IRELAND.

At the meeting of the Repeal Association, on Monday, a letter was read from Mr. Henry Grattan, advocating increased exertion in the establishment of Repeal reading-rooms throughout the country, and placing at the disposal of the Association one hundred copies of his father's Memoirs, edited by himself. Thanks were voted to Mr. Grat- tan for his "munificent donation." The names of two confessed Ribandmen, living in Scotland, were struck off the books of the Asso- ciation. The rent for the week was 391/.

Mr. Charles Gavan Duffy, editor of the Nation, has addressed a letter to Mr. O'Connell, deprecating his adoption of Federalism. The writer refers to his past writings for proof that he is not prejudiced against the doctrine ; but he would regret to see Repealers go further in that direction. Whether better or worse, Repeal is a different thing from Federalism ; and Mr. Duffy thinks it "essentially a worse thing '- "In the first place, the Imperial representation' on which it is based is calculated to perpetuate our moral and intellectual subjection to England. It will teach the aristocracy still to turn their eyes to London as the scene of their ambition. It will continue to train them in English manners, feelings, and prejudices ; and to establish permanently a centre of action apart from their native country. By the same process, it will plant deeper the physical evil of absenteeism. It will compel our Lords and C011111101111 to reside out of the country, and continue the dram upon our resources, on which you found so strong an argument for RepeaL In this respect, I think it a worse owe-for absenteeism than Dr. Mannsell's teetotum Parliament."

In the second place, " of what use to Ireland woald be this Imperial representation ' ?' How would the Irish minority be more able to in- fluence a House where it is powerless now? What guarantee would there be that Irish interests would be treated with less indifference than at present by the English majority ? Federalism raises difficulties which do not exist against Repeal-

" We want to restore an institution of which we have been robbed; the Fe- deralists, who insist upon pushing their principle as far as it willgo, want a re- construction of the empire upon a new basis. If I am not deceived in believing this to be the object of the party, are we not wooing shipwreck if we embark in the same boat with them ?

" Moreover, some of the Federalists do not contemplate a House of Lords for Ireland. They would give us a Legislative Council, consisting of one chamber. Here we have a second innovation, and, of course, a second diffi- culty. They ask a thing foreign to the British constitution, and a thing which, for that very reason, (however good it may be intrinsically,) would undoubtedly be refused. But is it good ? It would leave us a demi-Parliament, about as useful relatively to an entire one as half a pair of scissors to the whole; and it would exile the chief landed proprietors in the country—namely, the Peerage. Very bigoted and heartless that Peerage may be ; but while it possesses the soil of the country, our business is to keep it under home influences. The section of the Federalists who would have no Peers in our Domestic Legislature, while they would have them in the Imperial Parliament, contrive to make absentee- ism a duty." Federalism is certainly less hated, less blown upon by ignorance and prejudice, than Repeal ; but the Lords have rejected bills because they were countenanced by O'Connell ; and, adopted by him, Federalism would meet with the same party-prejudice at home. The prevailing- idea of Federalism is England, as that of Repeal is Ireland ; and tbere is no doubt which course O'Connell, upon mature deliberation, must choose. The Federalists are a juste-milieu party between Repealers and Anti-Repealers; and Mr. Duffy would leave that bridge where it stands. He earnestly hopes that Mr. O'Connell does not mean to pro- pose the adoption of Federalism by the Repeal Association ; and he suggests that to do so would be a breach of faith towards those mem- bers who have joined the Association as Repealers.

" An Irish Priest" has addressed a letter to the Weekly Register on "the Anti-Catholic spirit of the Nation newspaper"; and the letter is reprinted by the Pilot, "in consequence," says the editor, "of its being required of us as a public duty." This letter, thus published and repub- lished by papers more immediately devoted to Mr. O'Connell and Re- peal, is a remarkable indication of the state of opinion in Ireland. The attack on the Nation, upon religious grounds, is bitter. That paper, says the writer," has immense circulation among the people of Ireland, and, of course, chiefly among the Catholic people "; and the Priest claims the right to protest against "the un-Catholic sneers and sar- casms and the un-Christian principles put forward constantly in such an organ"- " The un-Catholic and Infidel spirit which has been exhibited in the Nation newspaper from time to time since the commencement of its career, has been, to my certain knowledge, a source of pain -and alarm to many pious and pa- triotic clergymen in several parts of Ireland, and to some of our Bishops. Hopes have been all along indulged, that perhaps this evil spirit might gradually work itself out. Two years have now passed away, and no change has appeared, unless it be a change for the worse. It is time that the well-grounded fears of so many should at last find some expression." The'Priest enters into particulars. One grave offence on the part of the Nation is the utterance of a passage with such sentences as the fol- lowing, which we copy, Italics and all, as we find them in the letter- " Religion has been for ages so mixed with Irish quarrels, that it is often hard to say whether patriotism or superstition was the animating principle of an Irish leader, and whether political rapacity or bigoted zeal against bigotry was the motive of an oppressor." The Priest ex- claims— " Merciful God I and has it come to this at last, that the Catholic people of Ireland are to be told, through an organ supported by themselves, that super- stition may have been the animating principle of their leaders for ages, and that the fiendish persecution of their religion was only bigoted zeal against bigotry P'

