STATE OF IRELAND. (From the Times' own correspondent.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 4, Issue 210, 30 June 1849, Page 4

STATE OF IRELAND. (From the Times' own correspondent.)

Dublin, Saturday Morning, March 3. ' There is no use in mincing the matter. Ulster has become infected with downright Mitchelism , and the tone of the press and the platform insensibly brings one back to the palmy days when.without let or hindrance, the people coolly talked of "smashing the castle gaies," and forwarding Lord Clarendon, per every mail, to England, as having no right of settlement in this "our kingdom of Ireland. " That this is no overcoloured picture may be gathered from the perusal of a batch of northern journals which reached vi this day. Indeed, so many are the evidences in support of the sketch, that it would be easy to fill a broad sheet with the sayings of high-minded ratepayers and the tirades of journalists, wrought to the highest pitch of excitement by the threatened infliction of the ministerial sixpenny impost. Nor are threats and de- ' nunciations confined to the public platform or the public press. They have found went as well at the j festive board as at the open meeting ; and an iv- j stance of the pervading spirit will be found in the < postprandial speech of a Mr. Dolling, delivered at a dinner gieen to Mr. Temple Reilly by the Bandidge tenantry of the Maiquis of DownehireThe Tyrone paper brings an account of a very influential meeting held in Strabane, for the purpose of denouncing the rate-in-aid project. The speeches delivered and the resolutions adopted were quite "up to the mark/ and in sentiment bore a close affinity to those promulgated through Mr. Dolling. Lord C. Hamilton was one of the speakers, and his lordship having in the course of his re» marks advocated the propriety of the extension of an income-tax to Ireland, a rather stormy discussion ensued. The Banner of Ulster, the organ of the Belfast Presbyterians, treading in the footsteps of Mr. John Lamb, the Quaker, threatens passive resistance to the Poor Law scheme of Ljrd John Rußsell.

Lord Clarendon has extended his clemency to Mr Maurice Richard Leyne, one of the actors in the late rebellion.' FRANCE. Paris, Friday, March 2. The indifference which 60 lately existed on nearly all subjects of foreign politics in Paris, has, within the last two or three days, given way to a feeling of an opposite nature ; and as the moment approaches , of a solution of some kind of the Italian question, I anxiety proportionally increases. That indifference was no doubt the result of the public mind being so completely occupied with subjects of a domestic character and of an all-absorbing interest. The bad passions excited by the club orators ; the fears which were never allowed to respite, arising from the existance of those permanent depots of treason and insurrection — the secret societies ; the uncertainty of the dissolution of the national assembly, and the anticipations of a fearful collision between it and the government, and which completely impeded the slightest return of public confidence, and kept trade and industry prostrate ; the dread of a repetition of the terrible scenes of June, to which the socialist leaders and their organs were incessantly urging the people — all this bo completely took possession of the public mind as to render it indifferent, nay callous, to almost any event that could happen beyond the limits of France. Within a very short apace of time, however, another feeling has supervened. Whether such a change would argue a consciousness that all danger at home is diminished, if not entirely at an end as respects the designs of the turbulent and ill-affected, or the signs of incipient prosperity ; or whether it merely proves a capricious character — for it is not so very lately that Italian affairs are of importance and difficulty — I know not ; but such is certainly the fact, and the questions of Rome and of Tuscany and Sardinia have now become absorbing topics. It may be sufficient to record this one fact without noticing the many speculations and rumours to which the subject has given rise on all sides, and which dv reste would be rather a hazardous task, as these rumours are often contradictory. On one hand you are informed that none of the great powers will take any active part in the restoration of the pope, and that the task will be left to Spain alone to replace his holiness in the Vatican, and thus obliterate the Btain in the annals of catholic Spain incurred by the invasion of the Eternal City by the troops of Charles V. , the Imperial hypocrite who ordered prayers to be offered up in all the churches in his dominions for the release of the pontiff whose captivity was his own work. Spain, it is said, will be allowed all the danger and all the glory of the feat. The motives for doing so are not so flattering to her vanity as they are consistent j with truth — namely, that Spain is so weak as not to give the slightest umbrage to any power by her acts ; and General Narvaez will no doubt tranquilize the world by a solemn assurance that no thoughts of foreign conquest are entertained by him. On the other band fears are entertained that the powers must interfere, and that France will be obliged to do so sooner or later, and in spite of herself.— Writes, March 5. Baillte's Motion : Coloniai 'Administration. — We are much mistaken if Her Majesty's Government will soon recover the blow which was struck at them, in consequence of Mr. Baillie's motion. Had Mr. Hawes met the question in a straightforward and manly manner, — either acknowledging that the system under which he acts is defective, or boldly challenging its impugners to test its fitßess,— -the blow would have been comparatively slight. But the attempt of Mr. Ricardo to get rid of the whole affair by a side-wind, savoured so much of an arrogant beforehand, that ministers, whether fairly or not, incur great odium. This is the more to be regretted, because it will probably appear that whatever Earl Grey's mistakes may be, they are only the perpetuation of the mistakes of other men. The fact is, as we have shewn elsewhere, that the whole of the machinery by which the colonies are managed is out of order. Probably Lord Torrington has been conspicuous above other colonial governors in his maladministration of Ceylon. Certainly the condition of British Guiana, like that of the rest of our sugar-growing dependencies, is miserable enough. But if *he promised investigation be conducted in a spirit of fairness, there seems no reason to doubt that the blame wil 1 rest in these and other cases neither with Lord Grej , nor M"*. Gladstone, nor Lord Stanley, but with the system. Meanwhile Mr. Baillie has rendered good service to the country, which will watch the proceedings consequent upon his move with the deepest interest. — Frazers Magazine, March 1849. The Mint.— The commissioners appointed to inquire into tha state of the Mint recommend a thorough reform and revision of that ill-managed establishment, an abolition of all contracts, and existing agreements, a total cessation of all work carried on for private and pecuniary advantage, while at the same time' it remarks with considerable severity on past negligence and inefficiency. It proposes likewise a permanent and resident Master of the Mint, in place of the usual political and changeable nonentity, and insists upon a system of official discipline so strict as to strike terror in the minds of those who have so long enjoyed the luxury of receiving enormous incomes without personal labour or attendance. Removal of John Mitchell. — The Cork Examiner says :•— " Orders, we understand, have been issued for the removal of John Mitchell from Bermuda to the Cape of Good Hope. The climate of the latter colony is very genial, and peculiarly adapted for persons affected with pulmonary complaintg, so much so, that it is considered a Madeira for the East Indians." Jenny Lind has, it is believed, abandoned the stage, and will h\ future only sing at concerts. — Her retirement, and the difficulty of supplying her place, have placed Mr. Lumley in great embairassment, and rendered him unable to give notice of his arrangements for the season ; while the advertisements of the rival company at Covent Garden have been before the public with a tempting list for some time. Everything connected with railway matters is being looked upon with great distrust. The amount of railway calls for British and Irish lines, adver- ] tised as due in March, was ,£2,187,720. Hudson, j the railway king, has been publicly charged with j selling shares of one company to the managers of j another, of both of which he was chairman, at £f> above their market price — thereby pocketing £14,000 at one swoop. He was unable to deny the accusation, has thrown up his seat as chairman,

and refused to attend their meetings. All the conopenies over which he presided, have appointed a committee to inquire into their affairs and accounts . A new Serial by Dickens is advertised for publi - cation in Miy.