The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-11 00:00:00

IRELAND.
EMIGRATION FROM IRELAND.
DUBLIN. MAY B.—Sixteen emigrant vessels have
sailed from the port of Galway during the present season,
and twenty-three frcin Limerick. These vessels con-
veyed close on 6,000 passengers to the new world, and of
these nearly 3,000 have been evicted from their holdings.
In Ulster emigration is proceeding this season on a gi-
gantic scale. The ports of Londonderry, Belfast, and
Newry are crowded with vessels.
WITHDRAWAL OF THE COMMISSION OF THE
PEACE FROM MR. SMITH O'BRIEN.
The following correspondence between the Lord Chan-
cellor and Mr. Smith O'Brien may be regarded as pre-
liminary to the withdrawal of the commission of the
peace from the latter.—
" Secretary's Office, Court of Chancery, Dublin,
sth May, 1848.
Sir,—l am directed to info, m you that the Lord
Chancellor has read a document in the public papers,
purporting to be signed by you, and entitled, Procla-
mation by the Council of the Irish Confederation,' and

I am to request you to state as a magistrate, if that do-
cument was signed by you, or has been published, as
having your signature with your sanction, and whether
you wish to offer any explanation of a proceeding which
appears to the Lord Chancellor to be greatly at variance
with the conduct to be expected from a gentleman
holding her Majesty's commission of the /Nice.
" I am, Sir, your obedient serf ant,
"FRANCIS WILLIAM BRADY.
" William Smith O'Brien, Esq., M.P."
" Dublin, May 6, 1648.
" Sir,—l have had the honour of receiving your letter
of the sthyou inquire whether a
document pouf rMay
portingin which
tobesigned by me, and entitled a
proclamation by the Council of the Irish Confederation,
was actually published as bearing my signature with my
sanction.'
"In answer to this inquiry, I have much pleasure in
stating that the document in question (though I cannot
claim to myself the honour of having composed it) was
signed by use, and has my full sanction.
" Conceiving that his Excellency the Lord-Lieutenant
had, by means of a Government proclamation, pro-
pounded to this country opinions inconsistent with the
:aws of the land, relative to certain suggestions which
had been offered by the Countil of the Irish Confedera-
tion, touching the formation of a national council, and
of a national guard, I felt it to be my duty, with the
concurrence of the council; to warn the people of Ire-
doctrines set forth in such
proclamationa illegal
"With regard to my commission of the peace, I beg
to remind you that I resumed_ it upon the- invitation of
ln d thatan d
they.
unconstitutional
ought not to place any reliance upon the
• • .
the Lord Chanceflor, ,at the. instance. of itwenty two
magistrates of ,the county Limerick, who spontareousl3,
and without my knowledge, signified their opinion to the
Lord Chancellor that the public interest required that I
should be invested with the office of justice of the peace.
I consented to resume that office with a view to assist in
preserving social order ; but I shall very cheerfully sur-
render my commission if its retention involve any sort of
pledge that I will . uphold an usurped power in this
country, or that.l will treat, as deserving of respect, pro-
clamations emanating from Dublin Castle, which are not
sustained by the laws of the land. .
" I have the honour to be, your obedient servant,
WILLIAM S. O'BRIEN.

"To the Secretary of the Lord Chancellor."
REPEAL ASSOCIATION.
The usual weekly meeting of the Repeal Association
was held this day at Conciliation Hall; A. H. Stritch in
the chair. The proceedings were of no public interest.
The rent for the weelvamounted to 281: II&

PROTESTAikiT• REPEAL ASSOCIATION.
DUBLIN, MAY 9.—The first meeting of this body,
which takes place this evening, is looked to with great
curiosity—not, indeed, tor any exposition of the views
which may be put forward, but rather for the rank and
position of the parties who are about to take the lead in
this novel movement. As yet no names of any emi-
nence in the political world have been mentioned as the
pullers of the wires; but it is said that the great body
of the • members is composed of shopkeepers and
respectable tradesmen—Protestants, of course—and it is
added that after the association is fully organized its
ranks will be recruited by the accession of two or three
gentlemen who have hitherto taken a very prominent
part as opponents of the agitation for domestic legisla-
tion. All this, however, is little better than mere
rumour, the truth or falsehood of which will be tested,
if not this very night, at furthest in the course of a few
brief days.
A PRIEST DOING PENANCE.

