IRELAND.
The Queen's letters-patent arrived in Dublin on Saturday, appointing Mr. Blackburne Master of the Rolls, Mr. Smith Attorney-General, and Sergeant Greene Solicitor-General. Mr. Blackburne was sworn into office before the Lord Chancellor ; and on the same day Mr. Litton, the new Master in Chancery, took the oaths of office. The vacant quoif has been conferred on Mr. R. Keatinge ; Mr. Brewster retaining his office of Law Adviser at the Castle, by the express desire of Lord de Grey and Lord Eliot,
The Dublin Evening Mail, which at first lqoaked askance on the ap- pointment of Mr. Smith, and on the Government appointments gene- rally, as not being sufficiently in favour of marked supporters of the party, now that the Parliamentary men have been "provided for" in one way or other, speaks in a tone of greater contentment and moderation. Of Mr. Smith it says-
" The utmost confidence prevails that the Crown prosecutions will be con- ducted under his directions in a spirit of fairness and moderation; and that the future law appointments will be made, under his control, with a candour and impartiality calculated to produce the highest satisfaction in respect to the dispensation of patronage and the administration of justice. Of Mr. Greene's professional qualifications for the discharge of any duties connected with the law, there can be no question. Be has had great practical experience in every branch and department of that profession ; and has en- joyed opportunities of which few, if any, of the Irish bar have ever had the ad- vantage. He has been now for some years Senior Sergeant, and has gone cir- cuit as Judge of Assize on fourteen different occasions, and under adverse Governments ; and has given full and entire satisfaction to the public and the practitioners in the various courts, and on the several circuits in which he has judicially presided. Mr. Greene, too, has passed through all the probationary steps which peculiarly qualify him for the office of Solicitor-General,—we mean that portion of the duties connected with the Government which is not
i discharged n the courts, and of which the public have no cognizance; Laving been for so many years Law Adviser to the Irish Executive. We have no doubt, therefore, that he will be found in every respect a zealous and a valu- able public servant. Mr. Greene has never been a prominent—we should rather, perhaps, say, that he has ever been a timid politician ; but of the sound integ- rity of his principles as a Conservative, no doubt was ever entertained. • •
" We will candidly confess, that we are not of the number who are displeased at seeing those who have the disposal of the law appointments reverting to the old principle which governel bar and bench promotions from the time of the Union down to a recent period—namely, professional capacity."
The election of Lord Mayor of Dublin took place on Tuesday. The old Lord Mayor and other Corporation-officers assembled at the Man- sionhouse and went in procession to the City Assembly-house ; where Alderman Roe was elected to the civic chair, and he occupied the post of honour in a second procession back to the Mansionhouse. In the evening, the new Lord Mayor gave a grand entertainment at the official residence.
The Belfast Conservatives have "monopolized" the Town-Council ; and they have elected for Mayor Mr. George Dunbar, formerly Member of Parliament for the borough ; and for Town-Clerk, Mr, John Bates, their active Parliamentary election-agent.
At the usual meeting of the Repeal Association, Dr. Murphy gave notice of a motion, "that the Repeal Association and the people of Ire- land should call upon the Lord Mayor to resign his seat in Parliament, as he could not hope to obtain justice in that bigoted and tyrannical assembly, and to enable him to devote all his energies at home to the agitation of Repeal." Mr. O'Connell objected-
" You may be strong, Doctor, without being scurrilous. I therefore beg to sug- gest that your notice be amended. I think, however, that lean hold my seat with advantage to the people of Ireland, and work for them out of doors also. It is rot my intention to devote so much of my time as heretofore to affairs in Par- liament: indeed it would be needless ; for when the Whigs were in, a single vote was of importance, whereas now, whether Peel carries his measures by a majority of 150 or 145, it is all alike to the country."
The assembled associators cheered, and the motion was withdrawn.
The amount of the O'Connell rent for 1843, collected in Dublin on Sunday last, was 2,033!.; an increase over the collection in 1841 of 271. Accounts from other quarters also indicate a small increase.
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