IRELAND.
It will be recollected, that in consequence of the toast " The Battle of the Diamond" baring been drunk at an election-dinner given by Colonel Verner, M. P. for Armagh, Mr. Secretary Drummond applied to several Magistrates said to have been at the dinner, to know whe- ther they sanctioned the commemoration of a sanguinary conflict be- tween Protestants and Catholics. The answer of one of these gen- tlemen, couched in uncivil language, but denying that he was present when the toast was proposed, was mentioned in the Spectator a fort- night ago. Colonel Verner was also applied to ; and he could not deny that the toast was given in his presence, but he pretended to doubt what particular " Battle of the Diamond" was alluded to, and professed to believe that the party was a private one. Lord Morpeth, in reply to Colonel Verner, refers him to his own evidence before the Intimidation Committee, for the date of the battle ; and as to the alle- gation that the party was a private one, reminds the Colonel, that
" It was attended by every circumstance which distinguishes a public from a private meeting. It was a dinner given at a public hotel, on the occasion of a public election, to celebrate a public event ; public toasts were given, and poli- tical speeches made, as usual at public diluters; the entire proceedings were reported in detail in a public newspaper, as public intelligence."
Lord Morpeth reads the Colonel a severe lecture on his breach of duty as a Magistrate, and informs him that he is to be removed from the commission of the peace for Armagh, and front his office of De- puty-Lieutenant of Tyrone. The Irish Government has acted with proper spirit, and Colonel Verner cuts a tarty contemptible figure, in this affair.
Captain Vignoles, u Stipendiary Magistrate, and Captain Gleeson, a Chief Constable of Police, having bad a quarrel and a scuffle at the late Carlow election, both have been severely "admonished" by the Lord-Lieutenant, and removed from the county of Carlow.
An order hits been issued from the Castle directing that care should be taken to prevent charges of rape being compromised by the marriage of the parties. Great evil has arisen from the practice ; cases, on the one hand, being got up to induce marriage, and on the other, the offence being committed under the knowledge that a compromise would be the utmost penalty.
The Dublin Liberals are bestirring themselves to raise a subscription in defence of the seats of O'Connell and Hutton.
Three thousand pounds a year has been already subscribed by the Conservatives of Tipperary to pay registering agents in the different baronies. Nothing can equal the general enthusiastn now prevailing in this great county for registering.—Correspondent (g the Leinster Erinyes.
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