The Express.
London, England, 1846-11-19 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, Nov. 17.
CONDITION or THE PEOPLE.—The perils of the crisis
arising from the delay in the public works are over. Em-
ployment is now very general throughout the country, par
Scutari,' in the southern and western districts At first the
peasantry were indisposed to task-work, but a short trial
inducted them into the benefits of the system. The old
rates of labour are changed. Instead of the usual Gd. or
10d. a day, the average amount is :Iva-here less than Is., and
in various places as high us 2s. The duel' g state of the
markets has add,l to the comforts of the labourer. With
steady wages, he expends less in food. Cases of deep
distreis appear in the country journals, which are used
to quiektti the attention of the Government, but in
general the peasantry are in • quiet and improv-
ing condition. The attacks on the officers of the
Board of Works have altogether ceased. The wages are
paid with regularity, and, to meet the necessities of the
' labourer, often in half-weekly payments, according to the
state of his task-work.
A committee of the Royal Agricultural Improvement So-
ciety is sitting in deliberation on the most expeditious and
practicable mode of affording productive employment. The
great object is to have the land ready for the absorption of
the labour which will be thrown on the country when the
public works shall have ceased. The difficulties are greater
than at first sight appear, but the landed proprietors must
vanquish them. Opinion is much divided between the mem-
bers as to the choice of the unit—whether the electoral divi-
sion or town-land. Each has its advantages, but it is pro-
bable the latter will be recommended in the report.
RIDHTS or Nu s curious question is to be argued
before the Chancell ir to-morrow, namely whether a nun can
have civil rights, or whether she be not absolutely dead in
the eye of the law. The case is McCarthy v. McCarthy. All
parties are Roman Catholics, and Sir Colman O'Loughlin, a
Roman Catholic barrister, will argue in support of the pro-
position which bars the enjoyment of the claim.
STATE. OP THE COUNTIM—DISORACEPUL OUTRAGEA.—
We have received the following account of a serious outrage
on the Public Works, from our correspondent at Newmarket-
on-Fergus An altercation took place on the llth, on the
new line of road making to Fenloe, between a man named
M'Namara, who had been some time before a gangsman in
charge of a few men, and a man named Lyons,the gangsman
recently placed over him ; when M`Namara struck him two
awful blows of a hammer on the head, which has placed his
life in imminent danger. On hearing of it, Mr. Heard, with
some police, were soon on the spot, and made every exertion
, to find the fellow, but he had fled. It is believed he has
, been arrested since through that gentleman's exertions."—

Clare Journal.
ISTARTATION.—From a letter of the Rev. Mr, Hunan,
P.P., Swinford, county of Mayo, in the Freenian's Journal
of this evening, I take the following case:—No later than
Friday morning last a man named Thomas Philbin, from
the parish of Bohala, died of actual starvation. lie held
out as long as he could in the vain hope of getting work.
That failing, he came for the purpose of being received into
'the poor-house, at the lost extremity. But, alas! it was too
late fur him to seek any relief this side the grave. Before
he reached the place of Lis destination, he died from weak-
ness and inanition. Tile united parishes of Kilconduf
and Meclick, both under ray care, says the reverend
gentleman, contain a population of 10,087 persons, all,
with scarcely an exception, depending solely on the
potato for food. By the destruction of that article
seven-cighths of that number at least are reduced to that
state, that they must either get relief by employment or
otherwise, or starve. Yet, up to the present moment, not
more than about four hundred men have been put to work
in the two parishes. The work is set to them by task, but
1 they are not supplied with the necessary working imple-
ments to enable them to do as much work as would ensure
them fair wages. Of the whole number not more than fifty
have yet received a single penny. Some are going to Eng-
land, some to America, others they don't know where, but
they cannot stay within empty walls. The poor-house, cone
tines our Irish authority, is " more than full."
MILITARY OUTRAGE,—An assault of a shocking nature
was lately committed by some officers in the garrison of
Cork on an unfortunate female. It was sought to hush up
the matter, but it appears, that though the female was
silenced the military authorities take a different view of the
offence, and the freak is likely to prove rather of a serious
character. The Horse Guards, on the application of the
military authorities in Cork to the magistrates, have been
supplied with a copy of the depositions. The result has not
yet transpired.

SCOTLAND.
GLASGOW UNIVERSITY.—ELECTION or A LORD RECTOR.
—On Monday, the election of a Lord Rector for Glasgow
University took place at the Colle, in terms of the statutes.
Lord J. Russell and the Poet Wordsworth were the two
candidates nominated ; and from the result of the election it
will be apparent that the struggle betwixt their supporters
was a keen one. The students are classed into four nations
and each nation votes apart : the rector is chosen by the
majority of nations, not lisy the majority of single votes. In
the event of the nations being equally divided the casting
vote lies with the rector, or in his absence with
the vice rector. Betwixt 11 and 12 o'clock, Principal Mac-
farlan and the Professors, with the students, assembled
the
iu
the Common hall, for the purpose of hearing intimated
choice which had been made in the different nations, and de-
claring the successful candidate. Professor Ni hol, the
vice-rector, occupied the chair. The clerk having read
the returns, it was found that each of the sandidates had in
two of the four nations a majority of votes ; corsequently, it
lay with the vice-president togive his casting vete in favour of
either. Professor Nichol then rose and said--Gentlemen, by the
statute' of this University, it unfortunately falls to myself
to declare which of the two gentlemen shall be Lord Rector
for this year. If I were to commit my own feelings, most
undoubtedly I should decline to vote, and leave it to the
Lord Rector to decide. Bat in doing so, I should be c"n-
suiting my own ease, and not the benefit of the University;
and I am perfectly satisfied that by referring the vote to the

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