IRELAND.

In reply to one of the countless rumours about meditated resignations, which are perpetually afloat, Mr. Baron Pennefather has addressed the following quaint letter to the editor of the Evening Mail— "28th September 1845. "Baron Pennefather begs to draw the attention of the editor to a paragraph in the Evening Mail of Friday last, respecting the Baron's resignation; and to sug- gest to the editor, the inconvenience that may ensue from the publication of such statements, altogether without foundation, so far at least as Baron Pennefather is concerned.

"To the Editor of the Evening Mail."

Mr. O'Connell held a veritable monster-meeting at Thurles, in Tippe- rary, on Thursday last week. A traveller across the country remarked that it seemed deserted, everybody having gone towards Thurles. The array of horsemen and pedestrians forming the monster-procession extended for a length of three or four miles; the men well clad and well fed, an un- usual proportion on horseback. It had been appointed that people should attend, " without boughs of trees, illuminations, or ballad-singing." Mr. O'Connell entered the town about three o'clock; and, following his escort, was conducted to Knockroe, a gently-rising ground about two miles from Thurles. The number of people is diversely reckoned—by the reporter of the Times, at 90,000; by Mr. O'Connell, at 300,000 or 400,000; by others at 500,000; and by one person—after the dinner, however—at 1,000,000. Mr. Nicholas Maher was appointed Chairman. The speeches at the meet- ing were not very remarkable; the most notable point being the receipt of money towards the Repeal rent—upwards of 5001.

The dinner was held in a large turf-house, specially fitted up for the occasion: covers were laid for 800. Many of the guests were dressed in the costume of the Eighty-two Club. Mr. O'Connell made a long speech, not very novel in its matter; but a few passages may be extracted. He denounced the attempts of the English Government to make the Irish people succumb- " They failed in point of force, and then they tried the law. They exhausted, therefore, the law and coercion. What methods are they next to resort to? Bri- bery and corruption. They cannot intimidate—they cannot crush—they would therefore, corrupt and buy : but where are the slaves that would sell themselves to any Government, to the prejudice of their country? They shall find none such in Ireland. Their plan now is to purchase. They thought it was a bribe they were giving to the Catholic clergy when they increased the grant to Maynooth. Heaven help them! have they got a single vote or a voice by reason of the May- nooth grant—have they purchased a single clergyman—have they got a single parish-priest—has a single curate deserted the colours of his country? No: if they gave the wealth of Trinity College to Maynooth, they would not be a whit nearer suppressing the cry for Repeal. I don't mean to canvass the Bequests Act; I am satisfied with the canvassing of it you have heard already. I need not canvass the Education plan: eighteen of the Bishops have condemned that plan, and I am unreasonable enough to submit to that condemnation. I allude to these things to show you what the several tactics are that the Government have adopted to pre- vent you from looking for the Repeal of the Union. The Minister is now ready to do almost anything for us. Where is the opposition to our getting the rest? Why did they give us so much? What has made the difference between '41, when the Minister declared that concession to Ireland had gone to its utmost limits, and '45, when he is ready to do everything that, as he says, the Irish people can reasonably desire ? It is a secret. I will tell it to yon—a little bird told it to me, but don't convey it to anybody—Conciliation Hall, the agitation for the Repeal. They have still one triumph in reserve. The Quarterly Review, the organ of the Tory party in England, has announced it; it is the last and desperate remedy they have: they are to pension the Catholic clergy of Ireland. (Cries of " Oh! ") It is announced, I may say officially, to be their last resort. In the first place, I ask you where they would get money to pension them ? It would cost 1,000,0001. per annum to give them a decent subsistence. But the Catholic clergy know that nothing ever so disconnected the Presbyterians from their clergy as the Regium Donum; and they are too wise—oh, I scorn the word ' wise'—they are too honest and too conscientious, to sell that people that never deserted them." Many considerations inspire hope for Ireland— "Has England a lease of her present prosperity? If she have, it is from week to week—from day to day—from hour to hour. Has England a lease of security from the Continental states? Has England security from America? The Queen of England and the King of the French may kiss hands in a bathing box, for aught I care • but this will not satisfy the people of France, and Enghind is not the more certain of her tranquillity on that account. Europe has, to be sure, enjoyed thirty years of peace; but the longer it lasts the less likely it is to be of longer continuance: its period of existence is fast wearing out; and, as far as it is permitted to us to read human events from the experience of the past, we can predict that England will not him continue in prosperity—not long continue in peace with the maritime states of Europe, especially with France, and certainly not with America. Let but one untoward event occur—one ripple appear on the wave of her prosperity—one year of manufacturing distress—one season of agri- cultural failure, as the present harvest threatened to be—and England is in trouble again. 'Man's infirmity is God's opportunity'—even so England's infirmity is

