The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-18 00:00:00

IRELAND.

OPIUM,. OCT. 17.
As a la•ge portion of the harvest business of the
Irish small tanners invariably remains to be com-
pleted at this late period of the season, it is fortunate
that the weather has been of the most favourable
description for the pure. se fur several dap' past.,
Thu following note on the subject appears in the
Limerick Chronicle:

During the past week the weather has been most favour-
able, and large quantities of hay and oats have been seemed.
The oickle has also keen busy in the wilt of Ireland, where
the harvest is generally late, and should ce have tine wea-
ther fur another week, the fears entertained for the small
farmer.' crop* will be diesipated. Partners are completing
their hay burvest this wren, and drawing it home to the
haggard. Those who have large stacks will he paid well
fur their store, ae prices are up to a high figure, and the
article will be scarce in tl e ensuing year. In all yams of
the country farmers this week commenced digging out the
Potatoes, and we are happy to linen from many districts
that the &toast appears to have suhsi led, so that the great
portion of this large crop will continue sound food.
Among the indications of improvement in the
west, we find the following with reference to Scotch
farming in Ireland in the llallinasloe Star:
On Thursday last nearly one thouoaint sheep arrived here
from Scotland, per special train and special steamer. They
were forsrardei by Arthur Pollock, Esq., of Glasgow, to
his property in this neighbourhood, lately purchased in the
hicumbeced Estates Court, from Mr. J. Beatty West. We
underoraad that Mr. Pollock intends to farm the whole of
the immense property hints, lf, and hat engaged four
stewards for the purpose. While a large proportion of the
property must be kept in pasture, the amount cultivated, it
is undirstoed, will be the largest under the direction of one
individual in the country. A peaceful and social revolution
is at work. unequalled in the annals of history.
The Limerick Chronicle sacs:
The cattle distemper is arain prevalent in Limerick,
Clare, anl Cork, and soma large farmers are serious losers
by its ravages.

DUBLIN POLICE.
IMPORTANT TO TRACT DISTRIBVTORS.—A young 1111111
named William Smith was brought before Mr. O'Callaghan,
the sitting magistrate at Capri-street Police-office, on Sa-
turday, charged by Mr. Martin A. O'Breunan with having
acted in a manner calculated to provoke him to a breach of
the po,re by thrusting a handbill or tract of • sectarian
character into his hand in the public Street. The cue ex-
cited considerable ints rest, Mr. O'Brennan having pub-
balled his own %torsion of it in the shape t f • letter to •
morning paper; nnd the office was crowded to excess with
pers•ins curious to witness the prose. dings.
Mr. Whithurne appeared for the prisoner.
Mr. O'llrsnnan (who is • Roman catholic schoolmaster,'
residing in Bolton•street) having been sworn, said—Yester-
day evening, whilst I wan going to the theatre with a lady,
I was encountered by this man in Sackville-street; he
" thrust" • paper violently into my band, and as he and
a woman who was 'tending by both laughed at the time
I took it for granted that something was wrong. Ac-
cordingly I opened the paper, and found that it was a
*petits of tract, containing matter which I look on
in the light of • nadsance. I am of opinion that when
• man is going about his business no one has a right
to offend his feelings in this way by thrusting into
his hand • paper which is calculated to irritate and drive
him to commit • breach of the peace ; under these circum-
stance., 1 felt it to be my duty, as a lover of peace, to give
this person into custcdy, in order to put • stop to what I
confider to be • most noxious and dangerous system of ad-
dr. swing people in the street, and asking them to read
articles entirely opposed to their religious tenets; for my
own part, I 'mold rather receive a dose of poison than the
poisonous matter contained in this paper.
(The paper " handed " to Mr. O'Brennan by the pri-
soner consisted of an invitation to Roman catholic to attend
a sermon to be preached by the Rev. J. O'Carroll, A. 8.,
S.T.C.D., in St. Luke's Church, on Sunday evening next,
upon the alleged supremsey of Ps ter.)
Mr. O'Callaghan (o witness)—Hate you any reason to
believe that the prisoner knew wbo you were when acting
in the way you have stated ?
Witness—From the fact of his laughing, I think he
must have known me. He admitted after his arrest that
he was the agent of the 1t,,. Mr. M'Carthy, of St. Michan's
. .

Mr. Whithorne (to witness)—How long is it since you
put the " 0 " before your name ?
Witness—l don't choose to ts.ll you.
(The witness was, till lately, in the habit of styling
himself simply Mr. M. A. Drennan.]
Mr. Whithorne—Were your feelings eery much hurt?
tVitness—Yes, my feelings as a gentleman. (Laughter.)
Mr. Whithorne—You ore an orator.
Witness (with a complacent smile)—Yes, I think I am.
(laughter.)
Mr. Whithorne—And you are a publisher too ?
Witness—Yes, I write for the press occasionally. (Great
laughter.)
Mr. Whithorne—And you wish to bring your nem* into
great repute ?
Witness (seemingly offended by the question)—Sir, my
name bu been in great repute for many years. (Roan of
laughter.)
Mr. Whithorne—You published a note about this case
in the Freeman's Journal of this morning. What was
your eject in doing so ?
Witness—My object was to call the attention of the public
and of the public authorities to this system of circulating
tracts, which are, in my opinion, more poisonous than the
most noxious miasmats. (Laughter.)
Mr. O'Callaghan—Do you swear that he " thrust" it
into your hand ?
Witness—He did. I saw a number of similar papers in
his possession after be was taken to the police station.
Mr. Whithorne submitted that his client had committed
no offence in point of law. All he did was to " hand" the
paper quietly to Mr. O'Brennan, and for doing that he was
not only arrested, but actually kept in close confinement
duriug the entire night. The charge was such a trumpery
one altogether that he did not think it necessary to go any
I further with its defence.

