30 AUGUST 1845, Page 5

IRELAND.

The Dublin correspondent of the Morning Chronicle thus announces the settled establishment of the first of the new Provincial Colleges- " The Government, I understand, have finally determined upon establishing one of the Provincial Colleges at Cork. Dr. Bullen, the Secretary of the local Com mittee at Cork, has arrived in town, and had an interview with Sir Thomas Fremantle, at Dublin Castle, this day. There is everyexpectation that one of that most extensive and varied private collections of books in the United Kingdom will be given, as an endowment, to the new College at Cork. This library is the result Of Mini years' collection by Dr. Murphy, Boman Catholic Bishop of Cork, at an immense expenditure, chiefly out of his private fortune. At the meeting of the Committee, in Cork, on Saturday, Dr. Bullen made the following statement- ' Through all his proceedings he (Dr. Bullen) had consulted as a private friend with the Right Reverend Dr. Murphy; and he had been given to understand by him that he intended to devote his immense library of 130,000 volumes to the benefit of the public. Now it so happened, that in the Colleges Bill a clause had been framed giving permission to private individuals to make donations of such libraries to the Colleges. He need not tell the meeting that such a library as that of Dr. Murphy would be an immense acquisition to the College:"

The Armagh Guardian states that Archbishop Crolly has subscribed 1,0001. towards founding a Divinity chair in the Ulster College.

The correspondent of the Times warns Mr. O'Connell that lie is losing ground in his opposition to the new Colleges- " The honourable Member for Kilkenny has been at fault, and will find ere long that he has been fighting the battle, not, as he thought, of the whole bench of [Roman Catholic] Bishops, but of a minority composed of a few resolute im- practicables, such as John Tuam,' J. Cantwell,' and, it may be, ' W. Hig- gins.' In addition to the open defection of Dr. Crolly, Dr. Ryan of Limerick, Dr. Egan of Kerry, and Dr. Murphy of Cork, [Bishops,] have seceded from the ' protesters,' and given in their adhesion to the corrupt' Minister; and as a sop to the former, (Dr. Ryan, a very amiable man and unobtrusive politician,) it is understood that Limerick will be selected as the site for one of the new Col- leges, to the prejudice of the town of Galway, as well as to the archdiocese of Tuam generally."

At the meeting of the Repeal Association, on Monday, a letter was read from Mr. Smith O'Brien, advocating diligence with the Repeal registries of electors, and asserting that the Repealers might return seventy Members to Parliament. A Committee reported an address "to the Protestants and Presbyterians of Ulster," exhorting them to union with the Repealers—a union of " Protestants, Presbyterians, and Catholics," of " Orangemen and Papists." The address was signed " by order of the Committee, John O'Connell." It was adopted. The rent for the week was 2081.

After the Orange meeting at Lisburn, a dinner was given to Mr. James Watson, on Friday, by about a hundred and sixty gentlemen, among whom were a few Justices of the Peace; Mr. Rose Cleland also being of the party. The speaking was what is called very " enthusiastic," but desti- tute of interest. Some bitter allusion was made to the " Pro-Popery Ministry," and to the Conservative Protestant gentry who staid away and did not afford the meeting their countenance.

The absence of Lord Roden from these demonstrations has been the subject of free comment; and the following letter, published by the Belfast papers, intimates that he will no longer withhold his presence. The letter is addressed to the Secretary of the Belfast Orange Operative Society, who proposed to give Mr. Watson a dinner on the 28th instant; but, at Lord Roden's request, it has been postponed for a week-

" Brighton, 17th August 1845.

" Sir—In consequence of my absence from home, I have only received your letter of the 9th instant, mitten on the part of the Protestant Operative Society of Belfast, requesting me to take the chair at a postponed meeting to be held in the Music Hall at Belfast on the 28th instant, for the purpose of entertaining one of the respected patrons of your valuable institution. The circumstances which have occurred, and now call forth the expression of your feelings are what must most deeply interest every true friend to Protestant liberty in Ireland. I shall feel it my duty to respond to the call which my brethren in Belfast have made upon me, if it is in my power; which could be effected by the postponement of your proposed meeting from Thursday the 28th instant to the same day in the following week. If my suggestion should not be considered unreasonable, it would afford me great pleasure to bear my testimony, together with that of your society, to the respect and affection borne to Mr. Watson by every one who has the pleasure of his acquaintance.

"I am your faithful friend, RODEN." " Mr. Johnson, Belfast."

The Commissioner of the Times has continued his letters on "the condition of the people of Ireland." They go on with too much the air of being " made up "; the materials being supplied in great part by the Blue Books on the subject, which are extensively quoted. One letter, the second, is devoted to showing " that nearly all the crimes that are com- mitted in Ireland are agrarian; that they are the outbreak of a strong pent-up feeling, which is almost universal, because the cause which produces it is almost universal—namely, want of employment, and consequent starvation and discontent; and that this is at the bottom and is the true cause of Ribandism,' under whatever name it assumes." The next letter is devoted to showing the evils which arise from the manner in which the Irishman of the labouring class depends for his subsistence on the direct occupation of the land ; a condition which lends the charm to O'Connell's promises of " fixity of tenure." All the matter of these letters is worn out, and is up to this point but little relieved with illustrations drawn by the writer on the spot.

In a subsequent letter, the writer becomes more descriptive; sketching the bad methods of farming in Ireland, the miserable way of life among the agricultural population, and the favourable contrast afforded by the " Protestant," " Orange," or Saxon population descended from an English or Scotch stock—for the terms are synonymous. All this is done in the most general way, and presents nothing very new or striking.

Donnybrook fair began on Sunday—" Walking Sunday "; when a great number of persons walked over the green. The regular business of the fair opened oa Monday. The number and quality of the shows were in- ferior to what they have been; the prevalence of Temperance doctrines prevented any display of liquors in the booths; and altogether, it is ob- served, the " glories" of Donnybrook have departed.

The Tyrone Constitution relates a rencontre between Orangemen and Roman Catholics. About thirty Protestants were assembled in front of a farm-house in the neighbourhood of Dungannon, with drums and fifes, playing "The Protestant Boys," and other loyal tunes; when they were informed that a number of Roman Catholics had gathered to attack them on their way home. In consequence of this information, three Protestants armed themselves with guns to escort their party home, in a direction opposite to that in which the Catholics were assembled. On arriving at Legilly wood,. they were fired at with ball-cartridge by a concealed party; one of the balls passing through the drum. They immediately returned the fire; but were obliged to retreat, in consequence of their ammunition being ex- pended None of the parties were wounded. Two Catholics have sworn informa- tions against the Protestants as having fired first; but have admitted that the ther party were concealed in the wood, which proves the attack to have been pre- meditated.

A murder has been perpetrated at a faction fight in Bantry. A number of people collected round the Holy Well, and spent a day and night in drinking and devotional exercises. Two factions, the Flynns and Murphys, were encamped in tents. As they became intoxicated, they began to fight ; and in the conflict John Murphy, who was not one of the combatants, was felled to the ground by a blow on the head from an instrument called a griffane, which fractured his akulL While lying on his back insensible, a woman came and threw a large stone on his chest! Instant death was the result.