The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-07 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, SEPT. 6,—Last evening their Ex•.7el'er
the Lord Lieutenant and the Countess of Clarond,,n re-
euivt d the following personages at dinner at the Vice-
regal LoAge: —His Royal Highness Prince- George of
Camtnid,re, and Colonel Furiter, A.D.C.; Lord and
Lady John- Russell, the Earl and Countess of Clancarty,
the Lord Chancellor and Mrs. Brady, the Archbishop
of Dublin and Mrs. Whately, the Earl of Charlemont,
Lieutenant-General Sir Edward and Lady Blakeney,
and the Hon. Captain Foley, A.D.C.; Colonel and Mrs.
White, the Recorder and Mrs. Shaw, the Attorney-
General and Mrs. Monahan, the Solicitor-General, Mr.
and Mrs. M'Donnell, Mr. Robert Shaw, Mr. Ennis,
Mr. Corry Connellau, the Hon. Gerald Ponsonhy, Mr.
Grey, Lord John Russell's private secretary, and Cap
tarn Henry Ponsonby, A.D.C., in Waiting.
This evening their Excellencies the Lord Lieutenant
and the Countess of Clarendon, Lord and Lady John
Russell, Mr. Corry Conellon, and Mr. Grey will be en-
tertained at dinner by the Chief Secretary, at his
Lodge, in the Phoenix-park.
On Monday Lord John Russell drove in one of the
Lord-Lieutenant's private carriages to an estate of the
Duke of Bedford's, at Ardsallsgh, in the county of
Meath. The Noble Lord was accompanied by Lady
John Revell and Sir William Somerville, with rth3m his
Lordship returned in the evening to join their Excellen-
cies the Lord-Lieutenant and the Countess of Clarendon,
at a select party at the Viceregal Lodge.
The Freeman's Journal of this morning gives the fol-
lowing as what purports to be a speech delivered by Lord
Clarendon yesterday, to a deputation which waited upon
him, or rather, as it was intended, upon the Prime

Minister :
" Mr. Beasley, of the county Tipperary, a gentleman
who some time since published a pamphlet, suggesting a
plan for converting poor-rate into capital,' and who had
formed an agricultural association, comprising 17 parishes,
iu the county where be resides, having requested an in-
terview with Lad John Russell, fur the purpose of ex-
plaining his project generally, and requt st some advance
from the public funds, for the purpose of carrying out
the experiment in bis own lociihiy, half past twelve
o'clock yesterday was appointed for the purpose
Accordlnly Mr. Beazley attended at the Viceregal
Lodge ; but the Pri mien being occupied with some otht r
public business, the Lord-Lieutenant received Mr.
Beasley, who was introduced by Alderman T. O'Brien,
M.P. Having explained his views at some length, to
which his Excellency listened attentively, Mr. Beaz!ey
presented a written abstract of fis plan, which the Lordt
Lieutenant said he would read attentively. His Excel-
lency did not hold out any hope of a loan or advance being
made fur the purpose referred to. He said the state of the
public revenue precluded that mode of proceeding, and
commented in strong. and indeed severe, terms on the
was e, plunder, jobbing, and misapplication of public
funds, recently it. Ire-laid, when advanced from the cof-
fers of the State. Public liberality and private benevo-
lence were alike, in most cases, grossly abused or wholly
perverted in their application. Landlords had applied for
and obtained immense sums fur the alleged purpose of im-
proving their lands and affording employment, neither of
which they did: and thus the intention of the Legislature
was not carried into effect, nor the condition of the agri-
cultural population in any ch gree improved. Then, with
respect to boards of guardians, they had not, in most
cases, administered the poor-law with such efficiency as
was desirable; and under the system which, in many
cases, prevailed, the most flagitious abuses had sprung
up. Thus, for instance, within the last few days the
Government had ascertained that in one district there
were some hundreds more persons chargeable for out-
door-relief than the whole numerical population of the
district. his Excellency, we understand, expressed his
marked reprehension of this state of things, and ob
served how difficult it was to meet the necessities of the
country or advance its material prosperity when, instead
of actual and sincere co-operation trom those most in-
terested, there was, generally speaking, so much to cen-
sure in their proceedings.
" The deputation having thanked his Excellency for
the great courtesy and patient attention with which he
had favoured them, then withdrew.
Yesterday morning the Birkenhead war-steamer ar-
rived in Kingston harbour from Cork, with 179 con-
victs on board._ The prisoners were guarded by a body
of constabulary; and, on the arrival of the steamer in
the harbour, the convicts were put on boerd the Pea-
tanjee 13onsanjee transport ship, which lies at anchor,
al the east pier. The vessel will sail in a few days for
New South Wales.
Yesterday Mr. M`Manus was brought by steamer
from Cork, and lodged in Richmond Bridewell. It is
said the charge against the prisoner is high treason.
Joseph Gatfcey, a tailor, from Manchester, who had
been arrested and confined in Newgate since Saturday,
was yesterday discharged. The prisoner was taken up
as one of the " suspected persons," but on inquiry it
was ascertained ho was all right, and therefore he was
set at liberty.
Informations have been returned by the magistrates
of Thurles against Captain Scully, James Scully, and
others, for firing at, and wounding a keeper named
Carroll, who, in guarding a disputed farm, refused to
allow the Captain and his assistants to drive cattle upon
it. This occurred on the 30th ultimo. The keeper is
dangerously wounded by shot in the back.
The weather and harvest reports from the country
this morning are not so favourable. The accounts of
the potato rot are certainly serious; but, nevertheless,
the late fine weather has redeemed a vast deal of the
other crops.
In Dublin the weather has been variable for the last
day or so. _ _ _

