The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-03 00:00:00

FRANCE.

The Ministers of Finance and -niblin Work;
attended the Com(nittee of the Budi,Et on Alond.v.
The Niiiiister of the Public Works read the d,-r.f; of a
new Bill for the construction of lie Paris pr.(l Avignon
p~ilro It (littera from the Bill of the late Minister
of Public Works in the following particulars :—The
Minister proposes to suppress the subvention of
34,000,000 f. offered to a new comlilany by the late
Bill. By this arrangement the eventualities are not
admitted. The new Bill fixes 260,000,000 f. as the
maximum of the capital of the future company, for
which the Government guarantee interest at five per
cent. The State is to divide the profits over eight
per cent., after a lapse of 15 years from the constitu-
tion of the company. The lease to the company to
be for 99 years.

IRELAND.
(moat OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
DUBLIN, TUESDAY EVENING —New Year's-day
has, indeed, come in with change—mutations of
weather as well as those of fortune, for on to-day the
" Lord Mayor's Show" represents a great triumph of
the democratic principle. And, first, as to the at-
mospheric. About eight o'clock this morning it was
freezing with as right good-will, apparently, as the
most inveterate lover of ice could wish ; when, sud-
denly, the " light blue coating of the heavens," as
some atmospheric tailor, in a magazine, whose name I
don't now recollect, called a frosty fog, gave way to
one of those unmistakeable, heavy downfall of com-
pressed smoke and darkness, whose like I have only
experienced in Manchester or London.
The skaters, however, had a recoupe against the
weather, for all Dublin was on tiptoe to see
the procession consequent upon the inauguration of
the new Lord Mayor of Dublin, John Reynolds,
M.P. As an account of the ceremony will be seen in
the papers, it may be of some little interest to sketch
very hurriedly the history of the new Lord Mayor—
the only man of his (the Roman Catholic) religion
that ever combined the two high offices of Lord
Mayor and Member for the city of Dublin. Mr.
Reynolds is a native of the county of Leitrim, and
was born on a small portion of the land which was
once owned by his ancestors for miles around, but a
small part of which at his birth was merely farmed
by his father. The family is a very ancient one, and
collaterally related to that of George Nugent Reynolds,
whose celebrated letter to the Earl of Clare The Sun
republished with so much effect when the Whigs
were dismissing the repeal magistrates in 1843. John
and Thomas Reynolds were both placed behind com-
mercial counters in Dublin—their father's, or their
own, strong sense determining a career of industry,
rather than a " profession" of either physic or law—a
tendency amongst Irish parents to make "gentlemen"
of their sons being utterly avoided by the shrewdness
of the elder or juvenile Reynoldses. I knew both
brothers when they afterwards had establishments in
the " Manchester line," on Merchant's-quay ; but
prosperity did not wait upon " Tom," as
he is familiarly called, and when politics betook him
to the Trades Union, and afterwards his anti-tithe
speech at Bohernabreena consigned him to Kilmain-
ham, along with Marcus Costello (now Attorney-
General at Gibraltar), his, shop, within a few doors
of Lower Bridge-street, was closed, and never since
re-opened- He is now Marshal of Dublin, through
the means of O'Connell, who loved him, and believed
him to be an honest man, in which belief no one had
ever reason to accuse that great man of credulity.
John continued longer in the " Manchester line" than
his brother, and finally became a commission agent
for the sale of teas, &c. Commission agents here
are dignified by the name of merchants ;
and from becoming town councillor, he mounted
by a lucky chance the legislative ladder.
Such a chance could not have arisen in London
amongst your deliberative race. But the mass of
the people here are impulsive and, better, democratic
—not levelling; and the strong, earnest good sense,
aptitude at reply, and tremendous powers of self
sustainment and readiness at catching the weak points
of his opponents, together with possessing the key to
the sympathies of his hearers, by flinging himself
upon them as " one of themselves" altogether
made John Reynolds one of the most extra-
ordinary men of modern times within this
inexplicable realm of Ireland. And, so, the
new arrangement of taking all the votes
together, in the one locality—Home's Hotel, Usher's
Quay—afforded an opportunity for the " fierce
democracy " to concentrate their forces; the 3,000
carmen of Dublin—led by the celebrated John
Smith, O'Connell's " patriotic carman," cr, as he is
better known, " State of the Poll,"—brought in the
votes without a farthing cost, galloped everywhere 1
there could be a voter found, and positively carried
the election by the unwonted promptitude of their
proceedings. Meanwhile the freemen, who were
expecting bribes, waited until their demands
were acceded to but too late, for the
Tory candidate, Gregory ; the booths were
closed inexorably at four; and John Reynolds
became Member for Dublin by its people
getting rid for once of their proverbial carelessness,
excited to exertion by the " fun of the thing," hurried
off to the hustings by a host of carmen, who, in their
turn, made their horses "stir their pins" gratis at the
bidding of an energetic democrat. From becoming
the legislative it was but natural he should become
the civic representative of Dublin. Whether the
hoacur of the baronetcy be added remains to a future
chapter of this modern romance.
LANDLORD DRYASTATION.—I received this after-
noon a letter from a most respectable Roman
Catholic clergyman of the diocese of Ferns, dated
from the well-known town of Ferns, in the county,
Wexford—a county generally free from the red foot-
steps of destroying landlords. As it is but right
that the matter should obtain as much publicity as
possible, I have handed over the original letter to the
editor of a morning journal here, not publishing the
gentleman's name, as he has not authorised me. The
following are extracts : . .

