Stock Exchange, Mr. Grogan, and Sir Robert Kane. The utmost unanimity prevailed in condemning the pre- sent dilatory and inconvenient system and demandieg a better. A depu- tation was appointed to submit the resolutions to the Lord-Lieutenant.
The Irish Registrar-General has issued a circular to the Sub-Inspectors of Police requesting returns of the amount of flax and of the stock and tillage of each district. The flax returns are to be immediately made out and forwarded.
There is a great pressure at present on the Irish labour-market, and as a consequence wages have greatly risen. At the same time the poor- houses are full of paupers in some districts, anxious to go to harvest- work, but wanting shoes, which, it is said, the Guardians decline to supply.
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