18 OCTOBER 1851, Page 8

IRELAND.

There was a great meeting of the leading members of all the Boards of Guardians in the Province of Munster, at Limerick, on Wednesday,. against the order for repayment of the famine advances. The demon- stration had been suggested b' Mr. Monsell M.P., and the attendance was extremely numerous and influential. Sir Richard De Burgh pre- sided.

Alderman Watson read a letter from Mr. John O'Brien of Corofin, which enclosed a letter from Lord Jolin Russell received by Mr. O'Brien in answer to a memorial against the repayment order which he had for- warded on behalf of the Guardians of the Clare Union. Mr. O'Brien was prevented from attending the meeting at Limerick, so he forwarded Lord John Russell's letter ; remarking—" I am persuaded that the considerate spirit of the noble Lord, as evident in the letter, will be fairly and fully appreciated." The Premier's note was as follows.

" Bbryt, October S.

" Sir—The resolutions you enclosed to me were partly founded on the ina- bility of the unions of the county of Clare to meet their liabilities, and

partly on other considerations.

Any statements showing the heavy pressure of poor-rate and the diffi- culty of supporting the poor will be attentively considered by the Govern- ment; but no government can give any countenance to the doctrine of re- pudiation which has been so unfortunately broached in some parts of Ireland.

"I remain, Sir, your most obedient servant, J. RUSSELL.

"John O'Brien, Esq., M.P." On the motion of Lord Clarina, seconded by Sir Lucius O'Brien, it was resolved, "That a memorial be presented to the First Lord of the Treasury respect- ing the distressed condition of the Munster Union, and the impohcy of en- forcing the repayment of the consolidated annuities at the present juncture." Mr. Monsell then read the memorial.

It argued, that neither the Government nor Parliament were aware, when the act was passed, of the burden which it would impose on large portions' of the province of Munster : it acknowledged that the waste of the money advanced could not be fairly laid on the administrators of the public funds— "for documents laid on the table of the Houses of Parliament, at the time- of the reform of the Poor-law in England, a country in which the system of self-government has been so long established, show that when similar sys- tems were tried in any of the English parishes similar results ensued" :. it pointed out that a persistence in the order for repayment would accelerate the depopulation of the province, and the flight of capital for "refuge under another flag." Therefore, while disclaiming "the wish to evade any pay- ment which justice and sound policy may sanction," it earnestly impressed upon the Government the strong conviction of the meeting; "that the pay- ment of the advances should be for the present suspended; that the calcula- tions erroneously made of the liabilities of each district should be corrected; and that an intention of reconsidering the whole question should be at once announced,"

The memorial was adopted unanimously; and a Committee was nomi- nated for communication with the Government.

The Irish journals continually note the departure of large numbers of people for America, with lugubrious anticipations that this continuing migration must end in the depopulation of Ireland.

An epidemic of a serious character, causing very extensive mortality, is at present very prevalent amongst children in the county of Armagh and other parts of the North. The affection is of the throat, and presents. something of the character of croup and scarlatina, and in most cases has. resisted the application of medical treatment. Two and three members of the same family have been carried off by it, and in some cases it has. assailed adults with fatal effect.

The Ballyehannon Herald mentions that Mr. Ring, a Manchester manu- facturer, has obtained from Mr. Conolly, M.P., a site near that town, for the erection of a spinning factory.

Dublin letters state that the subscriptions towards founding Dr. Cul- len's Roman Catholic. University now amount to 26,0001.