18 JANUARY 1845, Page 11

POSTSCRIPT

icearnimar NIGHT.

The flood of epistolary correspondence from Ireland is unbroken: today we have another letter from Mr. O'Connell to the Archbishop of Armagh, dated" Darryrume Abbey, Octave of the Epiphany, 1845." He begins- " Revered Lord—Allow me most respectfully to offer my humble but most hearty thanks to your Grace, for the very kind and flattering manner in which, after rebuking the mistake I had fallen into, you have condescended to speak of me in your letter.

4' I avail myself of the same medium to retract at once and unequivocally, any assation of mine that may apply, or seem to apply, to the document published by your Grace, as being uncanonical I freely avow that the document given by your Grace to the public is perfectly canonical; and even if my private opinion had been otherwise, I would at once yield it to the authority with which that do- cument is now clothed. 1, however, never did intend to express the idea that such a document as that really in question could be uncanonical. If you permit me to refer to my letter, you well find that I acted from misinformation, which made nee conceive that the document treated of matters of a temporal nature, or matters relating to the political rights and liberties of the Irish people: Such a document would plainly be uncanonical, and directly repugnant to our oaths abjuring all power and authority in the See of Rome in matters purely temporal." Before the appearance of the letter, which Dr. Crony had shown great wisdom in producing, much uneasiness was excited by that admission that a "politico religious agent" had been maintained in Rome since the time of the Whigs. "It a stated that his salary is very trivial, not exceeding that of a paid attaché.' He has, then, a celery, and is at Rome—doing what? It is not said; and it would be laughed at if it were said that the affairs of the English Catholics require any such agency at Rome. It is plain his agency can only relate to Ireland. Now, these, your Grace perceives, are all admissions of an underhand agency by the Court of England at Rome. At such a period, and with these facts staring us in the face, it is natural that much alarm should exist." Mr. O'Connell is obliged to Dr. Cray for "repeating the pledge which the Irish Prelacy have given, to use every influence in their power to prevent any such insidious scheme as the con- cordat, which (I we your Grace's words) would be destructive of the purity and independence of our holy religion.'" He humbly concurs in the resolution of the Bishops quoted by Dr. Crony, adopting the rescript; subscribes himself, ex- pressing abundant gratitude, "with the most sincere veneration and profound respect, my Lord Archbishop, of your Grace the most humble, faithful, and de- voted servant, Daniel O'Connell."

Then there is this postscript—" I think lain bound to inform your Grace, that, if there were a properly chosen judge, a properly selected jury, I much fear that, such is the state of the law, an Indictment would lie against your Grace for your moat -maid and most candid publication."

At a meeting held in Dundalk, a priest presiding, it was resolved- " That whilst, as Catholics, we are determined to respect with scrupulous fide fibr df submission the legitimate authority of the Holy See in all spiritual mat- ters, we are equally resolved, as loyal subjects and Irishmen, to repudiate and re- eitt any and every attempt of the Pope, or of any foreign potentate whatever, to intermedclle in the political concerns of this kingdom."

According to accounts from Dublin, there is to be a "reduction of the Repeal -Staff "—

'The first report of the Finance Committee was read to the General Com- mittee on Tuce&y, and adopted. It recommends the reduction of eighteen clerks, including some out-agents; including Mr. W. J. O'Connell, the London Head Re- peal Warden, and several others of minor note in Dublin. The salaries of the officers retained are to be nedueed, with the exception of My dear Ray,' whois to be continued dear' at his allowance of 400L a year, besides important sundries. A reduction in the printing and stationery, departments is under consideration, after which the newspapers in the pay of the Association will come under the no- tice of the retrenching committee.