7 MARCH 1846, Page 8

IRELAND.

At the weekly Repeal meeting, on Monday, two letters, of very opposite import, were submitted. The one following was from Lord Melbourne, to. whom a circular had been sent requesting his opposition to the new Coercion Bill.

" South Street, 24th February:

" Sir—I beg leave to acknowledge your letter of the 28th instant; and to in- form you in reply, that it is my decided opinion that the measure now before the House of Lords, which has for its object the more effectual prevention and the more certain discovery of the frightful crimes which prevail in many parts of Ireland, has clearly been delayed too long, and cannot now be pressed with too much celerity. " I remain, Sir, your faithful and obedient servant, " MeLsourties." The other was a " monster " letter from Mr. O'Connell, denouncing in every possible way the proposed measure. One paragraph will suffice ao

a specimen— It is an atrocious measure; it should be opposed by every means the consti- tution leaves open. It is, I repeat, a most atrocious measure: and whereas all former coercion bills were merely temporary, and held out the consolation that though they were oppressive and derogatory to constitutional rights, they were in their nature transitory and of short duration, they held out the certainty that the constitution would revive again, and that whatever of political rights and liberties the Union left to Ireland should be once more brought into action, and afford against lawless invaders some protection to the people of Ireland: it is not so with this Algerine Act. It holds out the fiendish intention of being perpetual."

The assembled Repealers declared Lord Melbourne's letter "censurable"; and Mr. O'Connell's was ordered to be placed on the minutes: A remon- strance against the Coercion Bill was submitted and approved of.

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The rent amounted to 2281.

Archbishop M`Hale supports Mr. J. M. M`Donnell, the Repeal candidate for Mayo. The Archbishop is said to ascribe the food scarcity to the countenance given by some of the Roman Catholics to the new Colleges!

The Earl of Kenmare has given 3001. towards the erection of the monas- tery in Killarney, on the condition that the work shall commence at once; and a commencement has accordingly been made.

The stone-masons of Carlow have struck for a rise of wages from 18e. to 21e.

Sir David Roche, of Limerick, a gentleman of Liberal politics and popular man- ners, is reported to have been fired at while on his return from attending the Grand Jury: he escaped unhurt.

At the recent Longford Assizes, two men were convicted of an agrarian mur- der. When asked what they had to say why sentence of death should not be passed on them, one who acted as spokesman appealed to God to attest their in- nocence, in the words employed by Bryan Seery. The Judge remarked that no one could doubt their guilt, after the evidence which had been adduced; and they were sentenced to death.