IRELAND.

The Reproductive Employment Committee met on Friday and Saturday, to arrange the business to be submitted to the great meeting at the Ro- tunda, fixed for Thursday. The correspondent of the Morning Chronicle describes their deliberations as made timidly harmonious by dint of avoid- ing subjects on which they are not agreed. The absentee landlords are, however, to be dealt with very decidedly.

At a meeting of the owners and occupiers of land, recently held at Vemi- fore in Meath, under the auspices of Mr. J. W. Naper of Lougherew, it was resolved to ask the sanction of the Government for a plan to counteract the effect of the present neglect of agriculture; the landlords to till their tenants' land for the present year, by means of money advanced by the Govern- ment; the crops raised to be considered as a collateral security.

An extraordinary Presentment Sessions was held at Castlewellan on Fri- day; Lord Roden pre-ided. The Marquis of Downshire attended, and agreeably surprised the world, after an attitude of resistance, by agreeing to a presentment under Mr. Labouchere's letter, and subscribing 300/. to a temporary relief fund.

The urgency of the destitution is forcing the adoption of out-door relief without waiting for a formal sanction. The Guardians of the Balrothery Union, in the county of Dublin, have been indused by Mr. George Alexan- der Hamilton, .M.P., to pass two resolutions, one declaring that desti- tute persons applying under a Guardian's order for provisional admission to the workhouse (which is overcrowded) shall receive a meal before being sent away; the other authorizing the hiring of supplemental rooms, to be declared poor-houses under the act, for the accommodation of the destitute during such meals.

A memorial to the Lord-Lieutenant has been adopted by the Barragh Relief Committee, praying his influence with the Imperial Government "to bring in a bill next session of Parliament to extend out-door relief, through the hands of the Poor-law Guardians, to districts like our own ; and charge the same on the townlands of nou-resident proprietors, non- resident rectors' tithe rent-charges, and such other properties as are enjoyed by persons who lose sight of their responsibilities to the poor."

Mr. Poulett Scrope continues to lecture Lord John Russell up to the latest possible moment. The subject of his lust letter is the necessity of a

compulsory system of relief for Ireland, as distinguished from the present voluntary principle; which he says will ever fail in Ireland. He advocate' the principle that "Ireland shall maintain the Irish."

Mr. Smith O'Brien concludes his series of letters to the landed pro- prietors of Ireland by urging the necessity of an absentee tax; which, he insists, could be levied upou absentee proprietors with as much ease as the tithe rent-charge. He also advocates a carefully-considered plan of emi- gration, to be carried on at the joint expense of the state, the colony, and the district at home relieved by it.

The increase of robberies and depredations close to the public works, has elicited a circular from the Board of Works, announcing that "in all cases where such might have been prevented by the men employed on the works, or the offenders seized by them, and where they do not assist to bring the guilty parties to justice, the works will be forthwith suspended."

The accounts from Mayo given in the Freeman's Journal are very pain fuL In the parish of Cong, 27 deaths occurred within a week; in a neighbouring parish, a like number in three weeks. The Reverend Patrick Fitzgerald, Roman Catholic curate of Kilgeever, thus illustrates the in- tensity of the famine- " I shall never forget the impression made on my mind a few days ago by & most heart-rending case of starvation. I have witnessed the poor mother of five in family, sending her little children, almost lifeless from hunger, to bed, and, despairing of ever again seeing them alive, she took her last leave of them. In the morning, her first act was to touch their lips with her hand to see if the breath of life still remained: but the poor mother's fears were not groundless, for not a breath could she feel from some of her deer little children; that night buried them in the night of eternity."