Ireland's opportunity. Think of it when you go home: any one of the ten thousand events that may bring England into jeopardy is fraught with hope for Ireland?' The press now pays more attention to Ireland- " I remember when the Times newspaper had no better words for our venerated clergy than surpliced ruffians' and bigoted tyrants,' and for the people a filthy and ferocious rabble.' They use better language now: they even send over a Commissioner, in the hope that that Commissioner would be able to report some advance in prosperity. * * * Well, the Commissioner has come, and I am exceedingly amused by the fellow; he is a comical sort of chap. The way that these newspaper-writers generally practise is this—when once informed that they are to be sent on a journey, they most commonly write their letters before they start, and afterwards make a finish by the addition of a few sentences.. This Times fellow—his name is Foster, not a good name for Ireland—began by pub- lishing a long letter on political economy; truths that every man was familiar with since the days of Adam Smith—such truths as that two and two make four, that five and seven make twelve—matters and things that no man would dream of denying or questioning; and having arrived at conclusions of that importance, he goes on to describe the people of Ireland. Do you know what he found out ?—That the women of Ireland are ugly. (" Oh, oh! ") He never was in Tipperary, I think. I know I never could see one: I wish the fellow were here to point out one to me. Could he point out half-a-dozen ugly women in this room tonight? could he pick out one, the vagabond? (Great cheers and laughter.) Well, then, he goes on to say, that any of the Irish who are strong and active derive those qua- lities from an admixture of Saxon blood. He speaks with reference to the ac- knowledged superiority of the Irish as proved by the Scotch and Belgian philo- sophers; but he seemed to forget the most important part of his reasoning. The Irish are the strongest because they have some Saxon blood in them! Why, the English have nothing else in them; and yet he makes the paradoxical assertion that a part is greater than the whole—that the Irish with an admixture of Saxon blood are stronger than the English with nothing else. These are the sort of fellows they send among us to instruct the English on the state of Ireland. But I have the pleasure of telling the women of Tipperary—if it be worth their while to think of it—that he is an awfully ugly fellow himself; he is, in fact, known by the title of ' Ugly always.' " The meeting separated at twelve o'clock at night.

On this great demonstration the reporter of the Times makes a very per- tinent remark— "Mr. O'Connell's estimate of 300,000 would infer that three-fourths of the whole population of the county of Tipperary were collected together. Assuming the honourable Member's statement to be correct, and setting down the aggregate value of each individual's labour at ls. per day; (which at this period of the year it certainly is,) it would appear that this day s monster-meeting cost the county of Tipperary no less a sum than 15,0001., from the mere loss of labour alone."

At the meeting of the Repeal Association, on Monday, Mr. O'Connell

announced that Dr. Haly, Roman Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, had added his signature to the recent protest against the Colleges Bill; against which Mr. O'Connell repeated some of his diatribes. He read a letter from Mr. Smith O'Brien, enclosing a subscription of 51. from Mr. Thomas Lloyd, of Beeehmount ; whose own note, also enclosed, said, " I now see that there is no hope for our country except in Repeal." Mr. O'Brien's letter thus introduced the new member of the Association—

"I need not inform you that Mr. Lloyd is one of the principal of the resident

gentry of the county of Limerick. You are aware that he is a large landed pro- prietor, and that his father represented this county in more than one Parliament. I may add, that he is in an exceedingly estimable gentleman in all the relations of private life. Under these circumstances, his adhesion to the cause of Repeal,

because there is no other hope for Ireland,' is an event indicative of the change of opinion upon the subject of Repeal which is rapidly taking place among the most disinterested of the Protestant landed proprietors of Ireland."

Mr. O'Connell rejoiced over the new adherent—

Since Mr. O'Brien himself joined them, their movement had been characterized by no fact so important as the accession of Mr. Lloyd. He was a gentleman of the most ancient family, of independent fortune, of great and varied talent and, what made his accession yet more valuable, of strong Protestant religious feelings.

On the motion of Mr. O'Connell, the thanks of the Association were voted to Mr. Lloyd.

