IRELAND.
Mr. Chichester Fortescue, the new Lord of the Treasury, is likely to be reelected triumphantly at Louth. Ten Roman Catholic priests have come forward with a manifesto refuting certain calumnies against Mr. For- tescue, disseminated by "strangers who have intruded into the county." The strangers are the friends of Mr. Cantwell, the candidate ofthe Lucas and Duffy faction.
Dr. M'Hale, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Tuam, has issued a pasto- ral to his clergy, directing them to "make without delay a census of the relative numbers of Catholics and sectaries" in their respective parishes, "in order that tardy justice may at length be done to our heroic people, and that it may be known, that however the population has been di- minished by famine and by forced emigration," the Catholics still retain in his diocese that relative superiority of number "which makes them emphatiefilly the people of this country."
The reduction in the price of food in the Irish markets is continuous; from all parts full supplies and diminished rates are reported.
Some time ago, there was a monster trial at Dublin, known as the Cant- well-Cannook case. Miss Margaret Cantwell, a Roman Catholic schoolmis- tress, was accused of stealing a bit of velvet riband from the shop of Can- nock and Co. She was acquitted ; and at once brought an action for false imprisonment against the prosecutor. The case excited immense interest, and was tried last week in the Court of Queen's Bench, before the Chief Justice and a mixed Jury. Damages were laid at 5000/. Mr. Whiteside, for the defence, brought forward a new witness of the theft—a boy, who swore that he saw Miss Cantwell take the riband from her basket and drop it between two rolls of oilcloth. Cross-examination discredited this testimony ; and the Jury, after deliberating for two hours and a half, found a verdict for the plaintiff on the count of false imprisonment, and gave 3001. damages with 6d. coats. On the second count—malicious prosecution—they could not agree, and were discharged.
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