The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-29 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, AuG. 23.—A scene was enacted yesterday
at the meeting of the De:blio Corporation which ex-
ceeded in viol,nce end excitement even the extraordinary
exhibitions made by that body a few months ago. It
appears that one of those who then took a leading part
in the erection of a pseudo lord mayor in opposition to
Mr. Reynolds was Aldermen Rooney, who hits since
that time occupied a very unenviable position in point of
popularity. At some recent ward meetings the Lord
Mayor (Mr. Reynolds) took occasion to comment in
severe terms en the conduct of Alderman Rooney, on
the occasion referred to; and, so far as the public could
judge, the worthy Alderman intended by his conduct
yesterday to show how much he resented the language
directed against him by the Lord Mayor. In the course
of the proceedings he accordingly addressed the chair
offensively, and refused to retract hi; expression until he
was entreated to do so by a junior member in the name
of the Council. During the confusion which took place
the adjournment of the meeting was moved and the fed-
witiK scene then ensued:—

LORD MAYOR—I give him notice now, that when I
preside next over a meeting of this b idy I shall take
good care to assert my authority by all the power that
my position can exercise, and by throwing myself on
the support of the Council; and if Alderman Rooney, or
any other member of the Council, on my declaring him
to be (in reason) out of order, shall refuse to submit to
the chair, I shall be compelled to havo recourse to a pro-
ceeding which I should much rather avoid. I never in
the course of my life received from any member or this
Council, a more gratuitous, and, in my judgment, un-
provoked insult, than I received to-day. I thank the
majority of the Council for not countenancing it, and I
trust that for the future order will be preserved here, and
that the Lord Mayor will not be insulted in this chair
with impunity. The Council is now dissolved.
Alderman ROONEY—I have only to say, Sir, this—
LORD MAYOR--You are to address me as Lord Mayor.
Alderman ROONEY—I say that you have called me
a scoundrel, Sir; and I tell you that that assertion is
false.

LORD MAYOR—You shall not address me as Lord
Mayor in that way.
Alderman ROONEY—The meeting was over.
LORD MAYOR—It is not over.

Alderman ROONEY—I wish to be heard in explana-
nation, and I say this, that the language which you have
used in reference to me is most unfounded, and wil-
fully so.

LORD MAYOR—Send out for the police,
Alderman ROONEY—Oh! the bodyguard, the body.
guard! _ _

Mr. NUGENT—I entreat of Alderman Rooney not to
be making a bear•garden of this place.
LORD MAYOR (to Alderman Rooney)—l arrest you
now as chief magistrate of the city.
Alderman ROONEY—The house was broken up when
you attacked me. _

- LORD MAYOR—I arrest you in the Queen's name, and
I will bring y9u to the police office.
Alderman ROONEY—Oh! do now, only bring me there.
I won't stir. Do, and sea if I don't make you pay for it.
Mr. LAMBERT said that some allowance ought to be
made for Alderman Rooney losing his temper, when the
Lord Mayor had applied to him such language as he
(Mr. Lambert) had read.
The LORD MAYOR said that he would not allow any-
thing that occurred in other places to be mixed up with
the proceedings of the Council._

Alderman itoortEv—Ohl if Thad been at the meeting,
I promise you, you would not have used such language,
I tell you that.
Alderman Rooney here went towards the door.
Loan MAYOR—I am very happy that you are going,
Is not all this very creditable to the Council?

Alderman ROONEY—CaII off your bodyguard, and
don't abuse me in my absence, coward that you are!
LORD MAYOR—I hope it will go forth to the public
that he returned to assault me.

Mr. BARLow—If he meant to do so, he would take
some other way than by walking out.
The Council then broke up evidently highly excited by
the scene which they had just witnessed.

Much dissatisfaction prevails among the respectable
inhabitants of Belfast at the conduct of the town council
of that borough in arrogating to themselves all the ho-
nour of entertaining the Lord-Lieutenant at his ap-
proaching visit; the invitation sent to his Excellency
being in the name of the council alone, and without any
opportunity being afforded to the other citizens to joi❑
in the compliment, while in reality the citizens at lareo
would have to pay the expenses out of the borough funds.
Meetings have been held, and a committee of most re-
spectable mercantile gentlemen and others has been ap-
pointed to prepare an address for presentation to his
Excellency, and it has been resolved that any invitations
to their banquet which the council might issue should
not be accepted. The Lord-Lieutenant ;has intimated
his intention of accepting the invitation of General Bain-
brigge to remain at his house during his visit to Bel-
fast. His Excellency proposes paying a visit zo his
relative the Earl of Oak don, and is expected to arrive at
Caledon-hill on Saturday next.
The complaint of a want of sufficient labourers to
save the harvest is now becoming very general throughout
Ireland. Labourers cannot be procured in some districts
of the country for any wages.
The Right Rev. Dr. M•Gettigan has been appointed
by her Majesty one of the Commissioners of Charitable
Donations and Bequests tor Ireland, in the room of the
late Most Rev. Dr. Orolly.

PLYMOUTH GREAT WESTERN

DO, KS.

