IRELAND.
ate Bishop of Cashel, who arrived in Dublin on Saturday, in a very precarious state of health, died on Tuesday morning, in his sixty-fourth year. Dr. Sandes was for many years a senior fellow and burser in the University. In 1836 he was consecrated Bishop of Killaloe ; whence be was translated to Cashel in 1839. He met with a severe accident whilst travelling in England some years ago, by the upsetting of a coach, from the effects of which he never entirely recovered. Invested with the mitre by the Whigs, he is admitted to have enjoyed the esteem of all parties. Lord Gort, better known as Colonel Vereker died at his residence near Dublin on Friday. His Lordship was in his seventy-fourth year, and had represented his native city, Limerick, both in the Irish and Imperial Parliaments. He is succeeded in his title and estates by his eldest son, the Honourable John P. Vereker. It was Lord Gort, then Colonel Vereker, who in 1798 stopped the progress of the small French invading body which landed at Killala, at a place in Sligo called Coloony.— Globe.
The Belfast Society for the promotion and improvement of the Growth of Flax in Ireland held their annual meeting on Thursday, in the Commercial Buildings at Belfast. Lord Lurgan was called to the chair; and Sir Robert Bateson, Mr. G. Macartney of Lissanonre Castle, Colonel Blacker of Armagh, Mr. D. R. Ross, Mr. P. and Mr. Sharman Crawford, M.P., took part in the proceedings. The Chairman briefly pointed out the object of the Society. Eighty thousand tons of flex
are annually imported into Great Britain, while five ci7 six millions of money are annually expended in purchasing flax in other countries ; and the object was to save that exportation of money by enabling Ireland to produce the raw material, and thus to acquire a lucrative trade. Sir Robert Bateson remarked, that the soil and climate of Ulster did not appear to him good enough for the culture ; but on visiting the Netherlands it at once occurred to him that the plant would ad- mirably suit the soil and climate of the South of Ireland. A well-grown sample of hemp from the neighbourhood of Caledon was exhibited. The meeting was addressed by Mr. Crawford, Mr. Ross and others ; and parted after a very satisfactory transaction of the business before it.
The new Attorney-General, Mr. T. B. C. Smith, has begun his offi- cial career with an act of leniency. In the Dublin Court of Queen's Bench, on Friday, Mr. Holmes drew attention to two prosecutions for libel. The Belfast Vindicator and another paper had been prosecuted for strong language respecting the administration of justice during the trials in Downpatrick and Armagh, contending that unjust distinctions were made between Protestants and Roman Catholics : Mr. Daffy, the editor of the Vindicator, now admitted that the article in question had been written in a moment of excitement, and that the language was not warranted by the facts ; and a similar statement was made on the part of Mr. Dowdall, the proprietor of the other paper. The Attorney- General said, that the sole object of the prosecution was to vindicate the administration of justice from unmerited imputation : the avowals of the defendants seemed to meet that object ; and therefore the Law- officers of the Crown did not think it necessary to call the defendants up for judgment.
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