The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-14 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN SEPT. 12.
The good people of Limerick are extremely eager
that their port should be appointed the packet station
for transatlantic communication. Their anxiety has
received an additional stimulus by the visit of Lord
Auckland to Cove, which they look upon as their
great rival, and a meeting has been the consequence,
at which it was resolved to leave "no atone un-
turned" to obtain their object. For this purpose, a
committee has been formed, members of parliament
are importuned, boards of guardians put in motion,
and the ministry are to be attacked by a series of
memorials shot forth from parish commissioners,
harbour hoards, wardmotes, poor-law unions, magis-
trates, and congregated trades. The Limerick men seem
anxious to emulate the activity of their Cork fellow-
countrymen, and to assimilate to their fondness for
public meetings.. It is to be hoped they will not
emulate also the cneoethes loquendi, of which the
Corkagians furnish so striking an example.
The much censured Board of Works—censured be-
cause they will not take the whole support of the poor
off the landlords—have shown io the matter of the
Feigns drainage how anxious they are to do all they
can with propriety attempt. The Feigns flows
through Ennis, and by Clare to the sea. A large
quantity of land is overflowed by its waters in winter.
The Ennis town commissioners apply to the board
to proceed with the drainage, and the board
through its secretary replies that it " has already
instructed its resident engineer to proceed with the
works with as much vigour during the present season
as the circumstances of the case, the peculiarities of
the work, and a due regard to economy, will permit ;1
taking care at the same time to avoid, during the
period of harvest, the employment of men who may
be required for harvest work." Thus it is we find
Iwhile landlords and town commissioners are com-
plaining the board is working.
Now that the Temporary Relief has ceased to issue,
and that all work is suspended in the districts less
favoured by the care of resident landlords, distress is
again developing itself, and it is much to be feared
must continue. In Dingle the Rev. Mr. Sayer, who
is at the head of a " Protestant colony," writes
that he feeds 3,000 souls per day, and that when his
means are exhausted he has no resource for the people
from starvation.

GROWTH OP FLAN IN IRELAND.—MANI7PACTVRES.-10
an address presented to the Lord Lieutenant on Friday last
by a deputation from the Royal Society for the Proroption
' and Improvement of the Growth of Flax in Ireland, his ex-
cellency's attention was called to a series of the reports of the
society presented therewith to him. Tho address adverted
to the especial importance attaching to the operations of the
society at the present moment, when the support of the popu-
lation of the country was about being thrown on its internal
resources, as the cultivation of flax was alike important to
the agricultural and industrial population, preventing either
from becoming a burden on the other classes of the community,
and extending at the same time " our only textile manufac-
ture which may be rendered independent of foreign nations."
The address prayed that hie excellency would undertake the
office of vice-patron of the society.—Lord Clarendon, who
was accompanied by Sir W. Somerville, after accepting the
office of vice-patron, and complimenting the society on its
exertions and the encase which has attended them, thug
spoke upon the general subject of trade and manufacture—
especially the cultivation and manufacture of flax . He
attached the greatest importance to the cultivation of flax,
because it afforded the means of creating and spreading a
spirit of industry in Ireland; and he felt the more interest in
it on account of its being the particular branch of agriculture
most closely connected with that particular branch of menu-
facture, the linen trade, for which Ireland had been famous
as an exporting country. As a free-trader he thought that
there should be no restriction placed on the produce of I
other countries, however remote from Great Britain, end
the principle of which he approved was that they should bay
in the cheapest and sell in the dearest markets ; but that did
not prevent his desiring to are the productions of his own 1
country cheaper, better, and in all respects superior to those
of other countries. Under their auspices he hoped they should
yet see the linen manufacture flourish throughout the country.
