IRELAND.
The Cork Reporter announces that the Pope has ratified the decrees of the Synod of Thurles relative to the Queen's Colleges. The Galway Vin- dicator states that the Pontifical brief confirming the said several canons and decrees was ratified at Rome on the 5th instant, and will shortly reach Ireland. The more intelligent and moderate Catholic journals lament, while announcing the fact ; but express their conviction that the enemies of education will be baffled, and the Irish intellect released from bondage. The ultramontane journals exult.
Dublin papers and correspondence contain many indications of great improvement in the state of the country : here are specimens. We understand that several Scotch capitalists have taken extensive farms of land on the property of the Marquis of Sligo, in the Westport Union, whereon they propose building residences, and rearing large numbers of stock. Already have hundreds of superior Cheviot sheep been imported into that locality by these gentlemen, as also herds of bleak Pottle, We trust that the encouragement these gentlemen merit will be extended them by every class, as some improvement in the shape of producing stock, and giving employment, is so vitally important to the welfare of this country. —Sligo Chronicle. In a county adjacent to Dublin, Scotch agricultural enterprise has already made its way ; and I have learned that, upon the fine estate of the Duke of Leinster, between Athy and Castledermot, county of Kildare, nearly seventy Scotch families are now located on farms from which the former occupiers had emigrated. The land in that part of the country is generally rather light in soil, but capable of being worked effectively as arable or pasture. It is understood that the rents of the new settlers are moderate ; in some eases, as low as 13.s. per acre, but probably under an arrangement for the invest- ment of capital in improvements by the tenantry. Other farmers, English and Scotch, are in treaty for the hire of forms in the same district.—Lublin Correspondent of the Morning Chronicle. At this moment, with the general prices of stock and agricultural produce, an industrious farmer of moderate capital, holding at a fair rent, ought to be able to maintain his position and get on as well in Ireland as in any other country ; and in those districts where poor-rate has been brought down from the famine scale, we understand that there are farmers doing pretty well. We learn also that in parts of Wicklow, Westmeath, and other coun- ties, there is much more inquiry for farms, but mostly of a larger class. This may appear surprising, when one considers the vast amount of emigra- tion, which far surpasses that of any previous year. Nevertheless, we be- lieve the fact is so; and we are assured, from accurate sources, that the ex- tent of land under tillage is greater than at any time since 1846. Many landlords, to be sure, have become farmers of their own land. We know 9ne gentleman who has cropped some hundreds of acres, from which the tenantry had voluntarily emigrated. If the enterprise should not prove suc- cessful this year, he will convert those acres into grazing pastures. In one way or another, notwithstanding all the emigration, the general and well- grounded complaints of distress, and the cry of alarm and impending ruin, constantly kept up by the Protectionists, the quantity of land under tillage has been steadily increasing ; and we are happy to learn from all quarters, that the crops, including wheat, bear the most promising appearance, and that potatoes, which have been sown early and planted very extensively, do not exhibit the slightest symptom of disease.—Dublin Evening Post. Tillage at this season is very extensive ; the oats, barley, flax, and potato crops, are all sown ; the grass corn is looking fresh and vigorous, and the green crops flourishing. The breadth of ground under tillage is larger in the county of Limerick than it had been, we are assured, any season for the last four years.—Limerick Chronicle, Protectionist. We are informed, upon the very best authority, that the potato blight, which generally made its appearance in forced potatoes so early as the pre- sent period of the season, during the past four or five years, has not at all appeared thisyear ; which is considered a sure indication that the disease has wholly left us. The early potato crop throughout the country has as- sumed a most vigorous and healthy appearance within the past fortnight.— Limerick Examiner.
The late much regretted Mr. John Power, of Gurteen, has left a fine pro- perty of 9000/. a year, of which 30001. a year is out of settlement, and which will pay his engagements. It is now ascertained that the cause of suicide was the receipt of a solicitor's letter announcing prompt proceedings against him as a security for 10,0001. for a receiver ; whose debts, however, did not exceed 2000!. He insured his life for 5000/. ; which he assigned for a va- suable consideration some years ago to a bank, and which will be paid by the Royal Exchange Insurance Company within three months. Mr. Power's amiable widow has 10001. a year marriage-settlement. He has left seven children.—Limerick Chronicle.
Previous page