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But perhaps the most characteristic passage in these strictures is the following- " In the next article of the Nation, entitled The Detectives,' we have the following morsel= It is by parading these (before-mentioned) andoubtectad- vantages of despotism that it is defended. There is nothing in Italy or Russia that is not capable of the same sort of defence. A Roman censorship prevents immoral and impious books, but it destroys liberty of discussion. Neapolitan spies and English letter-openers rain conspiracies; but they violate honour, and cast doubt and dismay into every transaction of life,' &c. A Roman cen- sorship prevents immoral and impious books: but what care the Nation writers for this, while liberty of discussion is prevented—that is, the liberty of publishing impiety and immorality ? The Roman censorship is put on a par with thespy system at Naples and letter-opening in England. A. Roman censorship, let me tell these gentlemen, is approved by the Holy See itself, acting in its Papal capacity and with the Apostolic authority ; sanctioned by the invariable prac- tice of the same Holy See from time immemorial; and was, according to Ba- ronins and other ecclesiastical writers, adopted in principle from the first ages of Christianity. It is, moreover, approved of expressly by the fifth Council of Lateran, and by the Council of Trent. It is the unanimous opinion of Ca- tholic divines that the Church has, by divine right, the power of censorship of books in whatever regards faith or morals—of course, no farther: and our pre- sent Holy Father, Gregory the Sixteenth, in a dogmatical epistle, addressed to all the Bishops of the world, and received by them all, has declared as false, temerarious, injurious to the Holy See, and productive of innumera- ble evils to the people, the doctrine of those who not only reject the censorship of books as an intolerable burden, but have besides the wickedness to hold it forth as contrary to the principles of equity and justice, and to deny to the Church the power of enacting and employing it."

A movement has commenced to relieve the Reverend Theobald Mathew from his difficulties. The Earl of Arundel and Surrey has given 1004 Lord Cloncurry 50/..; and others have subscribed liberally. In a letter to Mr. Silk Buckingham, one of the contributors, Mr. Ma- thew explains the origin of his embarrassments-

" It was after much importunity and with great reluctance that I con- sented to have my pecuniary difficulties made public by the Reverend Mr. Blacks, the editor of the Inquirer. It is unnecessary in writing to you to--vin- dicate myself from the charge of imprudence—ion well know the unavoidable expenditure attendant on a great popular movement. With the exception of

100/. sent to me some years ago by the Marquis of Lansdowne, I never re- ceived aid from any one. A report, propagated by the antagonists of Tem- perance, of my having amassed wealth, increased the calls upon me, and I must confess, prompted me to exceed my resources to rebut the calumny. I had, it is true, large sums of money offered to me whilst I was in England ; but I wished to act independently, and refused them. • * • All my own private resources have been .exhausted. I have drawn to a large amount upon my brothers ; and all this to promote that sacred cause to whose success I have de- voted my existence."

According to this paragraph in the Cork Examiner, Mr. Mathew has actually been arrested for debt- " What will you think, Irishmen, when we tell you that Father Mathew, the benefactor of your country, the admiration of the world, has been publicly arrested in Dublin for the balance of a debt due to a maker of Temperance medals, and that while in the very act of administering the Temperance pledge ? The bailiff, like a second Judas, came up to Father Mathew, saying, Father Mathew, your blessing!' and, while the good man called down a blessing upon the head of the wretch, he took a writ from his pocket, and, thrusting it into the hand of Father Mathew, told him he arrested him, and then asked for his forgiveness 1"

One Liddane has been committed for trial at Limerick, on a charge, of which evidence is strong against him, that he was implicated in scuttling vessels in the harbour.

A fire broke out the other day in a house at Dublin, belonging to a strange sect called White Quakers. When it was first discovered, the inmates made no attempt to arrest it, nor did they call for aid : on the contrary, they refused to admit the police and firemen, exclaiming from the windows that God would protect his own. The police, however, forced an entrance ; and, after some time, the fire was got under.

Mr. John Walsh, a Dublin barrister, was drowned in a deep quarry- hole at Finglas, near Dublin, on Saturday. He went to the pond with two dogs, and by some means fell into the water : a policeman saw him struggling, but before any assistance could be given the unfortunate gentleman sank.

Two youths have been amusing-themselves and terrifying beholders by ascending the statue on the top of the Nelson pillar at Dublin : they first went up singly, and then both together, and stood on one leg on Nelson's head Eels are about to be exported from the Shannon to London. The first cargo will consist of forty tons !