Father Bermingham, of Borrisokane, the author of
the celebrated letter preaching blood and slaughter, and
who was very properly suspended by his bishop, has
mounted the stool of repentance, and in an abject COM.
munication addressed to the Evening Post, the organ of
the Irish Government, makes the following retractation
of his errors, which, it is to be presumed, will entitle the
rev. fireband to the. benefit of full absolution, and what
is nearly as good, be a ready passport to the restoration
of the snug benefice, the funds of which were in a fair
way of being diverted into the pockets of some brother
of the cloth less prone to deeds of war than the corre-
spondent of Mr, Meagher of the sword:—
" Botrisokane, May 7.
" Sir,—l deeply regret having caused to be published
in the Nation newspaper of the 22d of April a letter by
which I have incurred, and doubtless justly, the dis-
pleasure and severe censure of my bishop. I now fully and
entirely retract this letter, as appearing to others, and to
myself on more matureconsideration, to have a tendency to
incite to civil war with its deplorable consequences. As
a minibter of religion and a Christian I deeply deplore
that this letter should have a meaning so much at vari-
ance with the teaching of our Divine Redeemer and his
blessed apostles; and I beg leave to express, through the
medium of your respectable journal, these my seed-
ments of regret and my retractation of the letter.—l am,
sir, your obedient humble servant,
" JAMES BERMINGHAM, P.P."
THE POPE AND THE GODLESS COLLEGES.
The Freeman's Journal has the subjoined communi-
cations from the holy city. The tenour of this intelli-
gence is totally at variance with a report which has been
current here for the last few days, and which is to the
effect that Archbishop Nicholson (late of Corfu), who
had arrived in Rome previous to Drs. M•Hale and
O'Higgins, in an interview with the Pope, had made so
strong a case in favour of the new colleges as to con-
vince his Holiness that, by some slight concession on the
part of the British Government, the affair could be so
adjusted as to satisfy tho scruples of those who objected
to the measure in its present shape:—
" Mullingar, May 7.
"Dear Mr. Gray—l hasten to forward the enclosed
extract of a letter which I received on this morning. Its
publication will afford joy and consolation to the clergy
and people of Leland. I request you will give it a place
in the valuable columns of the Freeman's Journal.
" How delightful to find, notwithstanding the ant'

Irish intrigues and anti-Catholic efforts of Lord Mint°
and his Whig colleague;, that the immortal Pius IX. is
so decid.,d on the two great questions which have ot
late excited such feverish excitement in Ireland. The
Irish church, which has ever clung to the chair of St.
Peter with unshaken fidelity, hails the elevation of our
glorious Pontiff as the special gift ot an all-wise and
merciful Providence, and daily pours forth her fervent
supplications to Heaven to grant him length of days and
a lastinr, triumph over the dangers and difficulties by
which he is surrounded.
" I have the honour to remain, dear Mr. Gray, your
obedient and faithful servant,
"Y; JOHN CANTWELL."
(Extract of a letter from a friend in Rome.)

" Rome, April 28.
" Dr. M'llale and Dr. O'Higgins arrived in Rome a
few days ago, and were received with marked attention
by the highest authorities. Though the Pope was very
much occupied with the ceremonies of Holy and Easter
weeks, still he wished to see them immediately after
their arrival. They had a long interview with his Holi-
ness, by whom they were received in the kindest and
most affectionate manner. Of course the ecclesiastical
affairs of Ireland formed the subject of conversation.
His Holiness spoke of the Irish Church in the highest
terms of admiration. The courage and constancy (said
he) with which the Irish preserved their faith during
three centui ies of persecution were really miraculous.
It was one of the glories of the Catholic Church to be
able to point out such examples of heroism in her chil-
dren. The Holy See (he added) had always been sin-
cerely attached to Catholic Ireland, and felt the deepest
sympathy in her sufferings; and us for himself, he re-
garded the Irish Church as the apple of his eye.
" His Holiness, in the course of the interview, ex-
pressed his disbelief in the charges that had been made
against the Irish 'clergy, and observed that the very
persons who had been some time ago loud in their com-
plaints against the Irish priests, were now heaping
praises on them.
" The condemnation of the provincial colleges was
also mentioned, and his Holiness spoke with compla-
cency of the step lie had taken —he had condemned
those colleges, in the hope of making or preserving the
education of Ireland, Catholic—he could not withdraw
the principles on which he then acted, and he trusted
that the measures he bad adopted would be beneficial to
religion."
As to
ath dilomatic relations between the Holy See
broughts
and
fEngland,or hp
forward
r de
ionb
a serve
wayd thatinjn r
itohnes Bt lo
h ns
rqi
guhe
ta
st o nEwn
ga
land would not recognise him, or treat him as the head
stances, he
ecclesiastical
saide nvhoey
eforeolmd
not Roin
receivee of the Catholic Church. England would not receive an
cacleeseisUndaen E
Under suncghlits:ihrcuamm.-
n
aassador.
" The two excellent prelates were delighted with their
interview, and cannot sufficiently express their admira-
tion of his ilolieess. It is a great blessing for Ireland
that so great and good a Pontiff now fills the chair of
St. Peter—our Church will be perfectly safe under his
protection. All Ireland ought to pray fervently for the
welfare of his Holiness, and to beg of God to rescue
him from the great dangers by which he is surrounded."

BIRMINGHAM AND OXFORD JUNCTION RAIL-
WAY —Au adjourned half-yearly meeting of the share•
holders in this company was heed yesterday at Dee's
itoyal Hotel, Birmingham. No business was transacted,
and the meeting was further adjourned to the King's
Arms Hotel, New Palace-yard, London, until this day
(Thursday). It is understood that the meeting will be
continued from day to day so long as the Great Wes-
tern Bilk, in reference to this company, are before Par-
liamentary Committees, as by this means the assent or
dissent of shareholders to any propositions which may
be brought forward can the more readily be obtained.
Mr. Wilson, the Scottish singer, has returned to
the metropolis, after having made a very successful tour
in the north, and will commence a series of entertain-
ments on Monday next, when ono or two novelties
bewei troduced. At the solicitation of many of his friends,
rtbienlieve Mr. Wilson contemplates giving several
mo
cluring%P"f°lx!,pces at. the fienovmitquare. Rom!,
e fashionable MEM