IRELAND.
The parish-priests of Ireland have, at least since 1746, nominated their own bishops. But the Pope and Dr. Cullen have effected a re- volution in favour of Italian methods. On the death of Dr. Haly, Ro- man Catholic Bishop of Leighlin and Ferns, in September, the parish- priests met and elected Dr. Walsh, President of the Carlow College, to succeed Dr. Hely. The Pope seems far from recognizing this election. The Carlow Sentinel is informed, that " a bull has arrived from Rome, not for the consecration' of the bishop elect, but for that of a clergyman never put in nomination at all—the Reverend Dr. Miley, President of the Irish College of Paris, thus arbitrarily setting aside the election of the parish-priests ; in fact, ignoring their existence as a body, and vir- tually annulling the prescriptive right or custom they so long enjoyed to elect their own bishop."
The Presbyterian Representation Society have issued a long address to demonstrate the efficiency of the Presbyterians form of church govern- ment and its practical tendencies, and to claim a greater share in the distribution of public offices than the Irish Presbyterians now enjoy. They complain that, as compared with Episcopalians, they are very un- fairly treated : though so numerous, respectable, well-conducted, and powerful a body, there is hardly an dice of importance in Ireland filled by a Preiesbatenan. Episcopalianss occupy sixty-one Irish seats in the House of Commons— the Pres yterians one ! " In the Lords of course, no one dreams of ever see- ing an Irish Presbyterian, nor was a Presbyterian ever raised to the Irish bench. There are twenty-two Episcopalian Assistant-Barristers and one Presbyterian. There are about 2000 Episcopalian magistrates and sixteen Presbyterian. There are 60,000 ohildren of the Presbyterian Church at- tending the schools of the National Board Of Eduontion, and 24,000 of the Church of England ; but the latter have six Commissioners on the Board, and the former only two. In the Queen's Colleges, Presbyterian students greatly outnumber those of the Established Church, and in the Senate there are ten of the one to two of the other. On the Board of Charitable Bequests there are seven Episcopalians and one Presbyterian ; and on all the other . boards of a national character the Episcopalians have a number of members, and Presbyterians none. In fact, out of a population of 700,000 only two Presbyterians have succeeded to offices of any importance, in a country where offices abound, and which owes to them a large portion of its wealth and prosperity ; for the same two gentlemen occupy the seats on the National Board and in the Senate of the Queen's University ; while one of them enjoys the solitary Assistant-Barristership, and the other the Commission- ership of Charitable Bequests. The endowment of the two Churches is in similar proportion : the one receives about 800,0001., the other less than .40,000/. a year."
It has been determined to reopen the Belfast School of Design, under the title of a " School of Art"Government undertaking to restore the grant on condition that it be exclusively devoted to salaries. The Presi- dent of the the Society, Lord Duiferin, has availed himself of the occa- sion to address a long letter "to the Young Ladies of Belfast," setting forth the advantages of the institution, and "its influence on the charac- ter rather than on the more shallow accomplishments to be acquired at it."
" The greatest of French caricaturists," says his Lordship, " for many a long year devoted himself to illustrating a book of fashions; the sublimest of painters and sculptors designed the uniform of a regiment of soldiers; and Hogarth has left behind him a dozen different patterns of ladies' stays ! Had your great-grandmothers known more of art, they would not have loaded their heads with towers of paste and whalebone nor ruined their husbands in china monsters ; certain waists would have fieen less waspish ; the lungs of one-half the world more healthy ; and poor dear Mrs. Inchbald would not have died of tight-lacing. Again, do you not queen it within doors, from garret to cellar ? are you not absolute over chintzes and paper- hangings ? who has ever dared to order home a carpet of his own choosing, but that all his womankind have punished such presump- tion by snubbing himself and discarding his purchase ? are not even the waistcoats of papas and the neckcloths of brothers sup- posed to fall within your jurisdiction ? Nay, do you not claim sove- reignty even over the trouser,—the citadel of masculine ascendancy— leaving it, at best, but a kind of debateable land ? Of learning to appre- ciate the treasures of art in this country and on the Continent I will not speak, because I fear it would be difficult to persuade you that diligent study. is almost as necessary to comprehend each separate school of painting as it is to learn a fresh language. To the end of tune, I suppose, we shall continue to meet, in every gallery of Europe, silken-robed little person- ages rustling down the noble corridors, in the prettiest bonnets, and dispensing praise and blame—to Raphael, to Titian, to Michael An- gelo—in the saine pretty. sarsanet language with which they would com- mend a riband or criticize a shawl. But I would venture to add one word on the immense gratification you would find it to be able to handle the brush, the pencil, or the modelling-tool with a certain amount of facility. But comparatively little time would be necessary to attain a most pleasant proficiency in any of these branches : most people, if they would bid exercise it, possess the power of taking likenesses ; and, without soaring to the higher regions of art, a very little practice would enable you to take faithful portraits of your friends in water-colours, clay, or crayon. What would many a stricken heart have often given even for the rudest resemblance of some dear face whose place is vacant by the Christ- mas fire ! How tenderly is some childish scrawl, the image of one separated by miles of sea, or by a more terrible interval, cherished by those whose walls are rich ;nth gems of ancient art ! The most valued of my own family pictures is a sister's portrait of her sailor brother, who lived to become one of England's most distinguished captains. The most popular of modern statues was execute& by the daughter of a French King ; the saddest sou- venirs of Schonbrium are the girlish drawings of Marie Antoinette."
Lieutenant-Colonel Pepper, of the East India service, and Miss Smith- wick, to wham he was shortly_ to have been married, have perished in a dreadful manner at Kilkee. They and some friends went, during stormy weather, to see the " Puffing Cavern "—a hole in the rocks through which the sea boils up with great force ; a huge wave swept them from the rock, they were drawn into the raging cauldron, and were seen no more ; their horrified companions, who were drenched by the same wave, could reuder no aid.
A new bridge at Lismore, consisting of five stone arches, has tumbled into the river, a day or two before it was to have been opened for traffic. The cause of its fall is not apparent.
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