The Press.
London, England, 1853-10-01 00:00:00

Irtßub.

Lnnn LIEUTENANT left Dublin op Monday
for Limerick, where his excellency officiated at
the opening of the new docks on Wednesday.
The ceremony passed off with much éclat, and
at night the event wag celebrated in an effective man-
ner, all the principal buildings in the city having
been brilliantly illuminated, and his excellency, with
a large number of distinguished guests, having been
entertained at a banquet by the Dock Committee.
On Thursday his Excellency and Lady St. Germans
proceeded to Mare Castle, the residence of Lord
Dunraven, whence they were to drive to Foynes,
where the Lord Lieutenant was to " turn the first
sod" of the Foynes Railway. A grand dejeuner, to
which 100 of the local gentry were invited, wouid be
given in the afteruooon on board the Holyrood steamer
by the London and Limerick Steam-ship Company.
His excellency has promised to attend.
THE MAYNOOTII INQUIRY COMMISSIONERS, having
held their preliminary meeting in Dublin Castle, pro-
ceeded on Thursday week to Maynooth, and had an
interview with the heads of the college. It is undt r-
stood that the inquiry will he conducted at the of% e
of the commissioners in the castle, and not at May
nooth.

A DISTURBANCE of a very serious character took
place at Lisburn on Thursday evening, the 22nd ult.,
arising out of the coming election. The house in which
the committee of the Conservative candidate were
sitting was wrecked by some ruffians of the Radical
party. Mr. Mussel', the landlord of the house, has
since died of the fright he sustained from the attack.
Tut: total amount of payments on account of the
encumbered estates in Ireland, from the commence-

ment of the commissioners proceedings to the pre-
sent time, is estimated at 0,500,000/.
MR. C. G. DUFFY, M.l'., was entertained at a
public dinner by his constituents at New Ross on
Tuesday evening. There was the usual amount of
Young-Ireland eloquence. and declamation about
tenant-right, &c., on the occasion.
TIIE general committee of the Industrial Exhibi-
tion has announced that the edifice shall be finally
closed to the public on the 31st of October next, after
having been nearly six months open.

THE GREAT MUNSTER FAIR commenced on Tues.
day in the extensive uew fair-ground in the vicinity
of Limerick, and 17188 visited in the early part of the
afternoon by the Lord Lieutenant and Countess of St.
Germans, with their suite. This new fair is a most
important one, being intended to be the great empo-
rium ,f the farmers and graziers of the south of
I relent'.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE.

nesilay, ,Sept. 27.

BA NKRI:PTS,—nICTIARD WESTBROOK, LAMM, terrace, Dept •
lord, Kent, hay dealer—JAMES DEACON, ()Aron', builder-
THOMAS SHERRATT, Washenvall, Stoke-upon-Trent, Stafford-
shire, grocer—THOMAS MO ROAN CARTY R. Bristol, builder—
OhErH HOPKINSON, liarlborough, Derby,hire, brick maker.
BANKRUPTCIES .INNULLED.-1 !tans 'CELIA, Baker's-
row, Walsorth, Surrey, tailor—HENßY I'ANNINus, Market
La% ington, Wiltshire, pluniber.
SCOTCH SEQUESTRATION.—ALEKANDER Bt: aNs,
jeweller.

Friday, September 30.

BA N 11l FTC IEB ANNULLED. Guoitot I I
Maidstone, coal merchant—Cusatts JOHN Kr.i.soN, Bristol,
arothrearv.
BAN KIkUPTS.—PHILIP WEOLLT HARDWICK, &TOM:Street.
dealer iu ribbous--JoHN Frost) CULLUN, Bronlyard, Here-
and druggist--WlLLtsm JOLLY, Bishop
Stortford, llertfordshire. esnier—Wtt.wil GOODEN EDOHILL,
lligh•suet t, t,•outliwark,

THE loss of the Earl of Charlemon! Australian
emigrant ship, freighted with nearly I.)00 passenger:,
off Banton Heads, within a few hours sail of tree
long, was announced yesterday at Lloyd's. This is
the third or fourth emigrant ship that has been lost
near the same spot within a few months. lu the
present instance the passengers and most of the
crew were saved through the instrumentality of one
of the steerage passengers, named Savage, who, being
an excellent swimmer. volunteered to take a line
to the rocks. Succeeding with some difficulty in
this attempt, a hawser was hauled ashore from the
vessel, by which the whole of the emigrants were
preserved. Within a few hours after the passengers
bad been lauded the ship bectuue a complete wreck,
together with the hulk of the passengers' baggage.

