IRELAND.
An official letter has been received by the Lord-Lieutenant expressiag the "entire satisfaction which her Majesty derived from her late visit from the moment of her landing to her reenharkatien at Kingstown." It also expresses the admiration of the Queen and Prince Albert for "the varied and interesting collection" at the Exhibition.
The two great squadrons of the fleet, under Admiral Corry and Com- modore Martin, are now at Queenstown. About twelve o'clock on Saturday morning the Admiral's squadron steamed into the harbour ; tlie Prince Regent, bearing the Admiral's flag, slightly in advance. Shortly afterwards, Commodore Martin's squadron steamed in from the direction of Kinsale; the great Duke of Wellington taking the lead. The UM ii salutes were fired on the arrival of both divisions. Eighteen sail in ria are assembled ; namely, the Queen, Prince Regent, Duke of Wellington, Agamemnon, Leopard, Valorous, Sidon, Amphion, Vulture, Desp.rat-•, Tribune, Highflyer, Arrogant, Terrible, Wizard, London, Blenheim, and Imperieuse. The Queenstown people make holyday for the rare sight ; and the town is gay with excursion-parties, heating to see the fleet.
Sixty students of the Queen's Colleges have been examined this week for degrees in art and medicine, by the examiners appointed by the Senate of the Queen's University. The examinations took place in Sc. Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle. The results are not yet announced.
Mr. William Neilson Hancock LL.D. has resigned the Professorship of Political Economy in the Queen's College at Belfast.
Two recent facts show changes in the tone of public opinion in Ireland. The Reverend Mr. Banbury, Protestant Rector of Newtown, in Cork county, has given material aid to the Roman Catholic priest and his flock in building a new chapel ; and the rare friendliness has been warmly ac- knowledged by an express vote of thanks at a public meeting of the Roman Catholics. In Dublin, the house lately occupied by the Com- mittee of the Catholic Defence Association is now used as a central office for the "Irish Church Missions," a society organized for the conversion to Protestantism of Irish Roman Catholics.
In the Dublin Court for the Registry of Voters, the Reverend Matthew Keogh, a Roman Catholic priest, claiming to be registered, refused to be sworn on the "authorized verision " of the Bible. He produced a copy of the Douay Bible, on which he declared himself willing to be sworn. The Court decided that it could not permit a witness to be sworn on any other book than the authorized version ; but as the priest remained firm, it reserved judgment on his claim.
The remarkable rise in the value of Irish property is shown by the feet that Lough000ter Castle and demesne, the residence of the Gort family, bought last year for 17,0001., is now held to be worth more than 30,0001.; that sum having been just refused for it.
The exports of linen manufactures from Ireland have increased during the last seven months at the rate of 7,500,000 yards per annum.
The "workhouse industry" of Ireland is now of considerable extent. The land cultivated last year was 1292 acres, smithe. persons- employed
on the farms numbered 5722. The number employed in manufactures and trade was 21,655. The cash profit on the year was over 30001. In 1851 the cash profit on the year was nearly 6000/.
A Scotehman, passing under the name of Robert James Webster, has killed himself, and attempted to murder a girl, in a house of ill fame at Dublin. The deceased appeared to be about thirty-five years of age ; his features in- dicated a life of hardship or dissipation. He went to the house on the 30th of last month, and remained there till the 18th instant, spending profusely, and drinking hard, night and day. At one time he pretended to be at- tached to the Queen's service in the veterinary department; at another, that he had just arrived from Australia. He attached himself to Emma Fawcett, one of the girls of the house. Last Sunday evening, he discharged a pistol at this girl, wounding her in the side with a number of shots, but not dan- gerously ; he then fired a second pistol into his own breast, and he was found dead. The Police have discovered a bag filled with sovereigns and five pistols in the room he occupied. Latterly, his behaviour indicated insanity ; and the Coroner's inquest has given a verdict of "Temporary derangement." The sale of the contents of Kirwan's house has led to further discoveries of the low morality of the man. He called himself an "artist," but it ap- pears that he was a mere dauber : he purchased, or got possession less honestly, of water-colour paintings by real artists, erased their names, and placed his own in their stead. Ile bought some books which had been pre- sented to students of Trinity College, substituted his name on the fly-leaf, and then produced them as proofs that he was a Trinity man.
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