PLYMOUTH', AUG. 26.—The half-yearly meeting of
this company was held at Plymouth this day; Colotiel
Harris in the chair. There was a good attendance of
shareholders and directors present.
The directors report ststed " that although several
portions of the company's property have net been
brought into productive operation, or only imperfectly
so, the gross income from tolls and dues for the half-
year which ended on the 13th of Jane bad exceeded, by
200/., the amount received during the preceding half-year."
It then proceeded to say " that this increase may be re.
lied on as steadily progressive, and the important privi-
leges recently obtained from the Commissioners of Cus-
toms may be regarded as among the principal sourer a of
such augmentation. The pier had been constituted a
sufferance wharf, and is available for the landing and
shipment of a great variety of goeds which were pre-
viously inadmissible; and the building erected at the
pier for the accommodation of the officers of the Cus-
toms being now completed, Mill-Bay will become one
of the principal boarding stations in the port, which
cannot but lead to a considerable increase of its
trade. The traffic by steamers to the pier con-
tinued undimiuiahed, and the directors had com-
menced the erection of a commodious hotel,
which will add greatly to the public accommodation,
and be for the pecuniary advantage of the company.
The report of the engineer explained the progress made
during the past half-year in the works of the inner basin.
Sufficient advance bad been made in filling up the north..
eastern angle of the bay, to warrant the expectation that
the greater part will be accomplished within the present
year. When this is completed, an area, comprising in
the whole nearly three acres of ground, will be available
for building purposes."
The statement of revenue account showed on the
debit side an expenditure for establishment charges of
611. 15s. 8i1.; stationary and printing, Bs. 61; harbour-
ranster's d•--p4rtrneut, 921. 9s. 10d. ; annuities and in-
terests, 513 L 15s. 5d.; peeprtion of rent charge to the
Duchy of Cornwall, 61. 14s 3d.; and to balance carried
over to next half-year, 2181. 1 ls. 10d.; making a total
of 8931. 15s, 61. On the credit side the receipts by
rents of house property. &c.. were 951. 13s. 3d. ; and by
harbour and pier dues, 798/. 2s 3d.

Mr. T. STEVENS called attention to the fact that a
ship had been compelled to lie outside the harbour for
four days, because there was not a depth of water of
11 feet 4 inches to allow of her passage within the pier;
and, after some conversation upon this matter,
The Directors said that this was the first time that
they had heard of it, and that they would take care to
have the stones removed which bad prevented that
ingress.

It was further stated, in reply to questions, that :an
hotel, at an expense of 1,200/., was in course of erection
near the pier.
Mr. SEAMAN called attention to the fact that on an
expenditure of 2,6314 15s. for works they were paying
5001. a year to Mr. Brunel. He then said that that gen-
tleman had by the nature of his works, and his indiffer-
ence as to whether his expenditure gave any return,
brought distress and ruin upon hundreds of families,
and lie therefore moved that he be dismissed the com-
pany's service.
Mr. WHITEFORD explained that the small amount of
expenditure would not be a measure of the amount of
work which Mr. Brunel bad caused to be done, and
stated that as the engagement with the engineer would
terminate at Michaelmas, it would not be renewed with-
out proper consideration.

Mr. SEAMAN said that under those circumstances he
would withdraw his motion.

A motion was then put from the chair, that the ac-
counts be received and adopted, and a vote of thanks
having been given to the chairman and directors, the
meeting separated.

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING THE IMPROVE-
MENT of the HACKNEY CARRIAGE TRADE.
On Tuesday the members of this association celebrated
their first annual meeting by an excursion to Erith, and
a dinner in the grounds attached to the Pier Hotel, to
which about 130 sat down, under the presidency of Dr.
Blundell. Mr. W. S. Long, in proposing the toast of
the evening, stated that the taxes imposed on the hack-
ney carriage trade exceeded twenty times the amount
paid by any other business. In the reign of Wm. 111.,
when this kind of impost was first resorted to for the
purpose of revenue, the tax on a sedan chair was fixed
at ss. a year; it was subsequently increased to 103., but
now the proprietor of any sort of hackney carriage was
compelled to pay that sum every week. Though they
were so highly taxed the Legislature seemed determined
to increase the degradation which existed amongst them,
by passing enactment after enactment of so stringent a
character that it was impossible to comply with them,
and then the drivers were sent to gaol, as if that was
the place to teach them their moral or social duties. Mr.
E. Hider, the acting manager of the society, said that
the association had been scarcely a year in existence.
It was originated and almost entirely supported by
persons engaged in the trade, and its objects were, by
combining together, to resist the wrongs and exactions
to which as a class they were subjected, and to
interest the influential classes in their favour. They
also intended to establish a benefit and benevolent so-
ciety in connexion with, the association. He denied that
the character of the cab-drivers, of the metropolis was
so bad as was usually supposed. Of course there were
many dishonest individuals in that as in other employ-
ments, but on an examination of the facts it would be
found that, taking 6,000 individuals (the number thus
engaged in Loudon) from any other class, as large a