IRELAND.

The Lord-Lieutenant has postponed the day to be set apart for humili- ation and prayer, in order that the same day may be observed in all dio- ceses throughout Ireland. Since that notice, the Roman Catholic Archbishop, Dr. Murray, has called upon his entire flock to avail themselves of the Vigil of All Saints for a similar observance.

The measures of Government for meeting the present distress evince un- remitting activity. The proclamations issued by the Lord-Lieutenant under the Labour-rate Act, up to the end of last week, amounted in all to 285. Since the appearance of Mr. Labouchere's circular respecting drain- age and other works of a reproductive character, the Magistrates and cess- payers, at several Presentment Sessions, have availed themselves of the fa- cilities offered by the Lord-Lieutenant, and have strictly complied with the conditions clearly stated in that document. The correspondent of the Morning Chronicle, writing on the 22d instant, reports, that presentments to the amount of 700,0001. have already been granted by the Board of Works. " Next week there will be a vast increase in the number of per- sons employed. There must be, of course, a great many preliminary diffi- culties where such immense operations are in progress, and where nearly the whole machinery has to be created. Nevertheless, there were sixty thousand persons employed up to Saturday. One source of temporary embarrassment has arisen from the great quantity of silver required to pay the wages of the labourers. This had been in some measure anticipated by the Government; and a week or two since, the Comet war-steamer was employed by the Treasury to deliver a considerable quantity of specie at the branches of the Bank of Ireland in Cork, Waterford, Galway, and other towns on the Irish coast. In some of the inland districts there has been much- inconvenience, owing to the large quanity of silver required. Last week, 5001. in bank-notes was forwarded by the Board of Works, for the payment of the numerous labourers employed in the neighbourhood of Kells, county of Meath; but not more than 401. could be converted into silver in the whole place, and it became necessary for the Board of Works to obtain the requisite supply from the banks in Dublin. Within the last two months the silver currency in Ireland has been increased to the ex- tent of 100,0001. In a week or two, however, all these matters will adjust themselves."

On the unpalatable subject of " task-work " the authorities do not waver. The Chairman of the Navan Poor-law Guardians has written to the Board of Works for the allowance of an increase of wages on public employment; and the Secretary has replied, " that the Board earnestly press upon the Board of Guardians the advantage which will result not only to the country but to the labourers themselves, from the adoption of measured work, by which alone higher wages can be obtained, and trust they may call on the Board of Guardians for their aid and cooperation, and for their influence in explaining the subject to the people."

A great meeting was held at Fernley, on Saturday last, to consider the present alarming state of the country, and the proper steps to be taken under the emergency. At the request of a large number of gentlemen constituting twelve Relief Committees, Mr. O'Connell and Mr. E. B. Roche attended in their eapacity of Representatives for the County. The chair was taken by Mr. Thomas Dennehy.

A resolution was moved, to the effect, that although in several baronies presentments had been made, the Board of Works threw difficulties in the way of their prosecution, and had thus proved themselves unequal to the emergency. The Reverend Mr. Freeman and Captain Barry demurred to the casting of any imputation upon the Government. But the resolution passed.

In seconding another resolution, the Reverend Mr. Collins expressed his dissatisfaction with the Government— They seemed anxious to promote idleness among them, when they could obtain more at the workhouse than they could obtain by their own exertions. There WAS a great deal of disorder and mismanagement both at the Board of Works and in other offices where the public business was transacted. The gentlemen in these public offices recommended "task-work." If the people were well fed, task-work would be a very good thing, and ought to be adopted; but the Board of Works teemed to set upon a rule of contraries.

The Reverend Mr. O'Brien blamed the Government, but especially the Board of Works, because they were doling out so stingily the little morsels of bread that the Government were giving. Unless they got immediate employment for the people, he could not answer for the peace of the coun- try for forty-eight hours. The Reverend Mr. Daly, parish-priest of Kil- worth, said that if Lord John Russell was not equal to the emergency, or able to carry the people through the present crisis, Mr. O'Connell and Mr. Burke Roche ought to require of him to resign, and make way for the man that would not let the people starve.