" I gave your friend all the information I could,
and took him with me that he might see the horrid
work going on in this quarter, with his own eyes. I
suppose he has already transmitted to you what he
saw.

":While I am now writing the work of destruction
is going on. A body of men sent by Mr. Donovan,
are now at work with pick and crowbar, pulling down
by force the houses of those poor people who refused
to perform the unnatural work themselves. The last
house in a whole street in this town of Ferns (into
which I came this morning)—the least house, I say, in a
whole street of, I think, forty houses—l am not certain
—is note on fire. It belonged to a poor widow of
the name of Byrne ; and it Is thought Mr. Donovan's
levellers set it on fire because she would not surrender
possession. Some of the poor people say they never
gave possession ; and it is certain no notice of the in-
tended clearance was ever sent to the workhouse, as
ordained by law.
" This horrid work is going on in all quarters—in
fact, the landlords are making war on the people with
more ferocity than the most savage foe. I ask any
Christian man, where are things to end ? Is there
any Government in this country ? It' there be, cer-
tainly sales populi is not their supreme law. Their
only occupation, in my mind, is to guard, and pro-
tect, and sustain the destroyers of the people. Now,
I have to say it, in the bitterness of my heart, if the
Government do not step forward and stop this hellish
work, I think that, after a little, the only thing that
will remain for men like me to do, is, to openly tell
the people to protect themselves."
Need I add one word to this, except to say that the
writer is a clergyman, who has been singularly re-
served on all political matters, and who would not
now write thus save " in bitterness of heart" ?

A Protectionist meeting was held in Enniscorthy
yesterday, but the landlords were totally foiled in
" obtaining an audience"—not that there were not
plenty of people present, but that there was not a
chance of a hearing. The clique who called the
meeting then declared it adjourned to the 9th inst.
although all were opposed to the postponement but
the few landlords present. lam assured the gentry
will not try Enniscorthy again.
THE FUNDS.—Stock List—Three per Cent. Consols
for opening, 96k; Three•and•a.Quarter per Cent. Stock,
96i; Bank Stock, 199; Dublin and Kingstown, 132.
Royal Exchange—Great Southern and Western, ex int.;
Midland Great Western and Royal Canal, 23!.

