15 MARCH 1845, Page 9

IRELAND.

A special meeting of the Belfast Protestant Operative Association was held on Wednesday week, to petition againat the increased grant to Maynooth College. The meeting was only rendered remarkable by the fact that the Chairman was the Earl of Roden, whose son, Lord Jocelyn, has just accepted office as Secretary to the Board of Control: he expressed a hearty sympathy in the object of the meeting; and under his presidency was adopted a petition containing such pas-. sages as these—" That your petitioners, as conscientious professors of the Pro- teitant faith, look upon all such support afforded to that erroneous and Anti- Christian system as directly subversive of the prosperity of these lands, temporal and syiritual, because contrary to the plainly revealed law of God, and therthre certain, as all past experience tells, to draw down His heavy displeasure upon this state and people. That your petitioners cannot but view in this light any portion of the public money paid for the maintenance and instruction of Romish priests in the errors of the false religion. That your petitioners have learned with sur- Qprise and the deepest sorrow the intentions of the advisers of our Protestant ueen, to recommend not only a continuance of the annual grant to Maynooth,' but also a great increase of the same." And the petition prayed for a Parlia- mentary investigation into the true nature of the instruction afforded at Maynooth.

The meeting of the Repeal Association was held on Monday; but the at- tendance was unusually small. Among the subscriptions handed in, was Ill. from the family of Mr. J. Langan the pugilist; whose subsidy seems to have created quite a sensation. Mr. O'Connell moved that the marked thanks of the Association be given to Mr. Langan. There trod not a braver or a better man in shoe-leather. He had prospered in life, and was ready to share his prosperity with his country by contributing munificently to the funds of the Association. Mr. Dillon Browne, M.P., in seconding the motion, said, that no one deserved more of his country than Langan, who had shown what an Irishman always can do when opposed to an Englishman. He was glad that this brave man's family inherited his spirit; and with such cooperation in England the regeneration of Ireland was certain. A letter was read from Mr. Steele, stating, that since his

visit to Ti outrages with one exception had ceased, and that he expw.ted to tranquillize that county completely before he left it. The topics discass. were mostly stale,—the abused Mr. Roebuck; the grant to Maynooth College, which Mr. M'Nevin vilified for being " not large enough," at the same time Lit he denounced it as " a bribe to win the Catholic clergy from their immemorial fidelity to the cause of their country" l [Perhaps in Ireland these two objections will not be thought inconsistent.] A new rumour that the Queen into visit Ire- land was also alluded to, with sturdy asseverations that there should be no " shrinking." Mr. M'Nevin said, he was too well aware of what the duties of a loyal subject were, not to feel delighted at the prospect of that visit, and he underatriod the simulation of manly courtesy too well not to affect satisfaction even if he did not feel it; but there was a duty which would bear no dissimulation or admit of compromise—he meant the duty and allegiance men owed to the land of their birth.' Mr. O'Connell intimated that the Queen need not be afraid to oome to Ireland; but he could not refrain from a hint to the mob touching the Ministers. They would, he said, hail with delight and the most thorough devotion the visit of the excellent lady who filled the throne; but there should be no abandonment or post- ponement of the Repeal, if she came here. Before being sent to gaol, he said there shoUld be no shrinking or compromise. He kept his word; and it was very unlikely that he would suffer himself to be cajoled into what he could not be bul- lied or frightened into. At the same time, there was no doubt that she would be received with the utmost devotion and respect: even her Ministers would be safe from the contempt and execration they merited, lest the hooting and the hissing. of the people might offend the ears of their Royal mistress, and be misconstrud by her into "a manifestation of disrespect He hoped, indeed, they would not ac- ciompany her here. Why should she bring over Sir James Graham, who bad called. them otefficted (*aspirator*? Oh, be wailed that the seal-breaker might corno over here, hi order that the pm,ple might cry "Convicted conspirator, in your teeth, you vale letter-opener!" Hi hoped that the would leave both Peel and Graham at home, and thus avoid encountering the appearance of disrespect; for they could not help receiving such men with contempt and execration whenever they could

so without offence to her Majesty. The report of the Committee on the Tenure of Land Commission Report was again postponed. The rent for the week was 4781.

Mr. Abraham Coates, Lord Stradbroke's agent, and five working-men, were tried at Waterford Assizes, last week, for administering an unlawful oath to Michael Connors, to compel him to quit a house which he inhabited. The evi- dence was incomplete as to the intention of Mr. Coates: the prosecutor had pre- vented any witnesses being heard on the part of the defendant, by charging all Who accompanied him with participating in the alleged offence. The Jury imme- diately acquitted all the prisoners.

The Leitrim Grand Jury have presented the sum of 5001. to be levied off the (aunty-rate and given to the widow of the late Captain IPLeod, who was murdered at Ballinamore.

Sir Henry French Barrington, in his ninety-sixth year, and in reduced circum- has been burnt to death at his lodgings in Dublin: he was found dead in air, his clothes having accidentally caught fire from a candle. Sir Henry was the eldest brother of Sir Jonah Barrington, and appears to have been care- fully. attended to the last by a lady of his family.