THE inedited works of the celebrated Italian
author Giannone will be published shortly at Turin,
with an introduction by the Neapolitan refugee
professor Mancini, now professor at the University of
Turin.

!► ,lorxr-Sroe•K COMPANY has been formed at
Berlin to prevent the exportation 01 tierman works
of art to America. Stich pictures as may not be dis-
tributed by way of a lottery to the shareholders will
serve to form a natioual museum.

OCTOBER 1, 1853.

yittraturr.

JUNIt S CONTROVERSY.

The Ohost qf Junius. 13y Francis Ayerst.
London : Bosworth. I 553.
The' Crrnrille Papers. Vols. 111. and IV.
London : Murray. I $;.);1.
The Quarterly lierierr. No. C I .X.X IX. Lon-

don : Murray. 17-451.
Janiui and Lord Chesterfield. By William
Crump. London : Hope and Co. 1850.
Colonel Barret aml Junius. By John Britton.
F.S.A. Loudon :.I. Smith. 15.18.
THE revival of the Junius controversy is one
of the most remarkable facts in that depart•
meat of contemporary literature, which is
chiefly confined to historical criticism. Twelve
years ago, there was a very gcneral disposition
amongst literary circles to acquiesce in the
conclusion, that Sir Philip Francis was the
Man in the Mask. Since that time, the con-
troversy, so far from becoming torpid. has
shown more vitality than at any former period.
The eminent natural philosopher, Sir David
Brewster, has applied his scientific intellect
to the support of the claims of Lachlan Mac-
lean. The Quarterly Review, with vast re
search, much original knowledge, and con
siderable ingenuity. contends that Junius was
Thomas (alias "the wicked ") Lord Lyttelton.
Mr. Smith, formerly librarian at Stowe, and
editor of " The Grenville Papers," believes
in Earl Temple ; while Mr. Britton, the learned
antiquary, argues. with no small ability, that
it was Colonel Barre. One of our weekly
critical contemporaries has devoted a great
portion of its space, and most minute researeh,
to disputing the Franciscan theory. On the
other hand, Lord Mahon, Lord Campbell, and
Mr. Macaulay, amongst living celebrities, eon-
cur with the late Mr. Canning and Sir James
Mackintosh in holding that Francis wits Junius,
a conclusion opposed to the opinions of the
late Lord Stowell, Mr. Charles Butler, Sir
Egerton Brydges, and Doctor Parr. Amongst
living persons of distinction who have studied
this question we may refer to Mr. Wilson
Croker, who does not believe in the Fran
eiscan claims, and to Lord Brougham, who
has published his conclusion that it is " most
reasonable and charitable " to rest in the sup
position that " Francis had a knowledge of
" the secret, and may have been engaged in
" the copying of the letters, without being
" their author."

A literary question with so many compli•
sated issues can scarcely receive adequate
discussion in journalism. Iu treating of this
very curious subject, we propose to confine
ourselves to noticing the passing forms, which
in our time the question is assuming. Before
doing so we may preface a few words upon
the value of the Junius controversy.

We do not concur with those wlie flippantly
assume that the inquiry after Junius is trivial
and without use. There are three reasons
why questions relating to Junius must be of
literary interest. Firstly, the prodigious po-
pular effect of these letters is matter of history,
and can never be passed over, even in the
most cursory narrative of the reign of George
the Third. Secondly, their intrinsie literary
ability will always command the attention of
critics and the admiration of readers. Thirdly,
the mystery of the authorship will never be
without its charms. Seldom in human life
have the real and the marvellous been more
closely joined than in the history of Junius.
•A writer was found who " broke through the
cobwebs of the law, and ranged, uncontrolled,
" unpunished, through the land, the myrmi
" dons of the Court, pursuing him in vain.
" King, Lords, and Commons were the sport
" Of his fury."—(Burke.) He displayed inti-
mate knowledge of Court secrets, yet the
occupants of the King's palace could not detect
him. He displayed rare powers of argument,
4,11 public questions, a special research that
must have taken time and trouble. and a pe
euliur originality of mind ; yet senators,
authors. lowyers, journalists, knew him not !
How a 1111111 could have had his particularity of
knowledge, and published it to the world
without inawediate detection, would +'l,l a& to