Mr. O'Connell then spoke at some length, in a discursive and unconnected way. The following are specimens of his harangue-

" I read in one of the Cork newspapers, that very able and impartial journal, the Southern Reporter, a letter asking where was O'Connell from them at such a time? I will tell you where I was—I was at my post- I was'on my own pro- perty, taking care of my tenants and dependants, and endeavouring to save them from the horrors of the coming year. Every man's own locality is the first place which he should attend to the wants of. And I trust, with the blessing of a be- neficent Providence and the assistance of a paternal Lord-Lieutenant, to bring them safe over the next year. "I came here with an anxious wish to bear some hope held out, some plan sug- gested, some probable termination of the misery and famine which stares us in the face; yet you will all bear witness with me that I have heard directly the reverse, —calamity succeeding calamity, and the last only illustrating more potential misery than each previous recital. The Government shOuld hear what I am say- ing: misery unequalled is in the land—misery unparalleled, such as never before was heard of. Oh, I shudder with apprehension, lest anything that falls from use should be considered in the remotest degree to sanction or even suggest a remedy

by any turbulent or violent means whatever. If, upon the one hand, I conjure the people to be patient, on the other, I conjure everybody, great and small, rich and poor, to rally together and do something for the people. If it be not done, who can tell what the extent of the calamity will be? "

Referring to his proposed meeting of landlords, he said—" If such a body were met in Dublin, the Board of Works would shrink into its native insignificance, and be compelled to act as a machine, performing its assigned work, instead of being masters and judges over us as they are now. Last year, when the calamity was not near so great, most active measures were taken by the Government of the day; and it is not here alone I raise my voice in acknowledgment to Sir Robert Peel for that I did so in Parliament--m my place in the House of Commons; and in the name of the Irish people I thanked him, and I received the personal acknowledgments of Sir Robert Peel, who came across the House to thank me for what he called an act of generosity, but which I call an act of justice. I am also ready to give credit to the present Government. I agree with the reverend gentleman, that a better or more kindly-disposed man than Lord Besborough pro- bably never filled a public situation: but he cannot do all. We are told that there is some prospect of a supply of food, but Sir Randolph Mouth—(laughter)— or Routh, holds out no hope of any such prospect. He tells us that Foreign powers are seeking supplies in the grain markets. Now, we have no Irish Power, though we ought to have; but the Power that deprived us of it—the English Power— should have been in those markets as early at least as any of those Foreign Powers. I cannot restrain myself when I see how we are circumstanced. We have no power of going into the grain markets; and those who have taken the power from us should, consequently, have been doubly diligent But Sir Ran- dolph Routh really should be ashamed of spending his time in the way he does, writing those epistles. (Laughter.) I often heard it said that the man who was good at making an excuse was good for nothing else. (Renewed laughter.) Now, he speaks so much about doing his duty that he becomes handy at the trade, and makes excuses for not performing the work. (Much laughter.) He seems to me

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to be a man of that kind. Food is the first thing that must be had, and yet he enters into a dissertation on the best mode of using food. (Laughter.) And there is also a class of persons whom he presses mach on our attention, who are not yet in existence. (Laughter.) Those are the merchant farmers, or what I suppose we call sky farmers in Kerry. (Great laughter.) What an idea—mer- chant farmers ! He tells us that in a few years this desirable class will be in ex- istence; and in the mean time there is not a potato for the people. In the mean time the people are suffering starvation, in the mean time they cry out for bread, and hear Sir Randolph Routh spwulating on the existence of a class which are to be of so much benefit to the farmers and the gentlemen. (Laughter.) But I feel ashamed that the levity of my disposition should prompt me to jest on any- thing so serious; for my heart feels truly sorry at the absurdity displayed in bringing forward so ridiculous a proposition. " Food must be had; but he knows no remedy for districts where food is not to be had. If Government do not establish depots and scatter them in several parts of the country, I announce emphatically my opinion that the people will starve in thousands. The good advice which I and the ministers of God give them will inevitably be thrown away; for, after all, the people will not die of hunger. Sir Randolph Routh is speculating upon not giving us depilts. Why? Lest mercan tile men may not make profits enough. I do not know that this community of individuals are ready to make sacrifices, nor should they be expected from them. I do not know why they should work and not be paid. Mercantile speculations in grain are paid by the famine prices obtained for it. We should prevent specu- lators being afforded the temptation of asking famine prices, and the possibility of their getting them, by having &pests to deliver and to sell the food at lesser price, whenever the mercantile,price was going too high. These points I shall

urge at greater length and as strongly as I can before the Lord-Lieutenant. .

" I don't like to speak of myself; but in reference to the question of wages I max, state, that sixpence a day was the nrdinary wages when I got in possession of the greater part of my property. I raised it to eightpence, and now I have raised it to a shilling. Less than that is no subsistence for a man. More I should wish to see him earn.