A letter was read from Mr. O'Brien, suggesting that a bust be made of Mr. Thomas Osborne Davis, to be " hereafter placed in the Senate-house of his emancipated country "; and notice of a motion to that effect was given. Mr. John O'Connell then read a letter of a different import, which he assumed to have been sent by "the Times Commissioner "—

" Halesworth, 25th September.

" Sir—I have this moment read in the Times of yesterday your dirty and un- manly remarks concerning the Times Commissioner; and 1 do not lose one mo- ment to tell you, that you are a liar and a blackguard.

" I am, Sir, your obedient servant, JOHN FOSTER. " John O'Connell, Esq., M.P."

That was pretty well, observed Mr. John O'Connell, from his " humble servant "- The letter appeared to be genuine: the handwriting was not forced—the seal

contained the initials " J. F."—so they had every reason to consider it genuine. In the first place, with respect to this letter, it was dated from England; and he would wish to know if all his letters to the Times about Ireland were written in England also: for if they were to judge by the information on matters of fact contained in them they might well presume he never saw this country. He would ask what he had done to this civil gentleman—he would not say handsome gen- tleman, for in his own country he had got the name of " Ugly always "—what bad he done to call for such language? He bad accused the Times Commis- sioner of making an attack on the tenant-right of the North, and of making that attack in an unfair way. • * • One subject appeared to give him a vast deal of trouble—he could not at all relish the idea that the Irish were stouter and stronger fellows than the Saxons. He (Mr. John O'Connell) had suggested that he should get an Anglo-Saxon and a Milesian, and try which of them could give the strongest kick. (Laughter.) That would set the matter at once at rest. Mr. O'Connell senior also had his fling at the letter—

The letter was such a splendid sample of English politeness, that, for the bene-

fit and edification of the Irish people, he would move its insertion on the minutes. (Cheers and laughter.) As he saw two or three respectable English persons in the ellery looking intently at him, he would withdraw the term " .English polite- ness, and admit that such blackguardism was peculiar to this person himself. It would, however, be a pity not to give the man his proper name. Formerly, when elections were carried by force of money, there was every sort of agent, from the law-agent down to the gutter-agent. It so happened also, that they had every sort of commissioner, from the commissioner of the great seal down to a gutter-commissioner. Now, he hoped that he might have influence enough with the press to have this fellow called the "gutter-commissioner." (Cheers and laughter ) Did they know what he said the Irish women were ugly. He really did. (Cries of "He's a liar!") " Oh ! (cried Mr. O'Connell, looking round the galleries,) how ugly they are!" (Cheers.) He was beginning to wish that the fellow was present then; but he hoped that he might never have the happi-

ness of witnessing such a sight. They had done with the " gutter-commissioner," and he would conclude by moving the insertion of his letter on the minutes.

Mr. O'Connell made a long speech on the present state of Repeal; chuck- ling over the assemblage of "five hundred thousand" at Thurles; touch- ing on the state-prosecutions—England's difficulties threatened abroad— chances of a bad harvest—Maynooth, &c.; with his own future operations— appointment of Repeal-Wardens in every parish—registration of Parliamen- tary voters and return of seventy Repeal Members—three millions of sig- natures to petitions for Repeal—the draught of "an act the better to enable her Majesty to summon her Parliament of Ireland," &c.; but throughout the speech there was not a single point of novelty.

The rent for the week was 6001.

In respect to the letter read by Mr. John O'Connell, the Times mentions some facts- " On September 25, the gentleman to whom we are indebted for these letters, instead of being at Halesworth, in Suffolk, was in Ballina, county of Mayo, as ap- pears from his letter of that date; and instead of thinking it worth his while to communicate, whether civilly or incivilly, with Mr. J., or Mr. D., or Mr. M., or Mr. M. J. O'Connell, or any other member of that thriving incendiary household, he

was describing very graphically the chaos of dunghills, women, pigs, cesspools, coildren, ducks, and mud, which he had just seen in his progress through the country, and was commenting with great spirit on the hostile remarks of the Dublin papers, which he had just read in the Ballina news-room. Moreover, his name is not John Foster.' It is unnecessary to suggest, that such an epistle pre- sents the utmost possible discrepancy with the thoroughly temperate and dis- passionate language of our correspondent; who is never betrayed into personal remarks, unless, indeed, his strictures on the most flagrant cases of absenteeism are an exception."

The Dublin Freeman states that the name of the Times Commissioner is not " John Foster," but " Thomas Campbell Foster."

