The Express.
London, England, 1848-12-07 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 7, 1848.

ente, soil the low prices of pred, not worth
Ilan Masa years' purcheas. You can easily
imagism from this fast what a state of
things we are in here. The simple fast is
that since the property of the country changed
its proprietorship at Use period when James IL was
defeated, there has not been in Ireland soh a modal
revolution as is being effected now. Four times the
property of Ireland changed bands in the seventeenth
century, according to the calculation of Lord (Aare►
in his famous union speech. Into what hands the
of the fallen gentry will now go it is very
property o
say. One would wish, as Sir James Oath=
did lest session, that more of the catholic capital of
Ireland was attached to the soil. Bat the catholic
capitalists have themselves suffered heavily along
with every other class, and under present circum-
stances they are not likely to embark good money in
buying land, when excellent wheat fetches only
twenty-two shillings a bag in Cork market.
It is not alone the gentry who have suffered.
The trading classes in all the towns have
been heavily mulcted. Ten years ago the
tanning trade of Cock was a most lucrative and thriv-
isg branch of manufacture. It has now become a
ruinous business. Tke sale of leather for the lower
classes was aimed stopped during these latter times
of distress, and the English dealers have succeeded in
beating out the Irish tanners even from our own
markets. Within the last twoyears some of the emi-
nent catholic capitalists of this city have found that
for losing a fortune rapidly " there is nothing like
leather.
Turning to other topics, you alluded in your ex-
pongee of St. Alban's electioneering to Lord Listowel,
and to the efforts of a certain gentleman who brought
" four thousand gold persuaders " to act che-
mically upon the constituency, and produce a
marked change in its opinions towards "the
Queen's own candidate." Whatever may have
been done with the gold persuaders alluded
to, it is certain that the noble earl and his estimable
countess have won "golden opinions" of another
kind in this country. They have distinguished them-
selves by their charities and spirited endeavours to
mitigate the distress in this neighbourhood ; and it is
simple justice to add that Yin past times they never
narked the pressure of a poor law to make them
think of the poor, so now they have not relaxed their
personal exertions to assuage the local misery of their 11
particular vicinity. Nor has their conduct gone with-
out reward. A few weeks since the Bristol steemer.
in which the Earl of Liatowel was a pawragar to
Cork, met with en accident, and put back !err Ism
days. Upon its non-arrival at Cork there was im
I
tense anxiety felt by the noble lord's family and by
all the neighbours, and the sympathy of the
with) the noble lord's relatives was
poor with)
in various ways. The noble lord in
the meantime went round by Dublin, and rsted ben
the Theries terminus to his beautiful seat at Cows-
more. On reaching the village of Ballybanby he
was astonished with the noisy welcome, and the more
than ordinary delight, with which he was received.
The &sating of the people as they escorted him her
I wand Scat mistaken by his relatives as indicating
ow
dismiss, and their pleasure can be conceival
when the missing peer stood before them amid the
nabought acclamations of a justly grateful tenantry.
Donbtlese their honest cheers sounded more sweetly
in the noble earl's ears than the " precious voices" of
the St. Alban's folk. When the youthful Lord Ennis-
mere, his lordship's eon, shall attain his majority,
there will be many a sturdy voice raised in this
sae* for his election to the House of Commons.
Ai the gate prisoners confined in this city have
Mss eallami, and, thanks to the " suspension of the
Habeas Osepss Act," political agitation has ceased
here. There is a good deal of interest felt for Garen
Luffy. He excites sympathy from many favourable
points 'in his personal character. Before this un-
happy year he took a strong interest in all that con-
cerned the poorer clam', and actively supported,
often judiciously, whatever contributed to their moral
and intellectual improvement. He was not a mere
agitator, but took a strong interest in Irish literature
and educational projects, and was in friendly rela-
tions with many persons moat opposed to his politics.
Hence it is that more interest is felt for him than fur
any other of the giddy politicians of the Young Ire-
land party.

SCOTLAND.
Eninnuson, Due. 6.