" Things are coming to a frightful pass. Don't you authorize me to tell the Lord-Lieutenant that the .peace of the country is not secure? (Loud cries of " We do!") Don't you authorize me to tell him that there is actual starvation in the country at this moment—(Loud cries of " We do, we do !")—that he will be re- sponsible for human lives in countless numbers if something be not done? ("Hear, hear!") I will repeat the echo of your voices to the Lord-Lieutenant: I know that he has a generous heart and a noble disposition, and I am of opinion that he will do the best he can for the people."

A deputation from the Relief Committee was then appointed to wait on the Lord-Lieutenant, in company with Mr. O'Connell and Mr. Roche. Among the resolutions passed were these- " That we have read with feelings of bitter regret the heartless lectures addressed by Sir Randolph Routh to several noblemen who urged on the Government the adoption of some method of increasing the market supplies of food; and we declare the regulation entered into by the Board of which he is the chief, of measuring the Government aid by the amount of local subscriptions, shows the most palpa- ble ignorance of the circumstances of the country; inasmuch as the districts where it is most difficult to create a fend by voluntary contributions are the places where relief is most urgently required."

"That we conceive it to be incumbent on the Government who have to provide against the effects of a European scarcity of food, as well as to insure to the ut- most of their ability the proper manufacture of corn into wholesome food, to pre- vent the further distillation of spirits from grain in all parts of the United King- dom; which would have the threefold beneficial operation of throwing large quan- tities of corn on the food market, causing an immediate and immense increase to the present insufficient mill power of the country, and creating the only effec- tive check to the unfortunate habit of dram-drinking to which many are now driven by desperation."

The Corporation of Limerick met on the 22d, and agreed on a memo- Ida] to the Treasury, praying that the ports may be thrown open— "We believe," say the memorialists, " that to mitigate impending calamities, nothing less will be sufficient than to admit into our ports every species of food necessary for daily subsistence, free of duty, and to permit it to be brought in- discriminately from every country by vessels of every nation or flag; to prohibit in our distilleries and breweries the use of grain, substituting that of sugar and molasses, without reference to the country of their growth, or to ships which have already brought or may hereafter bring them to us."

A meeting was held in the Court-house of Ennis, on Saturday, to con- sider the spread of criminal outrages in the county of Clare. The Chairman was Colonel Vandalenr, Vice-Lieutenant of the county; among those who took an active part were, Dr. Kennedy, Ronian Catholic Bishop of -the diocese, Mr. Stafford O'Brien, and Mr. Monsen, of Tervoe. Resolutions were passed unanimously, censuring outrage, and warning Government that it would be impossible for the magistrates, clergy, and gentry, " to accom- plish either their public duties or their private charities, if life and property were abandoned to the attacks of the lawless and the wicked." The meeting also recorded other opinions, thus- " That the act under which public works are now being carried on, tending as it does to the discouragement of productive labour, is one whc.h cannot be long continued in operation without dthtruction to the entire property of the country. "That, on account of the size of the electoral divisions in this county, and the consequent difficulty of securing the necessary cooperation among the proprietors, many of whom are absentees, the scheme contained in Mr. Labouchere's letter, turning the relief funds into profitable channels, will not work extensively.

" That while we express oar approbation of the conduct of the Government in sanctioning productive works, we hereby call upon them to give effect to the principle they have recognized, by exempting from any further taxation those townlands which, by an award of the Board of Works, are subjected to their allotted share of the taxation of the electoral division in which they are situated; and that we suggest the urgent necessity of introducing at an early period of the approachin session a measure for the reclamation of the waste lands—the adop- tion of the French system of constructing railroad; which, although unsuited to England,is peculiarly adapted to the circumstances of this country—and a large scheme of colonization-i and of coupling with these measures, so well suited to re- lieve overpopulated districts, an obligation by which any proprietor who neglects to employ the poor on his estate may be compelled to pay for their support

" That we earnestly entreat the Government not to allow the present system to be suspended until the one we advocate be in full operation; and we request the Board of Works to send down more of their officers into this county."

According to the Cork Examiner, a party of labourers, armed with spades and shovels, entered Cork on Monday morning, demanding employment. Although evidently suffering great misery, the people abstained from vio- lence. They visited the Relief-officer and the Court-house, and ultimately stopped before the " Imperial Bakery "; which some of them entered, and demanded food. Here the Police interfered, and took four of the leaders into custody; on which the mob dispersed..