The Orangemen held a meeting last week, at Armagh; which, like that at Belfast, was secret. The only report of the proceedings is this, from a local paper-

" On Tuesday last, pursuant to notice, a large and influential meeting of the District Masters and blasters of Lodges, and several of the distinguished leaders of the Orange Institution of this county, was held in the public rooms, Armagh, for the purpose of organizing this county and appointing grand officers. The business was strictly private; but we understand the utmost unanimity prevailed on a variety of matters which were brought under discussion. A further meeting was resolved to be held at Tanderagee early in November next. We are not in a position to say more at present; but we can assure our friends that proper arrange- ments have been made to fix the society upon such a footing as will defy its ene- mies. The following are the names of the officers—Colonel Verner, Grand Master; Colonel Blacker, Deputy-Grand Master; M. W. Knox, Esq., Grand Treasurer; Reverend David Babington, Grand Chaplain; Reverend Henry Burdett, Deputy- Grand Chaplain; Alexander Paton, Esq., M.D., Grand Secretary; and Mr. James Hamilton, Deputy-Grand Secretary."

In the midst of some controversial remarks on leases, their advantages and disadvantages, the Times Commissioner (writing from Ballina, on the 25th September) pursues his illustrations of Irish farming and its results-

" I have had the opportunity of riding over the estate of Mr. Vaughan Jack- son, of Carramore, in the neighbourhood of this town. Some years ago, when he undertook the management of his estate, many parts of it were held in rundale, or joint-tenancy. This mode of tenure was formerly common. Some half-dozen or more tenants took a portion of land on lease, and jointly and severally bound themselves to pay the rent. This was their only obligation. As long as they paid the rent, they were left to themselves to do as they liked. As their numbers in- creased and their children grew up, they subdivided this land with their children, and built their cottages in a cluster, without the slightest attempt at regularity, and without street or lane, crooked passages in and out between the cottages being the only means of communication with one another; the only uniformity observed being that each cottage had a filthy cesspool and dunghill close to its door. I rode on horseback through two of these villages yesterday, still held in joint-tenancy--one named Carrowbeggin, belonging to a gentleman named Atkinson; and another named Balderig, still held on randale lease from Mr. Jackson. There was just room, with care, to ride my horse on the crooked pathway between the dunghills and cesspools. I went into one of these cottages. It had one room, no chimney, and a turf-fire on the mud-floor. Its furniture consisted of a bedstead with some hay on it, and one blanket, a deal box, and an iron pot. There were five children in it, so ragged that they were nearly naked, and two pigs, begrimed with the soil from the cesspool at the door. The mother was scarcely clad, and barefooted. Cottage, children, pigs, and mother, were all equally dirty. No description can convey an idea of such a collection of dunghills and filthy hovels. The people were all alike wretchedly poor; and many of them had but an acre and a half of land to subsist themselves and families upon. They are perpetually quarrelling and fighting with one another about their ducks and pigs, and about tres- passing on one another's lands. Mr. Jackson, on coming to his estate as a resident landlord, devoted his time to remedy this deplorable condition of his tenantry. He drained a lake of considerable extent; made main drains through his bog-land, that his tenants might run their drains into them; put each man on a squared farm of from five to ten acres (which they call here 'striping' the land) on the land thus recovered; gave them a plan on which to build their houses, in the centre of their farms; superintended their execution, and engaged him- self to pay the tenants the value of such improvements as he approved of. Formerly his rents were never paid : now they are paid with the greatest punctuality; there is an absence of all quarrelling, they have got into habits of comparative cleanli- ness and order; and their industry has been remarkably increased, every portion of their land now being cultivated. To effect this, however, has been a work of time, patience, and diligent attention. The land is let at 25s. an acre rent; and many of the tenants have constant work given to them at Gd. a day in jobbing about and effecting improvements in draining. In this manner about fifty men are employed. " Lord Arran has thus remodelled the whole of his estate in this county from the rundale system, and has established a model-farm. Colonel Knox Gore, Mr. Howley, Mr. Knox of Mount Falcon, Mr. Knox of Netley, and other gentle- men, have given great means of employment to the labourers by building and car- rying out similar improvements. But these gentlemen have attended to the du- ties of their station; and the result has invariably been to beautify and un 'vs the country, to increase produce, and to benefit both landlord and tenant. e idea of the progress made may be formed from the fact that from 4,0001. to 5,0001. worth of manure is annually sold in Ballina, chiefly sea-weed. This year 1501. worth of guano was purchased, the most part by the small tenants. On the other hand, to use a common phrase in Ireland, there is great room for improvement.' "

