IRELAND.
The Armagh election took place this week. There were two Conser- vative candidates—Mr. Miller and Mr. Bond. Mr. Miller found sup- port, it is said, among the Protestant electors; Mr. Bond among the Roman Catholics, with the Primate of Ireland in addition. Mr. Bond was returned by a majority of 37.
A pastoral from Dr. Paul Cullen, "exceeding the usual limits of ver- biage,' was read in all the chapels of Dublin on Sunday. The greater part of it related to the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Since the definition of that dogma by the Pope, how "much has been done to excite the hopes and console the heart of every true Christian." The " proud supporter of schism in the North "—the Emperor of Russia—,has been humbled, " his finest provinces laid waste his armies destroyed" ; while " Catholic soldiers, placed by their Sovereign under the special protection of the Mother of God, planted their banners on the lofty towers of his proudest stronghold:" Iu another great empire—that of Austria—liberty has been granted to the Church. "It is a glorious spectacle to see a youthful Emperor raising himself above the prejudices of his time, despising the taunts and scoffs of unbeliev- ing philosophers, undoing the unhappy work of one of his predecessors who had been led, astray by the prevailing errors and false liberality of his days, and restoring to the Church that liberty and independence to which her di- vine institution gives her a full right.
But there is a per contra. "The aspect of the times affords us ground for anxiety and fear." "We find that our brethren in Spain, Sardinia Switzerland, and parts of' Germany, have to undergo serious persecution.'" "At home, too, we have many motives for fear." Attempts have been. made to poison the fountains of knowledge; to place education under the control of the Government, " always hostile to Catholicity" ; " to im- pair the utility of a body of holy :men, who devote their lives and ener- gies to the salvation of the people." Wicked romances and novels, calculated only to excite the worst pas- sions of the human heart, and tracts destined to scoff at the doctrines and preetices of our holy religion, and to undermine our faith, are printed in millions,- and put in circulation with the most malicious activity. Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes, to weep over the ruin and desolation caused, especially among unsuspecting youth, by the in- fidel and immoral publications which spread like a torrent over the land, and hurry on to perdition innumerable souls that have been redeemed by the precious Mood of Jesus Christ ? Let me implore of all to be on their guard against such productions of human malice; banish them from your houses, preserve your children from such destructive poison.'" The Dublin Commission Court 'opened on Wednesday. The chief ease of interest was the trial of Father Pecherine and James Hamilton, on the charge of burning the Bible at Kingstown. In charging the Grand Jury, Mr. Justice Crampton gave great prominence to this case. Ile characterized the Bilge4upiing as profane, nay blasphemous. The Christian religion is part of the law of the land. The Court of Queen's Bench in England has de- clared that it would not suffer it to be debated "whether to write against Christienityin general was not an offence punishable in the courts of tem- poral law." All persons welling at the Iloly Scriptures, or wilfully exposing ther-13ible to contempt or ridicule, are guilty of an offence. "It matters not, in this point of view, whether the book held up to public scorn (if such be thq fact) be &Hebrew, Greek, Latin, or English Bible—whether it be the authorized Version, as the version of the Church of England is .eommonly called, .or the Douay version, or any other translation, if the object be to hold t.ip the volume to public execration." Distinctions between the authorized version and the Roman Catholic Bible are weak and wicked. All witnesses, with some statutable exceptions, all juries all are sworn upon the Bible. " Let the ignorant, the fanatic% and turbulent, take warning and learn that whosoever will dare publicly to vilify and dishonour the Bible, whether the volume so abused be the Douay, or the authorized version of the Este- blished Church, such persons equally dishonour Almighty God, and commit a serious offence against the law of the land, and for which they are punish- able by fine and imprisonment. Let us hope that the period of intolerance, which has had a long reign, is fast passing away, and that mutual forbear- ance and Christian charity will take its place, and be once more the badge and characteristic of the true believer."
True bills were found against Pecherine and Hamilton ; and the trial was fixed for Friday. Several murders and attempts to murder are reported in the Irish papers. At Tallow, near Waterford, one Cronican complained that the cattle of a neighbour had strayed upon his land. He was set upon and killed ; and a Coroner's Jury have found, a verdict against William Conway, his mother and sister, owners of the straying cattle. At Cavanreagh, in Tyrone, lii•Collison, a farmer, has been shot dead in his cottage : three persons are in custody. At Draperstown, Derry, the wife of a Scripture reader has been shot et. In Armagh County, Grant, a small farmer, has been murdered on the road at night, and his wife much injured by the assassin, One Muckian is in cus- tody. Murray, a labourer, has been nearly beaten to death, near Newtown-
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