IRELAND.
The eastern wing of the Dublin Customhouse Stores was destroyed, by fire, on Saturday last. The fire broke out about one o'clock in the morning, and continued to rage till past six ; when the building itself and a large quantity of sugar, tallow, oil, and silks, which it contained, were consumed. The fire spread through the whole range of the stores with prodigious• rapidity, and the efforts of the firemen and constant playing of the engines, which were speedily brought to the spot, were of no avail. About four o'clock the flames reached the whisky-store at the end next the north wall. More than five hundred puncheons of whisky were thrown into the dock. In rolling them out of the store, many were knocked against each other and burst, and mar) leaked in consequence of the heat. The spirits flowed upon the pavement, and soon becoming ignited blazed in whirling sheets of flame higher than the roof of the building. A great quantity of whisky which had flowed across the quay into the Liffey, took fire, and gave the river the appearance of a mass of flames. The vessels slipped their cables and floated' down the river. Many of the labourers and sailors. employed in removing the whisky-puncheons, soon got very drunk with the liquor, which they caught by buckets-full. It is believed that some of these men perished in the flames. About six o'clock, two pieces of cannon, which were sent for with the view of making a breach in the building, arrived ; but it was then too late for them to be of any service. The greatest anxiety was felt, during the whole time the fire was raging, lest it should reach the wine and spirit vaults below the building ; but fortunately they escaped, and but little damage, as was subsequently discovered, was done to the wine by the heat. The building which was consumed stood apart ; and as there was but little wind, and that from the westward, the Customhouse itself was not endangered. The amount of property destroyed is not ascertained ; it had been stated at half a million ; but this is now con- sidered to be an exaggerated estimate.
The city of Dublin was most brilliantly illuminated ; the crowd col- lected was immense, and the whole scene was amazingly grand and striking. A large body of soldiers were among those most actively employed in endeavouring to save the property and building from de- struction. By eight o'clock, the fire was extinguished for want of fuel.
The immediate cause of this great burning has not been discovered.
An inquiry into the matter is now in progress before the Magistrates, by order of Government. Strong suspicions were entertained that the building had been wilfully set on fire. The watchman said, that five minutes before the fire broke out, all was safe, as he thought ; he saw no signs of it.
Mr. O'Connell arrived in Dublin on Tuesday morning, and prepa- rations were immediately made for two meetings which he is to attend, —one for the purpose of making arrangements for the formation of the Ship Canal from Kingstown to Dublin, and another upon the subject of Corporation abuses. At the latter, Mr. O'Connell is to submit his plan for the reform of the Dublin Corporation, and to invite the co operation of all parties who are willing to assist in the good work. After attending these meetings, he goes into Meath county, to be pre- sent at a public dinner to which he has been specially invited.
Since the fire at the Customhouse stores, Mr. O'Connell has been attending the investigation before the Magistrates, being employed as counsel for one of the sufferers. It seems, therefore, that in one way or another, the Agitator is as actively engaged as usual.
The Irish Government has directed the withdrawal of one third of the extra Police force which has been stationed in the county of the city of Kilkenny ; and it is understood that the remainder of this force will shortly be removed, and the city thereby relieved from the heavy taxation caused by its maintenance.—Herald.
There was a ridiculous Orange procession in Londonderry on Mon- day, to celebrate the anniversary of its relief. The local authorities should not have permitted this illegal display.—.Globe Correspondent.
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