25 DECEMBER 1852, Page 5

IRELAND.

Lord Eglinton has received a long memorial from the relatives of the men killed at Six-mile Bridge. They aver their belief, that after the open declarations of the Attorney-General and Solicitor-General a fair trial of the soldiers and magistrates cannot be expected; and they pray that the Law- officers of Ireland may not have the conduct or the control of the prose- cution, because they cannot divest themselves of their preconceived opinions and prejudices on the subject. Lord Eglinton reprobates an application made on such censurable grounds, and with the object of in- ducing him, unconstitutionally, to suspend the Law-officers of the Crown from the performance of their imperative duties. The eighteenth report of the Commissioners for National Education has just been presented to Lord Eglinton. There has been a notable increase in the number of schools sinoe 1850. At the end of that year, there were 4547 schools, attended by 511,239 children. At the end of 1851, there were 4704 schools, and 520,401 pupils on the rolls. In 1852 there were 4795 schools in operation. Of 4434 schools, 1247 were under 710 Protestant managers, and 3187 under Roman Catholic managers ; 175 schools were under the joint management of Protestants and Catholics. The number of teachers, monitors, and assistants, male and female, was 5822 in March 1852.

The Commissioners pay a just tribute to the memory of Archbishop Murray, to whom they ascribe their success in a great degree. Dr. Townsend, late Bishop of Meath, is also mentioned as having been a zealous supporter of the National system.

The Belfast Northern 1177rig has these remarks on the rise of prices and the commercial prosperity- " The present state of markets for all kinds of agricultural produce is striking and singular. After a highly favourable and abundant cereal har- vest, with a potato-crop, although relatively deficient, considering the great extent of ground under it, but which, at all events, has now for some months been sufficient to sustain an enormous consumption—with ports in- vitingly open to the unrestricted importation of the universe and in a time of profound peace—we find prices steadily advancing, and at!taining a mag- nitude which bids fair to leave those of Protection times far behind. On reference to the portions of our articles bearing upon this subject, and upon the strict accuracy of which the reader may rely, it will be seen that, instead of our often-expressed anxiety for the proper remuneration of the farmer, the fear now is that the hardly-earned meal of the humble operative may soon become too dear. The trade of the week has been most excellent in all de- partments; indeed, such extreme, general, and we believe sound commercial prosperity, has probably never hitherto been experienced here."

The trial of Mr. Wallace the proprietor of the Anglo-Celt newspaper, for a libel an the Thirty-first Regiment, began on Wednesday, in the Court of Queen's Bench, Dublin. The evidence tendered is that which has so many times been given in connexion with the Six-mile Bridge affair.