IRELAND.
Athlone election commenced on Friday ; when Mr. Collet, an Eng- lish Liberal, and Major Beresford, Conservative, were proposed. The numbers at the final announcement of the poll, on Tuesday, were—for Collet, 114 ; Beresford, 108 ; majority, 6. Mr. Collet was declared duly elected.
An unpleasant feeling has been created in Dublin by the conduct of Government in depriving Mr. Peter Purcell and his partners, Messrs. Bourne and Hartley, of the usual contract to supply mail-coaches. Twenty years ago, says the Dublin Mercantile Advertiser, no mail or stage-coaches were built in Ireland, but they were all supplied from England. Mr. Purcell and his partners, however, with much enter- prise, established a manufactory at which all public coaches have since been built, under contracts of five years' duration. The current con- tract expires in May, and advertisements were issued for tenders. Three tenders were sent in—one by a firm in London, which was re- jected; another by the present contractors, offering the old terms; and a third by Mr. Croat, a Scotch gentleman, offering lower terms ; which last was accepted. The Dublin Monitor says that the accepted tender was not in the terms of the advertisement ; which invited tenders for the supply of new mail-coaches, whereas Mr. Croal is to supply old mail- coaches—those thrown out of use by railroads in England and Scotland. The first effect of the change is, that the factory of the Dublin firm is to be closed immediately.
A meeting of merchants was held on Monday, the Mayor in the chair, to adopt a " remonstrance " with Lord de Grey on the subject ; and the Lord Mayor was requested to obtain an interview with the Lord- Lieutenant. He told them that he vould forward their representations on the subject to the proper department.
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