Tux UNITED STATES.—LIYERTOOI., TUESDAY,
MIDNIGHT.—The New York packet-ship Ashburton
• arrived here to-night, from New York. She was
expected to have brought the President's Message.
She left that city on the 11th ult., and therefore, like
the other late arrivals, departed without it.
ATTEMPTED HIGHWAY RoIiDERY. -on FriiaY
night last, about one o'clock, Mr. Richard Fleet, land-
lord of the Rose Inn, Tovil, was returning from Far-
leigh, from a visit to his brother, when he met three
men near Farleigh Priory, whom he was about to wish
good night, when one of them seized him by the collar
behind, tripped him up and fell upon him. The others
were about to assist in robbing him, when Mr. Fleet
calling his dog, the faithful animal rushed upon them
and quickly put them to flight. The other villain, find-
ing this, attempted to follow them, but for some time
was unable to escape Mr. Fleet's grasp, who in his turn
became the assailant. Owing, however, to the latter
being somewhat disabled by a recent injury to his knee,
he was unable to hold his prisoner, who escaped.—Muid•
stone Journal._

FOREIGN CATrr.E.—The steamer Free Trade has
just arrived at the Brunswick•wharf, Illackwall, from
Oporto, bringing the large number of 139 head of oxen,
consigned to a metropolitan firm, as a portion of her
cargo, the production of Portugal.

_ .
THE OLD BAILEY SESSION', FOR 1850.--The fol.
I,)wing are the days or. which the sessions for the juris-
diction of the Central Criminal Court will be held in the
curront year:—Monday, Jan. 7 inst.; Monday, Fa). 4;
Monday, March 4; Monday, April 8; Monday, May 6;
Monday, June 10; Monday, July 8; Monday, Aug. 19;
Monday, Sept. 16; and Monday, Oct, 21,

T ft E

A SCENE in the UNITED STATES'

1101_7SE OF i:I•II'RESENT..`,TIVE'.3.
The following extract from an account of the
,Pting of the. Flown:3 of 11.-presentativei, on the 13,11
D.-eflaber, will convey tome idea of the maLne
which dic(nwion is carrizd on by certain alembtrs of
that both :
Mr. Brown, of Mississippi, offered a resolution,
that the lion. 11. Cobb be and he in hereby chosen
Speaker of the House for the 31st Congress. He said
that he drew the resolution without consultation
with any of his political friends, or without giving no-
tice that he intended to offer it. It was well known
that the democratic party had a majority in the
House, but they could not concentrate their power. The
Free Soilers belonging to both parties refused to unite
with either. The democratic party, being in a ma-
jority, should have the Speaker. He spoke for him-
self only when be said that he was willing for a fair
division of the offices. The gentleman from North
Carolina (Mr. Stanley) yesterday said that he wanted
a democratic Speaker.
Mr. Stanley explained. What he said was, that
sooner than see the House disorganized, he would
take a democratic Speaker. But how did the
gentleman know the democrats have a majority ?
Mr. Brown replied, that if the free Boilers were
divided according to their political parties, the de-
mocrats would have a majority of one. The absence
of King, of Georgia, Gentry, of Tennessee, and Julian,
of Indiana, gave them a majority of five.
Mr. Butler (of Pa.) proposed a resolution, leaving
a blank for the insertion of the name of the person
who shall, on the next trial, receive the highest num-
ber of votes. If no election, then the next highest.
Mr. Thomson (of Penn.) offered a resolution
that the members proceed to vote by ballot for
Speaker, and continue to ballot until four o'clock to-
day; and no motion to adjourn or any other shall be
received until the arrival of that hour. He urged
the adoption of the resolution.
Mr. Carter offered en amendment—" That any
person who shall be elected Speaker shall be divested
of the power to construct the District of Columbia
and Territorial Committees, and that the same be
made by a vote of the House." He yielded to
Mr. Harris, of Tennessee, who said that he was one
of those who voted for rown upon three several
ballotings ; he did so, being deceived by the gentleman
from Indiana.