:siotwithstaniing that their climate was highly favourable to
the production of flax—that their peasantry were as labori-
ous, and their artisans as ingenious as those of any other
country—with all these advantages he saw, with great re-
gret, that the people of Great Britain and Ireland were tribu-
taries to foreign countries in the amount of flee or six
millions annually for an article which could be abun-
dantly produced at home, the manufacture of which would
be a source of wealth to the country, and the consump-
tion of which would confer the blessings of remunerative
employment on our own artisans. He, therefore, looked
upon the growth of flax, and the manufacture of linens in
Ireland, as of imperial importance ; and there was nothing
that the deputation could point out to him, either as
vice-patron of the society, or in his official capacity,
by which their objects could be advanced, and the
manufeeture of linen promoted, in which they might
not be assured of his cordial so-operation. His excellency
concluded by asking the deputation if they had any sug-
gestion to make by which he could be of use to the society.
Thus invited, Mr. Mulholland, a large mill-owner in Bel-
fast, a member of the deputation, suggested that the privi-
lege possessed by France and Belgium of exporting their

I linen fabrics to Great Britain duty free, while they imposed
*heavy duty on British linens or linen yarn exported to
either of those countries, was a great discouragement to
Irish industry in the flax manufacture, He also suggested
that an arrangement of the River Plate question would be of
great benefit to the north of Ireland. His excellency ad-
mitted the inconvenience of the heavy duties laid on in
France, lamented that France was highly protective in her
commercial policy, hut " goverramentcouldnot prescribe a rule
*faction to other countriev ;" " however, he hoped that, through
the force of our example, the advantages of a more liberal
intercourse with England would be better appreciated in
France." His excellency held out strong hopes that " a
satisfactory conclusion" would attend recent steps respecting
the River Plate question, and " no one could tell how soon '
order would issue out of chaos in Mexico." Mr. Mulhol-
land again suggested " interference by the government on
behalf of Irish linens " in Spain, Portugal, Beard, and the
western coast of Smith Amenca, but his excellency said " it
was not the custom to put forward any particular article to
the special notice of any foreign government." The deputa-
tion, consisting of Lord Erne, Mr. J. S. Crawford, Messrs.
Herdmau, Mulholland, and M'Adans withdrew, pleased and,
doubtless, instructed by the interview.
THE PRELATES IN PARLIANIEST.—Thefour Irish repro-
tentative prelates for the session 1847-8, are—The Arch-
bishop of Armagh and Tuam, the Bishop of Killaloc and
Clonfert, the Bishop of Kilmore, Ardagh, and Elphin, and
the Bishop of Clogher.
A FEVER Vtcrtse—M. de Mussy, one of the physicians
sent over to Ireland by the French government, to report
upon the epidemic now prevailing, is ill of fever at his resi- ,
dence, in Stephen's-green. The fever is of the spotted type,
and Dr. de Mussy has been in a perilous state; but his medi-
cal attendants now have strong hopes of his recovery. He
caught the infection in the fever thesis in the ►icinity of
Dublin, where he had been almost constantly in attendance.
STATE Hl' THE COCNTRY.—The Liniertch Chronicle gives
the particulars of a very gross and unmanly outrage.
Some time since a gentleman named Walsh, residing near
Limerick, in Clare county, was attacked, and an attempt,
fortunately unsuccessful, was made on his life. On last
Thursday morning his son was riding to school in
Limerick when an unmanly scoundrel assailed him, threat-
ened his life, and cursed the ruffians who had suffered
his father to escape. The little fellow rode off to the next
police station, brought the police on the track of his assailant,
and succeeded in having him arrested and lodged in gaol.
There hu been a rescue of cattle seized at Dingle
for the poor and Temporary Relief Rates; 26 cows
which had been taken were driven away front the bailiffs.
" What is strange," says the Limerick Chronicle, " is, that
the rescue was led by the shopkeepers of the tows." If this
be so. they ought to be made an example of.—The guardians
of Nenagh Union, who seem to have an especially keen
scent for • job, have elected six relieving officers, five of
whom stood to some guardian in the relation of son, brother,
or nephew. After Tait job was done, the five disinterested
guardians resigned.—The price of fresh meat has fallen in
the provinces, the recent fall of rain having had this effect.
In Dublin prices of fresh meat have not declined. The
general rates of corn remain unchanged.