IRELAND.
A special meeting of the General Assembly of Ulster was held last week, to consider the decision of the House of Lords on the subject of Presbyterian marriages. The Moderator announced that three of the. Law Lords had decided in favour of the judgment pronouncing such marriages illegal, three against it ; which might be considered a virtual defeat of the Presbyterians. A series of resolutions and a petition to Parliament were adopted unanimously. The resolutions appointed the last Wednesday in the present month a day of special religious exer- cise. This is the most material portion of the series- " That, inasmuch as it has been declared by Judges and eminent lawyers,. that marriages solemnized between Episcopalians and Presbyterians, by Pres- byterian ministers, are invalid, in consequence of Presbyterian ministers not being prelatically ordained—an adjudication which conveys a stigma upon the Presbyterian body, constituting one-half of the Protestants of the world, and, which deprives the Presbyterians of Ireland of a privilege enjoyed upwards of two hundred years—this Assembly petition the Legislature for an Act re- moving this stigma, and securing to the ministers of this church the privi- leges which they have hitherto exercised in the solemnization of marriage. " That public meetings be held in all the towns of Ireland where it is prac- ticable; to which Protestants of all denominations shall be invited, and from which petitions shall be forwarded to both Houses of Parliament.
" That a similar petition be sent from all our congregations.
" That a Committee be appointed to open a correspondence with Evangelical Dissenters throughout the empire, and more especially with the Free Church of Scotland."
Having completed arrangements for the meetings throughout the country, the Assembly adjourned.
The Repeal Association held the usual weekly meeting on Monday.. A letter was read from Mr. O'Connell, describing his reception at Birmingham. Mr. John O'Connell stated that the Association would no longer circulate newspapers. The instructions to the Repeal Wardens having been the subject of cavil at the late trial, new ones were is preparation. Meanwhile, he moved a resolution to the effect that the existing instructions be suspended, and that all Repeal Wardens should cease to act ou them ; but that, nevertheless, those Wardens should con- tinue in their praiseworthy efforts to preserve the peace, to obtain sig- natures to petitions, and to apprehend Ribandmen. The resolution was carried. The rent for the week was 3052.
Another " exclusion of Roman Catholics " from a Jury is alleged against Government; and the Dublin Monitor expounds the particular*.
-under the head of " Packing Juries—the Spy System." At Monaghan .Assizes, five prisoners were tried for Ribandism. There were twenty Jurors on the list, and the Crown challenged eight : seven Roman Catholics were excluded, one remained on the Jury ; but he was sup- posed from his name (Ward) to be a Protestant, and the challenged Protestant (Brady) was from a like cause presumed to be a Catholic. Another object of complaint is, that two approvers, the principal witnesses for the Crown, had taken the oath of secrecy in the Riband Society while they were in communication with the Police. One of the prisoners was convicted, the rest were acquitted.
At Tullamore Assizes, on Saturday, George Jubee, a private soldier In the Fifth Fusileers, was found guilty of the murder of Adjutant Robertson Mackay, in Parsonstown, on the 11th August last, and sentenced to death.
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