At the weekly pig-market in Bandon, on Saturday, young pigs were sold for eighteenpence, and in one or two instances so low as fourteenpence. In fact, the rearing of these animals by the cottier population of the coun- try, hitherto so universal, is now generally regarded as completely at an end.—Correspondent of the Cork Southern Reporter. [Another writer no- tices the strange fact, that the starving Irish refuse to eat these pigs, through some unaccountable prejudice.] A rumour that Mr. O'Connell would again shine on the Repeal Associa- tion at their Monday's meeting, drew a fuller attendance than ordinary. In place of the man himself, however, there was only a short letter from him to Mr. Ray, complaining of the conduct of the Board of Works. A letter was then read from Mr. J. A. O'Neill on the split in the Repeal ranks-

" If unanimity among us be restored," said Mr. O'Neill, "and that good tem- per and kindliness of feeling characterize our debates, we shall at last, I trust, gain the aid of the Conservatives; intimidated. now aloof from us, are, wo must admit, men who cannot be bought or ntimidated. Such are all tree Repeaters, and such allies alone do we desire. I continue to assert, that the breach in the Association can even yet be repaired, if men will not lose sight of the name by universal assent given to our Hall; but the use of odious sarcasms and bitterly- intended cuts is rendering reunion more difficult every day. Where there is a will there is a way.' * * * I think that I could point out the mode. The public cause and national character suffer by disunion now. It will be deplorable to hear bickerings of party amidst the groans of a people sinking under famine." Mr. John O'Connell said, he had not objected to the reading of Mr. O'Neill's letter, owing to his respect for that gentleman; but he regretted there were some expressions in it with regard to " unanimity " which he could not agree with.

Mr. Steele renewed the call made by Mr. O'Connell on the Government to feed the people; observing, that if they did not do so, they should retire from office, and let, in Sir Robert Peel, who had fed them last year, and

would never see them starve. •

A large document was handed to the Chairman; who rose and said- " Gentlemen, this paper has been handed to me; but, I presume, it should come through the Secretary." He then handed the document to Mr. Ray. Mr. John O'Connell immediately got up, and having taken the paper from the Secretary, pitched it over a railing to his left hand, and desired one of the clerks of the Hall to throw it out. Mr. Steele—" Throw it into the street! That is the proper way to treat it." A few moments afterwards, when Captain Broderick was addressing the meeting, a noise was heard at a side-door. On hearing it, Mr. Steele rose and said—" Mr. Chairman, I have given directions to the Police to put out any intruder." Mr. John O'Connell—" If that is the individual who brought in that paper, put him out; he is not a member." All this was much cheered.

The rent for the week was 115L; including 521. from Liverpool, and Si. handed in by Mr. Steele from a gentleman who "could not give his name till next Easter."

A member of the Young Ireland party, writing to Saunders's News Let- ter, explains the nature and object of the rejected document— "A deputation from the Committee of the Remonstrant Repealer of Dublin were appointed to present this day their respectful remonstrance to the Associa- tion. Those gentlemen were first opposed at the door; their cards were declared of no avail to their admission; the sum required of 'strangers' was proffered, and rejected. The honourable Member for Kilkenny was asked to come forth to hear the business of the deputation—all in vain. One of the members of the de- putation was, however, admitted (doubtless inadvertently); and he placed the remonstrance, duly endorsed, and with the original list of signatures, in the hands of the Chairman, Mr. Hackett. It was signed by 74 Repeal Wardens, including several volunteers, upwards of 300 members (payers of 11. annually), and 1,000 enrolled associates."

Mr. O'Connell has published a lengthy address, in the Cork Reporter, to "the steadfast Moral-force Repeaters of the City of Cork," urging the advantages of moral over physical force doctrines. The composition is devoid of interest, at least on this side of the Channel.

Mr. J. A. O'Neill has announced that he has abandoned his intention of becoming a candidate for the representation of Dublin. The reason he assigns is, that Mr. O'Connell will be put in nomination-

" His power to benefit the whole country will be much increased if the aris- tocracy will for once assist him in carrying measures useful to Ireland, without distinction of creed, class, or party. Such I believe to be his purpose; and my support to him rests solely on that belief. " I include Tory, Whig, Repealer, Anti-Repealer, Old and Young Ireland divi- sions, when I say drat keeping up party distinctions will ill become Irishmen when famine is devastating their country. A community of suffering imperatively de- mands a cessation of political hostilities, and party barriers should give way to the pressure of general distress."