Mr. O'Callaghan (tclwilness)—Did I understand you to
say from what took place there was any likelihood that •
breach of the peace might ensue ?
Witness--M y opinion is that "if" my temper had not
been controlled by education, it is " probable" that I might
have struck him.

Mr. O'Callaghan—lt strikes me, to say the least of it, to
be exceedingly indiscreet and improper for any man, what-
ever may be his religious opinions, to thrust them upon
another man who, as in this instance, is of • different way
of thinking. If a paper put into a person's hued costaine
anything that is likely to make him angry, or to disturb his
feelings, it is, in my judgment, calculated to provoke a
breach of the peace, and it is the province of the magistrate
(who is termed a justice of the peace) to take care that it is
efficiently preserved. I cannot entertain a doubt that con-
duct such as the prisoner hos been guilty of is greatly cal-
culated to Iced to a breach of the peace; but as no actual
breach has occurred is this instance, I will only require the
prisoner to enter into his own recognisance to be of good
behaviour for the future.

Prisoner—l have no witness to speak for me, but u sure
u I stand before your worship I did not " thrust" the bill
into Mr. O'Brennan's hand. 1 simply offered it, and he
took it, without the lent pressure on my part.
Mr. O'Callaghan—l gm a justice of the peace, and lam
determined to preserve it, so far as I can, in all these cues.
You mast enter into bail or be committed for 14 days.
The prisoner accordingly entered into the required bail,
and was discharged from custody.

SIGNS OF RETURNING PROSPERITY IN IRELAND.—
It is with peculiar pleasure we notice the improved spear-
alma of the peasantry on Sundays and holidays, the surest
signs of returning prosperity. Instead of the ragged coat,
the old hat, and broken shoe., which marked the period of
the famine, and stamped upon poor Paddy an appearance
far from gratifying to his pride ; a new suit from head to
foot now rewards his long-tried patience and hard struggle
with adversity. No one could tail to observe the strong
muster of country people in our n Sunday last, and
the cheering and gratifying appearance which they presented
—the boys wearing new and comfortable feriae and cordu-
roy, while the girls displayed their red and blue mantles,
nicely-trimmed saps, and new shoes and stockings—articles
of comfort which the pour people were long deprived of.
From inquiries which we made in various quarters we re-
ceived but one reply, that the country people were never in
so prosperous a condition as they are at present; an assur-
ance which is fully borne out by the cheering and comfort-
able appearance which they present in our streets when
they come to town.— Galway Packet.

THE UNITED STATES TARIM—An important cir-
cular has been issued by the Secretary of the Treasury of
the United States, of which the following is the principal
part :—" The increasing revenue and accumulating amount
of money in the Treasury renders it most probable that the
tariff will be made a prominent subject of discussion and
examination, with a view to reduction, during the ap-
proaching session of Congress. in the meantime, and at as
early a day as may be, I am desirous to obtain from the
most reliable sources tic best information of the working
of the present rates of duty upon the leading branches of
industry of the country, and of the effect to be expected from
, the proposed modifications. Understanding that you take
an interest in this subject, and have given some attention
to it, and, perhaps, have been in situations to place
within your reach very valuable information, you will mach
oblige me by communicating to this department your views
thereon, and by furnishing lists of articles now subject to
duty, which, according to such views, should be duty free,
and of such other articles on which the present duty should
be reduced. The existing tariff baying been designed gene-
rally and substantially for revenue, and fur a fair and equal
operation both between the various sections of the couo:ry
and the various branches of industry, the same objects
should, undoubtedly, be kept in view ; and the reductions,
if any shall be made, should be so arranged as to afford an
equal participation in the benefit to every interest and to
every section. Articles which .:n•er into our manufactures,
and those which do not come into competition with Ameri-
can producte, arc those about which there will doubtless be
the least question."
Tne CHOLERA IN MILLBANE PRl4on.—Yesterday
Mr. Bedford held two inquests on the bodies of Hannah
Bead, aged fl 3, and John Albin, aged 21, both convicts,
who tad died of cholera in this gaol—the Lamer atter an
illness of only two hours mud a hall's duration. From the
evidence it appeared that every assistance that medical
skill could devise was rendered to the deceased; and a
verdict of "Died from Asiatic Cholera" leas ',returned .4,
both cans.