The Express.
London, England, 1853-04-14 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN', APRIL M.
The Athlone election which is now at hand, is be-
ginning to fill the tenant league clique with alarm.
The Freeman confesses its anxiety for the result, and
begins to prepare the way for defeat by calling on
its readers " not to confound the electors of the bo-
rough with the public opinion of the town and dis-
trict ;" adding that " a great responsibility devolves
upon those who direct the electoral force in Athlone,"
appealing of course thereby to the Roman catholic
priests. After the result of the Carlow election where
tories and tenant leaguers combined to return a man
most hostile to the pretended interests of the latter,
it may be wrong to hazard any opinion on the sub-
ject; but I should, nevertheless say that any similar
combination against Mr. Keogh in Athlone, notwith-
standing all the rancour and acrimony with which
it may and will be worked out, must end in failure.
A desperate effort will be made to return Mr. Belli',
or some other tory fur that borough, but the general
opinion is, that our talented Irish Solicitor-General
will triumph over the hostility of bath the torics and
the Lucas party.
The writ fur a new election in Carlow County, in
the room of the late Coloucl Bruen, was transmitted
y_esterday to the High Sheriff: Captain Keogh and
Me. Walsh are spoken of as candidates ; but as yet
no one has offered himself openly.
Some alarm is excited here by a rumour that the
introduction of the income tax into Ireland will form
an item of the new budget. Somo mysterious inti-
mations of the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the
subject of the Irish Consolidated Annuities have been
interpreted to mean that it is his intention to remit
the famine debt, and at the same time to impost) the
income tax. The meeting of Irish landlords, to con-
sider the question of the Consolidated Annuities,
and memorialise for their remipsion, takes place here
on Friday next.
The annual meeting of the Dublin Chamber of Com-
merce was held yesterday, the principal feature in
the elaborate report read on the occasion being the
account of the efforts made by the council of the
chamber, to bring the question of the Dublin port
dues under the consideration of the Treasury. The
efforts for the purpose have been yet unproductive.
With reference to the progress of the works of the
Great Exhibition building about one-half of the
flooring of the Great Central Hall has now been
laid down, and the process of glazing the roof is
going on with great rapidity. The organ loft is
completed, with the exception of sonic ornamental
details, and Mr. Telford's men yesterday commenced
to erect the organ, and have made considerable pro-
gress in their work. The second half rib for the eastern
dome of the great hall has also been permanently fixed
in its place, and a great number of the purling and in-
termediate ribs inserted. The southern hall, which for
several weeks past was used as a carpenters' work-
shop, has been cleared out with a view to the imme-
diate erection of counters and " wall space " for the
textile fabrics of foreign countries to which this sec-
tion of the building has been appropriated. All the
carpenters' work will henceforward be carried on in
the Great Hall. The clearing out of the Southern
Hall permits the great length, width, elegant de-,
sign, and adinirable proportions of this beautiful
apartment to be seen to full advantage, and enables
one to form some conception of the brilliant appear-
ance it will present when filled with the choicest
specimens of continental manufactures. The decors.
tion of the exterior of the building fronting Merrion-
square has made great progress within the last few
days. The same remark will apply to the flagway
in front of the building ; the " hoardiug " by which
it is enclosed and separated from the square has been
placed close to the ne q fl..gway, for the purpose of
allowing the carriageway to be constructed and pro-
perly hardened and consolidated before the opening of
the Exhibition. Goods of a miscellaneous character
continuo to arrive in considerable quantities.