Ireland.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 526, 30 April 1851, Page 3

Ireland.

The agitation produced by the Papal Aggression could not fail to extend to Ireland, and yet, so far as v\e can judge by the reports before us, it does not appear to have engrossed public attention there so completely as it has done in England ; a circumstance v\hich obviously may in some measure be explained by the fact that the Irish Roman Catholic Bishops already enjoy much of the hierarchical position which it is the object of the Bull to establish in England. The most notable, movement on either side (since the meeting of the Roman Catholic Clergy, at the call of Aich■bishop Murray, to congratulate Cardinal Wisfman) was a Meeting of the Giand Orange Lodge, presided over by the Earl of Enniskillen, which, after three days' deliberation ; issued two manifestoes, — one addressed to the Protestant people of Great Britain •, the other

to the Orangemen of the United Kingdom. A petition to the Quekn on the subject had also been agreed to, but it was withheld fiom the public until it should have been presented to Her Majesty As an anticlimax to such proceedings, we may mention that the ( orporation of Limerick had resolved to exclude Punch from their reading room, on account of its attacks on " His Holiness and His Eminence." A pleasing evidence that scarcity of food was pressing less' heavily on the people, was found in the gre it diminution of the Poor Rates in some of the electoral districts in which want was most severely felt a year or two since. Thus in p<uts of the counties of Oork and Gralway, the rate last struck was considerably less than half that lequired twelve months before...The industrial employment of tlie paupers was also beneficially extending. In Kilkenny numbers of them were advantageously engaged in the cultivation of land •, and iv the Limerick Union, weaving, tailoring, and shoe-making, in a rough but still a beneficial way, were done by the men, and the women were occupied in spinning wool, working up flax and coilon, and making clothing from the materials thus prepared. So satisfactory h,.d the system proved, that additional biu I - ' were being fitted up as workshops; and it was confidently calculated that, before the expiration of another year, " all necessity for resorting to contractors and out-door traders for articles of work-house consumption, breadstuffs excepted, would, be entirely obviated." It is evident that this plan would be produc> tive of good, not merely in lessening the expenditure of the establishments, but also in redeeming the paupers ftom a state of idleness which only tended to their demoralization. An addiess by Sir Robert Kane, President of the Queen's College in Coik, on the opening of the secofd session of that Institution, had excited much attention, as coming from a Roman Catholic as well as a man of such eminent ability; and commanded the admiration of all his compatriots, excepting those who were thoroughly indoctrinated with the narrow and sectarian views of the Synod of Thurles. He divelt upon the good conduct of the pupils, which had been so uniform that not a single case of punishment had occurred during the first session ; pointedly appealed to the paients to say whether their sons had been injured in j morality or religion by their attendance at that j College; bore testimony to the fervent anxiety ; of the Government to construct an educational , system as complete as art and literature and : science could effect; and declared that he advocated the scheme, "not as a State Official, but as an Irishman." " far," he said, "as my feeble voice can prevail, I shall endeavour that the education of our students shall be to , active enterprise and self-reliance. Shams and delusions and hollow pretences shall have no ] place with us. I have believed, and Ido still believe, that the improvement of a country can be effected only by raising the physical, intellectual, and moral standard of the people. * * To join full cultivation of the higher »nd abstract branches with the means of perfect instruction in the practical schools, and to render the discipline in morals and religion truly such as, whilst securing perfect fieedom of conscience and the lights of paients, should satisfy the conscient'ous scruples of the Irish people, such it lias been the object of its authors to render this system of education." The principles here laid down, valuable everywhere, are especially important in Ireland ; and it is gratifying to find that, notwithstanding the hostility of the Synod, the upper classes of Roman Catholics seemed to a large extent to appreciate their importance, and to be willing to pl.icetheir sons within the salutary influence of thenoperation. The Transatlantic Packet Station Commissioners weie actively prosecuting their inquiries ; on the south and west coast of Ireland, in order to ascertain what locality it might be most expedient to choose for this impoitant station, or, in the event of the non -establishment of a regular station, for a port of call. Cork, Long Island, Crookhaven, Dunmanus Bay, Beerhaven, Valentia, Tarbert, and Galway were respectively under consideration for the purpose. Political agitation — as distinguished from ; politico-religious, and from that connected with the Land Question, — was at a low ebb. Mr. John O'Conneli, and the rest of the small fry of Repealers, " Democratic Associatiomsts," and non-descript demagogues, were in vain striving to excite public sympathy on behalf of their several schemes for making Ireland " great, glorious, and free." Miclung malkeho, as Hamlet has it :— these lilliputian agitators " mean mischief;" but fortunately their imbecility is such as to render their forcible-feeble harangues not only harmless, but simply ridiculous.

Mechanics' Institute. — The continuation of the Rev. Thomas Bubdle's Lecture on " The Aborigines of New Zealand," which was announced for last evening, was not delivered, — as, by an oversight when the arrangement was made, it was forgotten that the Hall was previously engaged for the evening. The Lecture is now fixed for Tuesday next.

Wiules in Auckland Bay. — On Monday morning some of these strange visiters were seen in our waters, and one of them was cap-

hired by Captain Nonius of the Moa. The " monster of the dppp " was subsequently towed to Mr. W. S, Grahame's whaif, where it was cut up in the view of ciowds of spectators. It -was of the spermaceti species, and measured about foity-two feet in length. It is expected that about fourteen banels of oil will be obtained from it, and that the proceeds will realize about £120. Another whale was seen yesterday evening, of which boats were in chase at sun down. B\nd, of the 58ni Regiment, — We are requested to state that the public Performances of the Band in the Government Grounds have terminated for this season. In doing so we have only to repeat once moie the expression of the gratification which we, in common with all who Lave attended, have derived during the past summer from their excellent playing.