Mr. Carter resumed, and condemned the ridiculous
attitude of the House—making a grave issue in a
ceremonial manner. He thought that this was below
the manhood of the House. He proposed to remedy
the difficulty in the resolution. It was only by keeping
up the subterranean discord that the majority was
crippled in its sentiments.
Mr. Meade conceived that neither of the propo-
sitions could reach the evil existing. It was the
existence of a third party that caused the trouble.
If, on the organization of the House, propositions
were to be introduced to abolish slavery in the dis-
trict of Colombia, or prohibit slavery in the territo-
ries, he trusted in God that his eyes had already rested
on the last Speaker of the House. The south would
resist all aggressions, and the sinews of every man's
arm in that section would be steel. _ .

Mr. Root, in a humorous speech, said that the
proposition of Mr. Carter was like the play of Hamlet
with the character of Hamlet omitted. We were to
have a Speaker who was not to appoint the Commit-
tees. He would not vote for any man who was not
competent to appoint the Committees named. If
there is to he a dissolution of the union, let it come
before the House is organized, and it would not then
be binding.—(Laughter.) He wanted to be excluded
from the ballot, that his constituents might know bow
he voted.

Mr. Duer said that the resolution of Mr. Brown,
in effect, called upon the Whigs to make an uncon-
ditional surrender. He would vote fur anybody but
a disunionist to occupy the chair.
A Voice.—There is no such person in the House.

Mr. Duer—l think so.
Voices—Where is he ?
Mr. Duer pointed to Mr. Meade.
Mr. Meade—lf the gentleman charges me with
being a disunionist it is false.
Mr. Duer—You are a liar.

Immediately Mr. Meade left his seat on the oppo-
site side of the hall, and rushed towards Mr. Duer.
The parties were not more than four feet apart,
when members rushed between. There were cries
of " fight." The Sergeant-at-Arms hurried down
with the mace of office in his hand. There were
cries of order. Lobby members mounted the side
scenes. Mr. Meade beckoned Mr. Duer to follow
him to the rotunda. There were motions to adjourn,
and the greatest possible disorder.
In a few minues quiet was restored, and
Mr. Duer, after begging the pardon of the House
for his conduct, resumed and concluded his speech.
He thought that if members adjourned for a day they
could then come to a result.

Mr. Toombs made an energetic speech, reviewing
the proceedings of the Free Soilers and Abolitionists,
and insisting upon southern rights. Rather than
submit to further aggression from the north, the
south would resist. He had no hesitation in saying
that he was for disunion, if this state of things should
continue.

The southern members applauded him throughout
his remarks.

Mr. M'Lane proposed to have another trial for the
Speaker, and made some further remarks.
Mr. Baker was in favour of the Wilmot proviso.
He denied that the people of the north were opposed
to union by advocating such doctrines, and contended
that the majority could prevent the extension of
slavery. In conclusion, he lauded the union, and did
not think it would be dissolved.

He was also applauded.
Messrs. Colcock, Wallace, Hillard, and Stephens,
of Georgia, concurred in the views expressed by Mr.
Toombs. Pass the Wilmot proviso and abolish
slavery in the district of Columbia, and the union
would be dissolved.
Messrs. Cleveland, Allen and M'Clernand made
remarks expressing the northern sentiments.
Mr. Hubbard desired to say, that he addressed a
letter to Mr. Brown, asking him-1. Whether he was
in favour of the Wilmot proviso ? and 2. Whether he
believed that Congress has a right to abolish slavery
in the district of Columbia ? He was pointed by
Mr. Brown to his speech, delivered three or four years
since.
Mr. Conrad expressed his opinion that, so far from
an effort being made to organize the House on
sectional grounds, the difficulty had arisen from the
effort to prevent an organization on such grounds.
He concurred in much said by the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Toombs), but thought that the note of
alarm bad been sounded too soon for the south.
Mr. Marshall (of Kentucky) was in favour of a
gentleman not representing any extreme for Speaker,
and hoped that one day would be devoted to the inte-
rests of the country.
It was now four o'clock. The House again voted
viva voce. All was quiet now.
The votes were scattered among a dozen candidates,
and the House adjourned.