Owing to the high wind of last night, the mail from the
mher side has not arrived.

The market reporter of a morning paper gives the
following very gloomy account of the potato crop:—"To
those who question the extent of the potato rot, we
wish they would, as we do, visit the several markets of
Dublin, where prices ere from sd. to 6d. per cwt. Yes-
terday morning—almost the beginning of the week—
one farina dealer bought fifty tons at 7d. per cwt., or
291. 3s. 4d. for the whole. Potatoes are now examined,
same as eggs, and classed accordingly in two, three, or
four kinds; what, therefore, is carefully selected and
charged high fur table use, is not a fair criterion to judge
a crop by. We say that more than a third, probably
one-half, of the crops are infected—that, from the close-
ness of the weather, and great lightning at night, the
disease is beyond doubt progressing, and that the
amount will be far greater than 1846-7."

NATIONAL GALLERY.— VERNON COLLECTION.—
Yesterday the following was issued:—The Gallery will
be closed on Saturday, the 9th inst., for the vacation,
and will be re-opened on Monday, the 23d of October.
The Vernon Gallery will be closed for the same period;
the previous arrangement by which it was proposed to
he closed till the Ist of May having, by the wish of Mr.
Vernon, been abandoned, in order to afford the public
greater facilities.
THE PREVENTION Or RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.—
A correspondent of the Reporter suggests the follow-
ing plan for the prevention of accidents upon railroads:—
If a dial plate (to show by day and night), with hour and
minute hands, without the going part, were to be placed
at each station, simply for the purpose of indicating the
time that the preceding train had passed, it would in-
form the engine-driver and guard when caution was ne-
cessary. For instance, suppose the dial plate were fixed
at twenty minutes past one, and the engine-driver and
guard's watches were then half-past one, they would
know that they were within ten minutes of the preceding
train, and so on. A person at the station should alter
the hands as each train passes. Had this plan been
adopted, the late accident on the Lancaster and Preston
line, and perhaps other accidents, might have been pre-
vented.
[ADVERTISEMENT.]—The incalculable advantages
to ne derived by keepiog faith with the public has been
most powerfully illustrated in the case of Messrs.
Drummond, Greville, and Co., Sporting Printsellers and
Publishers, 72, Princess-street, Leicester -square, London.
These gentlemen have met with such extraordinary
patronage from all parts of the British dominions, that,
notwithstanding the numerous competitors whom their
late successes have brought into the field, they have
to the very letter of their
theyh in the same
eld out to theme
sptatchcleiee,d e
prospectus,dani in accomplishing
r'ecvace:rimyPi ihs
personshoping
o interested
will receive a post-paid letter containing every
information they require in a few days; and they
beg leave to apprise their sporting friends they have
engaged a first-rate artist to make a drawing of the
Doncaster Race Course at the moment of the coming in
for the Great Doncaster St. Leger Race, from which a
plate will be engraved by that celebrated artist Mr.
Charles Hunt, exhibiting correct likenesses of the three
first Horses and their Riders, and proof impressions
