The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-01 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, FRIDAY MORNING.
AGITATION IN THE CORN TRADE.
Tha critical state of the weather—which, by the
way, has been more favourable for the last 24 hours
—has already led to some excitement in the corn
trade. The Cork herald of yesterday thus refers
to the subject :

"For the last few weeks, owing to the continu-
ance of bad weather, and the great probability, in
consequence, of a dearth of food taking place, an
unprecedented amount of speculation has prevailed
in the corn trade in Cork. Additional excitement
has been created in it by the announcement that
the French Emperor has opened the ports of that
country for the admission of foreign grain, duty
free. The desire to purchase up floating cargoes
becomes still more increased; we believe, how-
ever, that the better local knowledge and fore-
sight of the Greek merchants have left only a
few cargoes at the disposal of our local traders
of late years. The influence of the Greeks in the
trade has assumed a wide range, and it appears
even that they are in the habit of purchasing the
crops growing in the ground, so that on their ar-
riving at maturity they may obtain a monopoly in
the grain trade of the Black Sea."

The latest provincial accounts of the harvest are
checkered, but, with the exception of the potato
crop, which has suffered great injury, they are,
upon the whole, hopeful. A short run even of dry
weather would do miracles.
COSTUME OF THE POPE'S OWN.

A letter, addressed to a relative, has been received
'rom Major Howley, who, as already known through

various channels, holds high command in the Pope's
Irish Brigade, having been formerly a lieutenant in
her Majesty's 10th Royal Hussars. The gallant
Major is quite a connoisseur in military costume.
He writes as follows :
" Spoleto, Pontifical States, Aug. 12.
"My Dear —,—We are now in Spoleto, a
town pleasantly situate among the Lower Apen-
nines, and about 75 miles from Rome. We are
lodged in the citadel, or castle of the place—a large,
gloomy-looking building, situate on a height com-
manding the town of Spoleto, and distant about
half a mile. We are upwards of 600 strong here,
and, with 450 men at Ancona, will make the total
strength of the battalion under Major O'Reilly's
command about 1,050 men. The men are for the
present dressed like the rest of the Pontifi-
cal troops, viz., with the red trousers and jacket,
and great coat; but the officers are dressed very
well in a short double-breasted tunic, with the sham-
rock buttons, and trousers of green, with a double
yellow cloth band cap, the shamrock worked in
silver on the front, and a full-dress shako, with the
Irish harp in front, surrounded with shamrock
leaves. However, we are to have it changed, and
the dress for officers and men is to be the Zouave
uniform. I will be very glad of this, for the Zouave
uniform is far away the best adapted for fighting.
. I wish you could see the men, for they are, without
exception, the finest body I have ever seen in any
service. . . .

, Yours affectionately,
" E. S. HOWLEY.'
THE INTEMPERANCE MOVEMENT.

Several of the country journals notice the fact
that the old and unhappily national vice of
drunkenness is rapidly on the increase, the high
price of whisky notwithstanding. In Tipperary—
the early scene of Father Mathew's labours—in-
temperance seems to rule the day. A Clonmel
paper (the Chronicle) remarks :
" The debasing vice of drunkenness, which has
long been a stain on the Irish character, and the
incentive to savage deeds in our land, is, we are
sorry to perceive, again on the increase. It was
hoped that the late advance in the price of whisky
would have diminished the use of the perilous
draught, at least among the peasantry ; but such is
not the fact, and the fearful crime of drunkenness,
the bitter aggravation of the evils of our social
system, is again on the wing, as our police reports
testify in addition to the scenes enacted of late at
several fairs of our county. A sad proof of its pre.
valence was afforded by the exhibitions of wild ex-
cess which marked the advent of the late holiday in
Cappawhite and other places, not to mention those
which took place in this town. The excesses were
caused in a great measure by the hate number of
the peasantry who met on that festive' day, when
they squandered in revelling the means which Pro-
vidence designed for legitimate objects."