IRELAND.
The objections against Mr. Armstrong, as Chairman of the Dublin Eleetion Commission, proved to be valid, notwithstaeding the chuckling of the Orangemen, who boasted that they had now got aChairman who would send Mr. O'Connell to gaol without ceremony. Mr. Armstrong, it seems, was disqualified by having been counsel of %Vest and Hamil- ton (luring the election. The Commissioners then appointed Mr. Chambers, a violent Orange-Tory, as their Chairman.
Messrs. Joy and Ardill met the agents for the petitioners and sitting Members on Tuesday, at half-past ten o'clock. Mr. Chambers, the newly-nominated Chairman, was not present. 3Ir. Alurphy requested the Commissioners, to reconsider their appointment ; as it was quite obvious (without conveying any insinuation disrespectful to Mr. Chambers's person or polities) that numersus individuals might have been selected front the list, containing two hundred names, of eligible barristers, to whom not only no objection could apply, but in whose appointment both parties would readily concur. This delicate hint, however, of partisanship on the part of Mr. Chambers, teceived not the slightest attention from his dictatorial nominors ;and the imperfectly constituted Court was speedily adjourned to Monday next ; upon %1 filch occasion, it was announced, the new Chairman would preside. The Act of Parliament authorizes a fortnight's adjournment from the pc- riod at which the appointment of' the new Chairman is made known. This is the very briefest period that could fairly he assigned to enable the newly-appointed functionary to peruse the vast mass of evidence which has been accumulated during nearly a six months' sitting, and to consider not less the various rules and regulations which his brother Commissioners have adopted, than the general result of the entire in- quiry so fur as it has hitherto proceeded. Messrs. Joy mud Atrial have limited this interval to four days from the present period. They evidently look upon Mr. Chambers, as being firetes ad nnpuent ; and so ready to bow his neck to the yoke of Mr. Joy's supreme domiLioe, that the interval allowed hini for the exercise of his own discretioe, and the collation of his own inferences from a vast multiplicity of facts, may with all possible safety be contracted to the " shortest span." I know enough of Mr. Chambers, however, to enable me to predict, with no small share of confidence, that, despite of his politicarpredilec- tions, he will be lawyer enough, and what is more, sufficiently self. willed, and indisposed to be led by the nose by so comparatively youthful a barrister as Mr. Joy, to reverse with little ceremony the ridiculous mandates by which both counsel and agents have been silenced. I speak of this as a possibility borderiog very closely on
the probable ; and, should my predictions he realized, a striking change will be manifested in future proceedings of the Commission. One salutary effect which it would, at all events, produce, would be an im- mediate curbing of the install:tidily lofty grandiloquence of Mr. Com- missioner Joy.— a uricr Correspondent.
Lord Mulgrave arrived in Belfast on the 2:Id instant, and attended a public breakfast, at the National School-room. An address was pre- sented to him, in which the benefits derivable from the National System of Education for Ireland were emphatically pointed out. In the course of his reply, the Viceroy said-
" It is satisfactory, when one reflects how comparatively modern is the (late of all such institutions, to think that, now, education is no longer by arty one denied to be a universal good. All false alarms, founded on a perversion of the saying that knowledge is power, have yielded to the conviction, that no fanci- ful assertion of equality could he founded on insuuction duly apportioned to the capacity to receive it ; which must teach that, in intellect, even more than in strength, nature has fixed as unathed distinctions, as, in relative station, any social system can, by its glades, establish for the benefit of all. You state that you comprise, in your body, persons of almost every religious sect and political opinion. I most sincerely rejoice to hear it. It is such a union, fur much purposes, that, on these oelatsions, I most &size to witness. It is as much my individual disposition, as I believe it to be the duty of my office, as far as lies in my power, to promote the common good by COMI1100 consent. My ex- ertions would always be directed to extend amongst you the sphere of natural agreement; thus adopting in the character of the Executive the same object as dictated the system of National Education. I should desire, that the influ- ence of my presence might be felt in a temporary oblivion, tending, I would hope, to a permanent diminution of minor dill-we:Ices as the most welcome tri- bute to my sincere anxiety for the general prosperity of this long-distracted country."
Mr. Cross, the Secretary of the institution, Dr. Crolly, Catholic Primate, and Dr. Montgomery, each delivered speeches. There was no member of the Established Church present. The next day, Lord Mulgrave visited the Lancasterial School, the Royal Belfast Institution, the House of Correction, the Lunatic Asy- lum, and other public institutions. On Saturday, he reviewed the garrison ; and received an address from the Roman Catholic Bishops and Clergy of Down and Connor, couched in very loyal and compli- mentary language.
On Saturday evening, a grand dinner was given to his Excellency by the principal inhabitants of Belfast, in the Theatre, which had been fitted up for the occasion ; Mr. R. J. Tennent in the chair. Mr. Emerson Tennent, M.P. for Belfast, refused to attend the dinner, because the health of the King's Ministers was among the toasts. Lord Mulgrave spoke with becoming caution. He said-
" I appear here as the Reprtsentative of my gracious Sovereign, who is the common fath,ir of all his people, whatever may he their sect or denomination; and my purpose in conang among you is, that I may collect, personally, information from all parts of the country and front all classes of its inha- bitants. All, therefore, that I expect—I will not say require, but all that I
expect, on fal di an occasion—is, that you should duly appreciate the object of
my visit, and do justice to the motives by which I have been actuated. In the course of a varied life, it has been my lot to mix with individuals entertaining
very different shades of opinion ; and though public life has many thankless and ungrateful moments, yet never have I met with an limiest, intelligent man, however °planed to me, from whom, if I did nut succeed in dispelling what I should call his prejudices, I at least generally succeeded in mitigating them, and never failed to acquire, for my own improvement, sonic valuable informa- tion. When, however, I say, that, appearing, as I do, in the charac-
ter of Representative of our Sovereign, I cannot, consequently, be the friend of a mere party, I am far front disclaiming the opinion, that a decided expression of political sentiment may properly be sent forward to the Throne, when eircumitances arise to make it desirable. Already, during my stay iu this country, I have received, upon several oceasions,—and, among others, front many, as I presume, of those %s how I now see before nie,—assurances of unli- mited confidence, founded upon the previous acts of my life, and upon the con- duct of the Administration with which I am yonnected; and toy belief is, that, in this free country, power is—nor would I have it otherwise—ultimately founded upon duly-weighed acid legitimately-expressed public opinion. Though these subjects ought not to be made matters of party triumph, yet, when ques- tions of a public character may be agitated berme the Legislature, I shall give
to the Ministers of the Crown such advice as may be justified by the informa- tion which I can obtain ; and I trust I may refer to ray past life, as some secu-
rity to the public that I am not likely to compromise my own conscientious coevictions. The time during which I am enabled to remain in Belfast, is, however, more appropriately devoted to general and dispassionate inquiry ; but I have thought it right to mention the topics, to which I have thus briefly re- tinue!, in order to guard against the idea that I had count unto this peat town with party °Nees m view." The health of" Lord Melbourne and his Majesty's Ministers" was received most enthusiastically. " The company stood up, and cheered, and waved their handkerchiefs, &e. for several minutes ; the ladies in the boxes joining in this manifestation of feeling. After the cheering had subsided, the company again rose, and revewed the cheering, with equal animation for several minutes. Again the cheeritig ceased, and a third time it was renewed with, if possible, increased enthusiasm." The Lord- Lieutenant then left the party. He took his departure from Belfast on Monday. Diming Lord Mulgrave's journey from Dublin to Belfast, he was received with due honour at the houses of men of rank of all parties.
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