from the same, 30 inches by 24, beautifully coloured,
will be ready for distribution as speedily as possible
after the race, at half the usual cost.—N.B. They re-
spectfully invite their friends to an intellectual feast, at
the Parthenium Assembly Rooms, St. Martin's-lane, on
Friday and Saturday, the Bth and 9th inst., at eleven
o'clock in the forenoon and three o'clock in the after-
noon of each day ; also on Monday, the 11th inst., at
three o'clock in the afternoon. When they promise to
every one present a mental gratification.
CUSTOM-HOUSE SALES.—Among the voluminous
returns called for previously to the prorogation of Par-
liament, is one of the sales which periodically take place
at the Custom-house, of such goods us have been de-
tained for having been entered on importation from
abroad, at a lesser amount of value than was considered
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such sales during the early portion of the year, which
will not be surprising, when it is considered that during
' the time trade was in a most depressed and uncertain
state, that the amount of fancy articles of merehandize
imported was great bey and precedent, and that when such
articles as were detained tor undervalue were brought
to sale, there was such a glut already in the market, and
unwillingness to purchase, that it was all but impossible
that any other result than a trifling loss and deprecia-
tion of the real value of the goods in the market could
have occurred.
THE ROYAL FREE HOSPlTAL.—Yesterday even-
ing a meeting of governors of the above charity was
held in the board-room of the institution, in Gray's Inn-
road ; the Rev. Dr. Rice in the chair. The report stated,
that during the past week, there had been received
near 700 new cases of diseased and totally destitute per-
sons, as in and out patients, and during last quarter,
7,272 had been relieved, making a total number since
the foundation, twenty years, of 260,000 who have had
unrestricted admission, on the sole ground of disease and
destitution. Two large wards, completely fitted and
furnished, are at present closed for want of funds.
The report concluded by an energetic appeal for assis-
tance.

PROGRESS OF* THE ROYAL
SQUADRON.
(From the Herald.)
The Royal squadron, on lca%ing Wcolwich on
Tuesday, proceeded at half ept el down the River.
The Victoria and Albert, Calf ain Lord AdoVius
Fitzclarence, carried the Royal standard at the main,
and the Admiralty flag at the fore ; and as she ma-
jestically swept past the numerous craft was cheered
most enthusiastically by the crews. She had the
start of the Black Eagle, steam-yacht, and Vivid
steam-packet, for several minutes; but the Vivid
soon came up with the Royal yacht, and took up her
station at about half-a-cable's length on the port
quarter. The Black Eagle was to have followed at a
similar distance on the starboard quarter, but the
Victoria and Albert very soon put on full speed, and
the Black Eagle could not come up to her station.
The position, however, which was assigned to the
Black Eagle, was most ably and gracefully occupied
by a remarkably handsome private steam yacht, and
being of smilar rig to the Vivid the progress of the
trio down the river produced a beautiful effect. Of
course the two smaller vessels wera much faster than
the Victoria and Albert, and had to work expan-
sively, and to ease almost every five minutes to keep
at a respectful distance. _ _

