The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-29 00:00:00

IRELAND.

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
TIIE GREAT FREE-TRADE MEETING.
DUBLIN, MONDAY The meeting of Free-traders
was held at the Rotunda to-day. The seats were
crammed to suffocation.
A large body of the Proteotioni4F, beadA by Mr.
ilutt and the Rev. Mr. Gregg, were in attendance,
but their opinions appear to have been outnumbered
in the proportion of two to one. The Lord Mayor
took the chair at half-past one.
The first resolution in favour of free-trade was
proposed, amid considerable confusion, by Mr. Coffey,
and seconded by Mr. Sweetman, the wealthy brewer.
Mr. Galway, barrister, also spoke in favour of the
resolution.
Mr. Butt rose, at half-past two o'clock, to move an
amendment; but here a scene of uproar and tumult
arose which defies all description. Groaning, hooting,
mingled with cheers, which lasted for nearly an hour,
during which some of the free-trade leaders endea-
voured in vain to obtain the learned gentleman a hear-
ing. Mr. Butt continued to weather the storm with
undeniable courage up to nearly five o'clock, during
which he contrived to make himself heard as far as
the hurricane of dissent would permit him.
The Earl of Mayo followed; but at the time our
report was dispatched there was no sign of the pro-
ceedings being brought to a close.

CRIMINAL INFORMATION.-JUDGMENT.
The Queen's Bench gave judgment this day in
the case of the Queen on the prosecution of John
Jardine, the proprietor of the Evening Post, for
alleged libel or libels, originating out of Mr. Ber-
wick's report on the Castle wellan investigation.
The Chief Justice, in pronouncing judgment,
said the Court had no difficulty whatever in allow-
ing the cause shown against the conditional order.
They did so on two grounds—first, because they
were of opinion that the application was not
bona fide for the purpose of punishing the de-
fendant for publishing articles, &c., calculated to pre-
judice on a trial; and secondly, because the applica-
tion was not made within a reasonable time after the
alleged offence. The application was clearly not
bona fide, because if the prosecution of the object was
to put a stop to such publications, he would have
proceeded against Conway at the last Commission,
or upon any of the several opportunities he since had.
The conditional order for a criminal information
against Mr. Conway was then discharged.—Times.

SAVINGS BANKS DEFALCATIONS.—The informa-
,ton received during the past aesk regarding the various
savings banks' defalcations at present under investiga-
tion, has not furnished any additional facts cf much im-
portance. Mr. John Johnson and Mr. Wiliam Johnsor,
the actuary and sub-actuary of the St. Helen's Savings
Bank, have been apprehended and held to bail in 1,0001.
each. The ascertained deficiency is nova 9,0001.; and as
120 of the depositors hooks still remain to be examined
it is expected ultimately to reach 10,0001. The claime
on the Rochdale Savings' Bank hese been found to
amount to about 101,0001, and the available assets,
exclusive of what may be realised from Havvorth's
estates, the amount of which is very doubtful,
are estimated at 35,000/. The sum sub-
scribed by the trustees t twards making up the
deficiency remains at 13,00['1, but further contributions
have been promised on condition that litigation be not
resorted to. The number of depositors in this bank
was 3,000, including several friendly societies whose
claim! are open to dispute, but who have received an in-
timation of the desire of the trustees that they should be
treated on the. same footing as all the other parties.
The investigation at the Scarborough Savings' Bank is
still in progress, and the defalcations have already
been found much greater than had been anticipated,
the ascertained amount at present being
tetweer;
3,0001. and 4,0001. In this cafe, as in that of the St.
Helen's Bank, the misappropriation had been going
on for about eighteen years. In connexion with the
Aylesbury Savinge'Bank nothing further has transpired;
but a new case has just been reported from Jedburgh, a
clerk in the savings' bank in that town having absconded
with 5001
IVe regret to state that, in consequence of a severe
accident, Sir Augustus Clifford will be prevented from
attending his duties at the House of Lords for a short
time. Applications fur a !mission tr ay, however, during
his absence, be made to Mr. Putman, the yeoman usher.
MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, AND LINCOL.E6IIIRE
ItAILWAY.-Tee Government inspector has twice been
over the Clareborough and Saxilby branches of this
company, but refuses to give his certificate for opening,
owing, he alleges, to the insecurity of the works, tom-
spect and report upon which the company have just
appointed Messrs. Stephenson and Rendel, the en-
gineers.