The Commissioner gives his version of the commonly-suggested legislative check upon absenteeism- " Where would be the injustice of imposing a tax of twenty per cent upon every absentee landlord, defining an absentee to be a landowner who did not reside four months in the year on his estate? Appropriate the sum thus raised towards the payment of the county-cess of the district where his estate is situ- ated, and to that extent relieve the tenants from the burden of the county-oess. This would enable him to pass seven months in the year in London, attending to his Parliamentary duties, if he had any, and to spend a month on the Conti- nent where he pleased. Surely this is scope enough for any man. Even this, which appears to me to be the only feasible plan, has its mischiefs. There would still be absentees who would neither reside nor pay the tax, but who would coolly write down to their agents to impose the twenty per cent on their tenants in increased rent. Such is the intense competition for land, that the tenants would pay this, or promise to do so. This would more than neutralize the relief the tenants would get in the county-cess in many cases, and increase the misery of the tenant, until at last that misery became so great as to begin to effectuate its own relief, as it has done in parts of Ireland, by the invention of good-will,' tenant-right,' and other contrivances for cheating the landlord and one another. It is clear, however, that the time is fast approaching when landlords who neglect their duties will be compelled by some means to perform them. It is but justice that they should be so compelled."

A characteristic trick has been played upon a landowner in the county of Tip- perary. " Having a considerable farm to let," says the Tipperary Constitution, 'Udders, as is the case everywhere in this country, were abundant; but one, who put on every appearance of substantiality, was closed with, on the terms of a lien, on paying down a fine of 5001. and agreeing to a rent of 50s. an acre. The land- owner could have no doubt of the solidity of a man who could so readily command 5001. to pay down; and at once executed the lease, and put the man in possession. But no sooner was this done, than the new tenant not only fixed himself on the land, but brought with him a whole swarm of cottiers, his colleagues in the scheme ; amongst whom, it appears, the 5001. was collected, each to have a portion of land according to the sum he subscribed: and now the whole farm is a perfect colony of squatters, and no remedy presents itself."

The take of herrings all along the West coast of Ireland is so immensely abundant, that the people cannot procure salt in sufficient quantity to save them. Even the frequented bathing-places are full of them.

The cattle-show of the Royal Agricultural Improvement Society of Ireland began at Ballinasloe on Wednesday. The attendance of members was numerous an influential, the show of beasts excellent. Limerick was fixed upon as the place for the show next year.

The following statistical summary shows that the total length of new lines granted last session and now in progress of formation amounts to 613 miles; and the total capital to be outlawed in the employment of labour in their formation, to 7,465.000/.,—Belfast and Ballymena, 374 miles, capital 385,0001.; Cork and Ban- don, 20h miles, capital 210,0001.; Dublin and Belfast Junction, 73i miles, capi- tal 950,0001.; Dublin and Drogheda, 3i miles, capital 40,0001.; Dundalk and En- niskillen, 43e miles, capital 750,0001.; Great Southern and Western, 98* miles, capital 1,200,0001.; Great Western, Dublin to Mullingar and Athlone, 77A miles, capital 1,000,0001.; Londonderry and Coleraine, 39 miles, capital 500,000/. • Lon- donderry and Enniskillen, 5&, miles, capital 500,0001.; Newry and Ennilillen, 554 miles, capital 900,0001.: Waterford and Kilkenny, 37a miles, capital 250,000/.• Waterford and Limerick, 78 miles, capital 750,0001. Total, 613 miles, capital 7,465,000L—Morning Chronicle.

purposes; we, having duly considered the injurious effects such practices, if allowed to proceed, will have upon the welfare of the com- munity, have resolved, that if they continue, we will without delay, by the powers vested in us by the 2d and 3d of William IV. cap. 108, appoint and swear in a sufficient number of special constables to patrol with the police, in order effectually to put down such lawless proceedings."

A disgusting outrage has been committed near Castleplunket, in Roscommon; some ruffian having stabbed and maimed seventeen bullocks and heifers belonging to Mr. Nolan, a gentleman generally esteemed. Most of the animals died from their wounds ; which seem to have been inflicted with a rusty bayonet, that was found sticking in one of the cattle. The rapid spread of agrarian disturbance in Westmeath has induced the county Magistrates to issue a monitory " notice," in which they say— "Whereas it appears to us that several threatening notices have been served, and other outrages recently committed within this and the neighbouring districts, and that a system of intimidation has been introduced, prescribing rates of wages and for other ille