As the squadron proceeded numerou steam-ves-
sels, crowded with passengers, cheered heartily as
they swept hy. A royal salute greeted the Royal
yacht at Erith, and a salute from the grounds of
Alderman Harmer at Greenhithe brought the Queen
and Prince Albert on the paddle-box gallery of the
Victoria and Albert, where they remained until the
arrival of the squadron off Gravesend, when another
salute was fired from the Rosherville-pier, and the
cannon from Tilbury Fort thundered forth its homage.
Several ships, too, manned yards and cheered, and
the Queen and the Prince both repeatedly acknow-
ledged with many bows the repeated enthusiastic ac-
clamations which burst forth from the numerous ves-
sels which were passed.

On arriving at the Nore, the Virago, steam sloop,
Commander Harris, was found to be under weigh,
rockets shot up from the shore, and signal-lights
issued from the flag-ship, the Ocean. These were
answered from the Royal yacht, and the signal was,
instead of anchoring, as at first intended, to proceed
—the fineness of the night, which was very beautiful
indeed, the moon having risen and the stars twink-

ling in great brilliancy, no wind and a clear course,
tempted those who had charge of,the navigation to
make the most of these providential circum-
stances, and to push on without stopping, so that they
might be able to get into real blue water in good
time.

The Virago now took the place of the private
yacht before mentioned, and away sped the royal
squadron ; but such was the pace, that it was very
avident if they carried on full swing, the escort of the
Royal yacht would consist only of the Vivid, Master
Commander Smithett.

At eight P.M., as the Victoria and Albert was get-
ting pretty near the Mouse Light, the Virago wac4
dropping astern fast, and the Black Eagle was at least
four miles behind. _ _ _

We should have said that the Dryad, Woolwich
Company's fast steamboat, kept up with the Royal
squadron all the way down the river, notwithstanding
she was crowded with a pleasure party, and at a
couple of miles below Gravesend ranged alongside,
and the people on board gave her Majesty three
hearty farewell cheers.
(From the Times.)
The passage of the Victoria and Albert steam-yacht,
with her Majesty and the Royal Family, down the
Thames, after their embarkation on Tuesday afternoon
at Woolwich, for Scotland, was somewhat intricate, in
consequence of the large number of colliers and other
vessels that were beating up with the tide. No mishap,
however, occurred. The Royal yacht, with the Royal
standard flying at the main, took the lead, and her beau-
tiful and stately appearance as she steamed along, al-
though at a moderate pace, excited much admiration.
At Erith, Purfleet, Greenhithe, &c., crowds of spectators
lined the shores to view the progress of the Royal steam
fleet, and although it was nearly dark when the squadron
passed Gravesend, the Terrace and Town Piers, as also
the river wall, were crowded with visitors, who experi-
enced little difficulty in picking out her Majesty's yacht
from the fleet of steamers that accompanied her by the
brilliant lights shining from her suite of cabins. Her
squadron, the Black Eagle, Vivid, and the Undine, fol-
lowed in her wake, with. the Trinity yacht.
Contrdairryeettotogseenae,rnalotexapnecchtoartiinog in the Swin, as wasn, the squadron pro-
ceeded
anticipated, for the night. The outer course was taken,
probably to insure the greatest possible security.
The General Steam Navigation Company's steam-ship
Vivid reports passing a squadron of steamers off Yar-
mouth at half-past two o'clock yesterday morning,
which, from the lights was believed to be the Royal
squadron. It being exceedingly dark, however, their
trim could not be easily discerned, but the Vivid not
meeting with the squadron in her trip up the river, it
is supposed that that must have been the yacht and
squadron seen in Yarmouth-roads. They were outside
the long ridge of sands, some distance from the beach.
At the speed they were going it is very probable that
her Majesty will reach Aberdeen this (Thursday)
morning.