The Cork Examiner sums up the state of things in the neighbourhood of Sleibbereen- " In the parish of Kilmoe, 14 died on Sunday: 3 of these were buried in coffins, 11 were buried without other covering than the rags they wore when alive. One gentleman, a good and charitable man, speaking of this case, says= The distress is so appalling, that we must throw away all feelings of delicacy '; and another says= I would rather give Is. to a starving man than 4,s. 6d for a coffin.' "140 died in the Skibbereen Workhouse in one month: 8 have died in one day! And Mr. M'Carthy Downing states, that 'they came into the house merely and solely for the purpose of gettinga coffin.' "The Reverend Mr. Clancy visits a farm, and there, in one house, 'he admin- istered the last rites of religion to six persons.' On a subsequent occasion, he 'prepared for death a father and a daughter lying in the same bed.' "The Reverend Mr. Caulfield sees '13 members of one family lying down in fever.'

"The Reverend Mr. Fitzpatrick retires to rest at three o'clock in the morning, and rises after a couple of hours' heavy sleep. It is the same with his coadjutors.

"Dr. Donovan solemnly *MUM a public meeting that the people are dropping in dozens about them.'

"Mr. elarmion says that work on the public road is even more destructive than fever; for the unfed wretches have not energy enough to keep their blood in cir- culation, and they drop down from the united effects of cold and hunger—never to rise again.

"Mr. M'Carthy Downing proclaims a fact damning the character of the Skib- hereen landlords. For two months past, the Secretary of the Relief Committee has been importuning the landlords of the district; and with what result, think you, reader? Out of four parishes, comprising the relief district, but nine sub- scriptions have been received, after two months' begging. Mr. Downing excepts those landlords who reside in the town, whose contributions have been generous— even excessive."

By way of climax may be added the following horrible relation from the Cork Constitutional- " Going into the hotel-yard, I perceived an unfortunate woman rush by me and take up some fish-guts which lay in a fetid pool, and retiring she ate them raven- ously. On getting outside the gateway, she reeled for a few paces and then fell; but, while lying exhausted on the street, with the most savage ferocity she continued to gnaw the disgusting entrails."

A remarkable incident is reported from Bantry. In August 1845, John Murphy was murdered by one William Downing, the leader of a faction, and some associates. The murderers escaped; and every effort since made by the police to apprehend them has been unsuccessful, although alarge re- ward was offered.

"However, on the 12th of December last, James T. Flynn, one of the parties charged, gave himself up to Head Constable Grant, stating that he could not suffer hunter any longer, as those who heretofore fed him were without food themselves. On the same day, James D. Flynn surrendered; giving as his reason the inability of the people longer to assist him. On the 15th, John M'Carthy, a third party charged, surrendered himself; and on the 24th, the principal, W. Downing, came in. He had been an athletic man; but his frame was so shattered, and his coun- tenance so haggard, that he was not recognized until he gave his name. He said that he supposed he would be hung; but even that was preferable to the horrid death which awaited him if he remained at large any longer."

The Young Ireland party had a great demonstration, in the Rotunda, on Wednesday night; when some two thousand persons were present. Mr. Smith O'Brien, Mr. Meagher, Mr. Mitchell, and other ardent politicians, spoke. The meeting appointed a numerous committee, styled "Council of the Irish Confederation." The new association is to go on, for the present, without asking for money from its supporters.

Mr. O'Connell's penultimate appearance at the Repeal meetings collected a rather numerous assemblage in Conciliation Hall on Monday. There was nothing remarkable in the proceedings. The most notable point was Mr. O'Connell's total omission to mention Mr. Smith O'Brien or the Se- ceders. He alluded to the meeting of landlords to be held on Thursday; at which, he said, he should propose a resolution on the extreme distress and destitution of the country, perhaps embodying the 40,000,0001. pro- posal. Rent 1201.

Evidences of diminished party feeling are noted. At the late Corpora- tion banquet, Mr. O'Connell and his old enemy Mr. T. B. C. Smith (" Vinegar Cruet"] shook hands. At the sitting of the Reproductive Employment Committee, Mr. O'Connell's entrance was greeted by the members' rising and remaining uncovered until he was seated. In the course of the deliberations, Mr. Smith O'Brien made a suggestion, from which Mr. O'Connell dissented. Mr. O'Brien immediately withdrew his proposition; remarking that he took that opportunity of showing his deference to the opinion of Mr. O'Connell, and his anxiety to yield to his superior judgment and experience.