11 SEPTEMBER 1852, Page 4

IRELAND.

The Tenant-Right Conference commenced in Dublin on Wednesday. Mr. Shaman Crawford presided ; and among those assembled to confer were forty-one Members of Parliament and several priests. The object of the conference was to devise an organization and Parliamentary policy for the League. Mr. G. H. Moore, and Mr. Sharman Crawford himself', thought decidedly that no Member ought to go to Parliament pledged to a certain course of conduct on any resolutions passed by any body out of Par- liament ; and such seemed to be the general understanding. Resolutions were submitted, having for their object the securing of Mr. Sharman Crawford's bill ; and the Conference adjourned till neat day.

According to the Northern Whig, Galway will have its service of mail- packets, after all. We learn, says that journal, " that the company formed in New York, for the establishment of packet communication with Galway, have secured an act of Congress, under which they are to get 2000/. a trip for carrying the mails. They have in hand 35,0001. ; and

new steamer, the size of the Baltic, is about to be launched at New York, the cost of which will be 55,0001. She is to ply between New York and Galway, landing her mails and passengers at the latter port, and coming round to Belfast for goods and coals. The tonnage of the new steamer is 3000 tons."

While Lord Eglinton was in Belfast, the Board of Guardians of the Belfast Union took the opportunity of laying before him certain griev- ances connected with the working of the Irish Poor-law. The gist of their complaint was, that they were compelled to relieve very many paupers who never have had any connexion with the district. Having been hitherto unsuccessful in prevailing upon Government to devise a remedy, they appeal to the Lord-Lieutenant, because he has exhibited the greatest anxiety for the prosperity of Ireland. At present," they say, " when there is full employment for all who are able to work, the hardship is scarcely perceived ; but should a period of re- vulsion come, the grievance would then be severely felt ; and we would re- spectfully submit to your Excellency, that a good opportunity is now afforded by the existing state of the country for devising some remedy for an evil which presses most heavily upon this and similarly situated unions at periods when they are least able to bear any extraneous burden." Lord Eglinton replied as follows- " The management of the relief to the poor is necessarily a subject of such extreme difficulty in every country, that it is no matter of surprise to me to hear that the comparatively recent establishment of the system in Ireland has been surrounded by so many dangers, and has encountered so many ob- jections, that your duties have been most onerous and your course most arduous. It is, indeed, no easy task to select between the danger of permit- ting destitution to remain unrelieved, and of suffering an indiscriminate em- ployment of the funds placed at your disposal ; but firmness and discretion appear to have already enabled you to surmount many difficulties, and I trust that the gradually improving condition of the country will bring along with it a corresponding diminution of your burdens, and alleviation to your la- bours."

Having opened its sittings at Belfast under such distinguished auspices on Wednesday week, the British Association continued its proceedings on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Sectional meetings were held on each of those days, and papers of great scientific and general importance were read by eminent men. On Thursday and Saturday the Association met in the large warehouses of Messrs. Workman, in Bedford Street, which had been appropriately fitted up to accommodate them, and passed the evening in general conversation. The intermediate evening of Friday was occupied in hearing Professor Stokes of Cambridge explain, in Dr. Cooke's church, his discoveries respecting the epipolarization of light. On Sunday Dr. Whately preached what is called "the Association ser- mon."

In Section F., Statistics, Colonel Sykes read a paper on the census of the island of Bombay. It appears that there the men are in great excess over the women-354,000 to 212,059 ; a difference mainly caused by the preva- lence of female infanticide. This was accounted for by the fact that it is con- sidered disgraceful if women do not marry; and to prevent the probability in some cases, and in others to save the expense, they murder the female chil- dren. Government have checked this practice to some extent, by establishing a fund to be granted in marriage-portions.

In the same section, Mr. M'Adam read a paper on the productive industry of Paris, by the late kr. G. R. Porter. This paper showed, that in several branches of manufacture which are supposed to press most severely on our trade, the the wages of labour are higher than we pay, while the cost of raw material is nearly alike in both countries. According to Mr. Porter, 87 per cent of the French workmen and 79 per cent of the workwomen can read and write.

