IRELAND.
Mr. Smith O'Brien has sent a five pound note to a fund now in course of collection to aid in the defence of the Phcenix Club conspirators, cal- led the "Fair Trial Fund," and a long letter, vindicating his course, addressed to Mr. Maguire, is sent with the money. He deprecates se- cret combinations, he is ignorant of the aims of the Phcenix Club ; but he considers that the alleged conspirators have been tyrannically dealt with, and deprived of all the ordinary guarantees of personal liberty. "Let me add, that it is the duty of the representatives of the people to denounce in the Legislature proceedings of this nature, as a violation of all those principles of freedom on which the superiority of the British Consti- tution over foreign despotisms, is supposed to rest. As you, my dear Ma- , are one of those members in whom the people of Ireland still con- de, I feel assured that you will not shrink from the performance of this duty." Mr. O'Brien sailed for the United States on Saturday.
A meeting at Cork intended to promote intermediate education, Lord Fermoy in the chair, has ended in a defeat. The partisans of separate education mustered strongly. They interrupted the chairman, they would hardly listen to the Bishop of Cork. An amendment in favour of the separate-system, demanding for each sect a fair proportion of any grant of public money, was carried by a vast majority. Thus sectarian antagonism has again interfered to frustrate a movement for the welfare of Ireland.
Further particulars have been published of the dispute between the Poor Law Commissioners and the Galway Board of Guardians. It may be remembered that the cause of dispute is an unfortunate deserted in- fant which was relieved under the Poor Law, and which has since died. This foundling was baptised by the celebrated Father Daly, chaplain to the Galway workhouse ; it was then registered in the Union books as a Roman Catholic. The Commissioners called on Father Daly to account for his having baptized the foundling as a Roman Catholic when they considered that, the parents being unknown, it should have been bap- tized and registered as belonging to the Established Church. Father Daly replied in warm terms, defending what he had done. The Com- missioners called on him to resign. The Board of Guardians, by a ma- jority of 26 to 3, protested against the proceedings of the Commissioners as repugnant to the feelings, views, and wishes of the hoard and their spiritual interests. The Commissioners replied by dismissing Father Daly from the chaplaincy by a sealed order.
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