The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-28 00:00:00

IRELAND

[Fitox OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]
DUBLIN, DEC. 26.
COMMERCE OF DUBLIN.—The customs duties paid
in the port of Dublin, from the 10th October last,
up to the 24th inst., was £199,400, against-X202,750
for the corresponding period of last year. There
• is in this sad but conclusive evidence that Dublin
is retrograding in commercial importance. But,
unhappily, the figures show also a lamentable and
irrefutable indication of the backwardness of the
country. Ireland, no matter how theorists may
speculate, is retrograding in her social condition.
In the midst of the painful considerations to
which this state of things give rise, there are some
occurrences which afford hope that time may pro-
duce a change for the better. In the Cork
Southern Reporter, we find an announcement of
the establishment of an oil mill; and the writer
has this further indication of industrial progress
in that' quarter. " Within a few years, since we
have seen flax growing revived here, scutch-mills
established, and the highest price in all Ireland
got for the fibre produced in them, (Mr. Cummins
got the first prize at the late Belfast, meeting),
weaving set on foot, and now linseed oil and oil-
cake are in process of manufacture, and we expect
soon to add flax-spinning also."
A NOBLE BENEFACTION —Mr. Arnott, an exten-
sive haberdasher in Cork, gave a substantial
dinner on Christmas day to 2500 poor persons in

that city.
The Irish fairs last week ruled very dull, and
prices, except for bacon pigs, were lower everywhere.
Farmers and feeders, under! these circumstan-
stances, are bringing as few cattle forward as their
engagements will permit.

The quantities of unrefined sugar imported into
Dublin up to Saturday last, was 10,328 cwt. and
1427 barrels ; the quantity of loaves, 315,361.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CONVICTS.—Lord Palmerston
has directed Colonel Jebb to take steps to have a
registration made of the religion of each convict,
whether in a depot or hulk ; and to afford Roman
Catholic clergymen the same access as is permitted
Protestant clergymen to the convicts of their com-
munion. Also to report on the proper stipend to
be paid for such attendance.

In the case of Dowling v. Lawler, in which Mr.
Sadlier's proceedings at the Carlow election were
in question, the jury has found against Mr. Sad-
lier's friends.

THE RECENT WONDERFUL DISCOVERIES OF
GOLD IN AUSTRALIA.

EXCITEMENT IN MELBOURNE.—The announcement of
fresh and important discoveries at Ballarat has caused con-
siderable excitement to-day, though the real facts having
been received per express by government have not been
fully given to the public. From what we have been able to
learn, however, from other sources, there can be no doubt
that some very lucky hits have been made. From a source
on which we can rely, we heard of a party of nine who had
cleared, in two or three days, no less than £15,090 worth of
gold, which is of itself sufficient to warrant the conclusion
that an extraordinarily productive vein has been struck upon,
without demanding our belief in the apparently fabulous
report that a sort of table-land of gold has made its appear-
ance. All these accounts at first are generally exaggerated,
and the rumours, therefore, must bo received in the mean-
time with due caution.—Argus, August 31.
The announcement published in the Herald about the
recent gold yields at Ballarat have caused quite a sensation
in Melbourne, and accordingly many parties of intending
diggers have started from the city, and Collingwood, resolved
to have a shy at the golden lottery. A very fine 35 ounce
specimen of solid gold may be seen at Mr. Clarke's, Water-
mans arms hotel. It is half of a7O ounce nugget dug up
at Ballarat, by a party of six; and in the division of their
earnings, tbe mass of precious metal was actually chopped in
two with an axe."—Melbourne Morning Herald.

THE LARGEST ASSORTMENT OF WINTER
GARMENTS in LIVERPOOL, of Superior Cut and
Workmanship,
At Wm. EARP and CO.'S, 59 and 61, LORD STREET.
LEGAL CHANGES.-Mr. A. S. Logan has been appointed
junior advocate-depute • and Mr. Thomas Cleghorn suc-
ceeds to the senior depute-advocateship, vacant by the
appointment of Mr. Macfarlane to the sheriffship of Ren-
frewshire.—N. B. Mail.

MURDEROUS AsSAULT.—Upon Saturday night, a fellow
named Edward Macnamara quarrelled with his father,
and cut his throat with a shoemaker's knife. The wound
was immediately dressed by a surgeon, and the man is
progressing favourably. The sou has been apprehended.
Both of the parties were under the influence of liquor.-
-V. B. Mail.

SUICIDE.--About five o'clock yesterday morning, a pen-
sioner, named Hugh Mackay, residing in Prince's-street,
committed suicide by cutting his throat with a razor.
When discovered, he was lying in a pool of blood, and the
instrument still in the 'wound, and grasped tightly by
his right hand. An infirm woman was the only occupant
of the house besides the deceased, but as she was in bed, she
is unable to give any particulars of the tragical occurrence.
—.Y. B. Mail.
THE WEATHER.---Yesterday 'morning at an early hour
Liverpool and its vicinity was visited by a heavy fall of
snow, which continued up to about ten, when it ceased. At
first there was a tendency towards a thaw, but as he even-:
ing advanced a sharp frost set in, and much difficulty was
experienced in walking. The change was so rapid that buss
horses and others were not prepared for frost, and.the result
was that the usual traffic of the town was carrie'd on with
great difficulty, and in some cases it amounted to danger,