To-day a grand court was held of the whole thirteen
judges, for the purpose of deciding the great question
whether the able-bodied unemployed are, by the
Scotch poor-laws, entitled to parochial relief. The
case will extend over several days, and will probably
be appealed to the House of Lords, whatever the de-
cision of the Court of Session may be.
The Finance Reform Assoc:igen is gradually in-
creasing in strength, notwithstanding the formidable
elements of opposition that exist against such a body
in Edinburgh. The legal crofesaton, with few ex-
ceptions, are against it. Promotion at present comes
either from wnig or tory, and, as both parties are in-
discriminately assailed by the associations, it is evident
that legal folks will generally keep aloof from the
movement. These keen churchmen will be slow to
recognise it, as the pending inquiry into the annuity-
tax is simply doing on a small scale what the Liver-
pool reformers are attempting on a large one. Lastly.
Edinburgh liberalism has for a long time meant minis-
terial whiggiers and hence to be more economical
than Lord John Russell is with many here regarded
as synonymous with revolution. Bat notwithstanding
all them hauls influences, the pear is ripening. The
mercantile classes are clear on the subject, so are the
dissenters, and liberal churchmen are coming round
daily ; and if the cause gains. a sure footing in Edin-
burgh, its success in the provinces cannot be doubted.
The librarianship of the Advocates' Library is about
to become vacant by the retirement of the present
incumbent,Dr. Irving. The appointment has at various
times been held by eminent About the be-
ginning of last century Hu 'man, the grammarian,
was assistant kreper, his salary being at the munifi-
cent rate of 1001. &eta, or 81. Bs. 85. sterling per
annum. On threatening to become a teacher de novo,
his allowance was raised, and ultimately he received
the chief appointmeat. After him came David Hume,
who wrote the History of England during his period
of office, and since the days of the philosopher, the
appointment has been considered a literary
one. The Advocates' Library is now the only
institution in Scotland legally entitled to re-
ceive a ;ropy of every work published.
The anti-catholic endowment agitation is extending.
A large meeting has been held in Perth ; and the
Edinburgh presbytery of the established church is also
to lift up its voice, but the cry will be the old no-
popery one.
The Scottish Educational Institute has issued its
second report, from which it appears that the body
now consists of 388 fellows, 193 senior, and 121
junior licentiates, in all 700, a strength that is very I
creditable, and shows strikingly what teachers and
other professional persons can do when, instead of I
waiting for external means of elevation, they take
their cause into their own hands. Dr. Schmitz, the,
late president, says truly, however, that until the ant-
ex= a minimum amount of scholarship from
their entrants, educational reform will not be con..-
meted;—but the Institute must persevere. Ow of
the Aberdeen Colleges is already on their side. They
have 8001. of surplus funds ; let them use the =nay
well and collect more, and the universities will in
time be impelled to repair their broken fences. The
Mohan at the Edinburgh University is more than
lewdly wasseeses this session, the number of =trice-
Isted ibis= exceeding by 102 the number that
were midis& at titre corresponding period last year.
The
prinelplfamease is in the law and literary Dimi-
ties, L the matter of pure secular education, Mr.
Gene Osialte and Mr. hones Simpson have stee'
• ether in Edinburgh where religious instrudien is
to be left to parents and guardians and excluded her
the acts taught.
Ala is to be made in Aberdeen for the &ban-
ism= of open fishing-boats and the substitution of
serdideshed vessels with air-tight compartments to
preen& ilskisig.
_The boats at present in use cost 501.,
them primed wasid Gest 1601. ; but then, instead of
being erapleyedl, seat preset, for some six weeks in
the year for the herring gibing only, they could be at
sea all the yes/ round bit every kind of fishing trade.
The Edinburgh sect= of the Highland Destitution
Board has followed the Glasgow section in issuing its
report. The district selected for assistance compre-
hended Skye, Shetland, &c., and embraced a popula-
tion of about 80,000. When a partial labour test was
in operation, the numbers relieved were 13,803, and
when a more rigid one was exacted the numbers were
8,662. The total sum expended since last report has
been 7,8881. ss. od. The eastern section is more Nati&