But the most interesting paper read in this section was one by Mr. Locke, on "Emigration and its reparative agencies in Ireland." Mr. Locke showed that the population of Ireland had decreased between 1841 and 1851 by 1,659,330 ; and that the emigration during this period amounted to 1,289,133—more than three-fourths of the decrease. He argued from the continued progress of emigration, that in a few years Ireland would be deprived of its agri- cultural population. To counteract this result, he described three reparative agencies : 1. The general progress of the people, education industrial and social ; 2. A well-defined law of tenure, worked out in the spirit of its in- tention by the mutual good feelings and good sense of landlords and tenants 3. The improvement of the labouring-classes, including cottagera and small farmers, whose profits or wages have been hitherto insufficient for decent maintenance.

The extent of the social and economic changes were manifested by the statistics of the sale of Encumbered Estates. " The number of petitions lodged for sale of estates up to July 31 is 2389. The number of absolute or- ders for sale to same date, 1714. The number of conveyances executed to August 9 is 2310. From the first sale under the act, which took place Fe- bruary 19, 1850, to the end of July 1852, not quite two years and a half, 772 estates, or parts of estates, have been sold in 4062 lots to 2355 purchasers ; so that the number of proprietors has been more than trebled. The quantity of land that has already changed hands is about 1,050,000 acres, or one- twentieth of the surface of the island ; the total area, exclusive of water, amounting, according to the Ordnance survey, to 20,177,446 acres. The total proceeds of the sales is upwards of 7,000,000/. ; and the amount distri- buted, inclusive of about 1,000,0001. allowed to encumbrancers who became purchasers, is 4,248,7081. 118. ld. or nearly two-thirds of the kroduee of the sales ; thus not only realizing this enormous amount of capital, hitherto locked up in barren mortgages or chancery. litigation, but quickening its circulation and facilitating its productive reinvestment in the soil. The purchasers at and under 20001. are two-thirds of the whole number ; thus ex- hibiting the practical tendency of the act to establish an independent agricul- tural middle class, which is so much wanted in Ireland. The greatest amount of sales has been in Galway, nearly 1,000,000/. ; the least in Londonderry, only 70151. There have been only two purchases exceeding 100,000/. ; one in Galway, and one in Queen's County. English and Scotch purchasers have purchased in every county in Ireland, except Clare in Munster, Sligo in Connaught, and Down, Armagh, Cavan, Fermanagh, and Londonderry, in Ulster. The total amount invested by Englishmen and Scotchmen was 1,100,1261. It is a fact of considerable importance as affecting the improve- ment of the far West, that English and Scotch purchasers, and tenant-farmers also, usually settle in groups. Thus, 60,000 acres of Sir B. O'Donnell's Mayo estate have been purchased by English capitalists, led by Mr. Ashworth, au- thor of the work entitled ' The Saxon in Ireland.' Now a large portion of even Achill and the North shores of Clew Bay are in the possession of Eng- lishmen. Again, in Galway, another set of English purchasers, Messrs. Tierney, Eastwood, Palmer, and Orr, are grouped on the shores of Billinakil Bay, and in the Vale of Kylemore. Large tracts have been taken on the Marquis of Sligo's estate by English and Scotch gentlemen ; and many

Southern landlords in the West have also induced skilful and enterprising agriculturists to settle on their lands by giving long and beneficial leases. Many tenant-farmers, from the other side of the Channel, have settled in Western counties within the last three years." In the discussion which followed, the Encumbered Estates Act was styled the greatest boon ever conferred upon Ireland. Professor Hancock men- tioned an estate in Cavan which had changed hands two years ago at a cost of 10,0001. less than the average of the mortgage. It was bought by the encumbrancer ; he had kept all the old tenants, assisting them liberally in various ways ; and the estate was now worth 10,0001. more than was given for it two years ago. Dr. Edgar told of the success of an English farmer in Connemara; and Mr. Ellis, of a grocer from Huddersfield, who had opened a shop in the wildest part of that district, and was doing a business of about 601. a week. The Earl of Mayo testified to the success of the grocer, and the general improvement of the 'Nest.

The proceedings in the sections were wound up on Monday morning ; and in the afternoon Colonel Sabine presided over a meeting of the General Committee.

The session of the Association was closed on Wednesday, at a general meeting for the purpose in Dr. Cooke's church. Mr. Hopkins is appointed President of the next meeting ; which is to be held at Hull : the other towns competing for the honour were Leeds, Brighton, Glasgow, Liver- pool, and Dublin. The total of money-grants recommended amounts to 3551., of which sum 2001. is appropriated for the maintenance of the Kew Observatory. The remainder is to be appropriated in small sums, prin- cipally for the prosecution of investigations already commenced. The establishment of an Observatory in the Southermlemisphere is again to be pressed on the notice of the Government.

The financial success of the meeting at Belfast has been very striking as compared with the meeting at Ipswich. The total amount received for tickets at Belfast has been 11061.at Ipswich it was 7111. The number of Associates at Belfast has been 510, and of ladies 292; the re- spective numbers at Ipswich were 246 and 141.

Thursday was set apart for excursions to various points of the coast ; the most important being to the Giant's Causeway.

It appears from semi-official returns that during the last year upwards of 250,000 persons have visited Ireland on the Irish tourist principle, introduced by Mr. C. P. Roney, to the pecuniary advantage of that country of upwards of a million sterling.

This week produces an agrarian crime of the true Irish stamp. Mr. O'Calla- ghan Ryan, a gentleman much esteemed by his neighbours and the poor, has been shot in Waterford county. A correspondent of the Dublin Evening Mail, writing from Clonmel, give this account of the assassination. "Mr. O'Callaghan Ryan resided in Clonmel, and was universally respected by all classes of its inhabitants for his mild and conciliatory demeanour; but these qualities, it would appear, were insufficient to shield him from the ruthless arm of the assassin. The unfortunate gentleman was possessed of some property in the parish of Newcastle, in this county; and having occasion to take legal pro- ceedings against some of his tenants, it is reported that the necessary pro- cess issued to enable him to evict them. Yesterday, however, it is said that Mr. Ryan wished to give them one more trial preparatory to executing the ejectment ; and with that view, unfortunately, proceeded to Clashganny, to endeavour to come to amicable terms with the parties; but with what re- sult I am unable to learn, owing to the lamentable termination of his kind and feeling errand. About seven o'clock in the evening, as he was returning home, he was fired at, near Kilmanahan, in the county of Waterford, about four miles from this town, and afterwards dragged inside the ditch ; and, lest the gunshot-wound should prove insufficient for the accomplishment of the bloody deed, his head was battered in a most frightful manner—it is thought with a bill-hook, or some such instrument. A Policeman had been passed by the ill-fated gentleman at no great distance, who, hearing the report of the gun, at once hastened to the spot ; where he perceived Mr. Ryan's horse standing without his rider, and also marks about the ditch which induced him to enter the plantation, which skirts the road at either side; and, being guided by traces of blood, he soon witnessed the horrifying spectacle of the gentleman whom he bad but a few short moments passed in the enjoyment of health and vigour, now lying a mangled and lacerated corpse, and weltering in his blood."

A Coroner's Jury returned a verdict of " Wilful murder against some per- son or persons unknown." On the following day two men, named Hackett and Norman, were arrested on suspicion. There were spots of blood on their clothes ; and they had a hatchet with them, also bloody.

Three other men have since been arrested. The Government have offered a reward of 1001. for the conviction of the murderers.

Nugent, a drummer of the Sixtieth DepOt, has lost his life in a strange way, at Parsonstown. The men were exercised on a bog in shooting with Mime rifles at targets fixed on earthen embankments ; the distance was 300 yards. Nugent and a corporal crouched behind the embankments when the soldiers fired, and then announced what success had been attained. While Nugent was thus hidden behind a bank, a ball went through three feet of earth, entered his head, and killed him on the spot.