The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-16 00:00:00

taken no steps in the matter, the lady still remains
in the convent, where she is now undergoing her no-
viciate. This exercise of the power and disposi-
tion of the Romish clergy is shocking enough, but is
hardly worse than some things that have occurred
in England in the course of the last few years.
In this case the young lady is spirited away, and
then forcibly returned, because she is above
twelve years old. A few weeks ago we were
called upon to notice an instance in which a "Mal-
tese widow, who had entered the Protestant Church,
and married a Protestant, had her two children torn
from her by the Popish authorities of that place,
on the ground that they were under twelve
years of age, so that Popish zealots make sure
of their victims of whatever age. The apathy
of the King of Holland in the matter would
seem to be unaccountable, seing that his peremp-
tory demand for redress could not be disregarded.
Had the outrage been offered to a British subject, the
Papist powers at Turin would soon have been taught
that it would not have been perpetrated with impu-
punity. We trust, however, that the matter will not
be allowed to rest where it dces. If it is, there is no
security for a stranger at any foreign court at which
Popery is in the ascendant.

OXFORD, FRIDAY.—The Archbishop of Dublin and
the Bishop of Kildare have addressed the Board of Heads
of Houses on the subject of the prevailing errors in the
University ; and a committee is now sitting to concert
measures for checking their progress. Mr. R. Ley, of
BraEenose College, a connection of the Rev. Isaac Wil-
liams, has avowed himself the author of a report that
Mr. Newman had written to the Rev. I. Williams, inti-
mating his probable secession from the Anglican com-
munion.—Evening Paper.

ANOTHER VESSEL SUNK BY COLLISION SLIVER •
yr.RPOoL, FRIDAY EVENING.—The Britannia steamer,
3 est?rday, on her passage from Dublin to this port,
Came in contact with the brig Fly, outward-bound to
Africa, when, owing to the injury received by the brig,
she almost immediately sunk. We regret to say, that
the mate of the brig was drowned, not having been
enabled to get out of the vessel before she sunk ; all the
others of her crew were saved. Th© crew and passen-
gers of the Britannia sustained no injury whatever. The
accident occurred of Point Lynas.

THE INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITIES
OF IRELAND.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—In the present somewhat dubious political
position of the sister kingdom—a position in which it
is uncertain whether repeal or federalism will even-
tually strike the beam in the balance of probabilities
—during this temporary lull of the hot warfare of
agitation, the justness or judiciousness of which in its
motives, its principles, and its tendencies, I will not
stop to determine, inasmuch as you have often spoken,
and very prudently, on that subject—surely, it will
not be denied, nay, rather urged with more than
usual reasonableness and force, that any attempt to
direct the public mind, seriously and practically, to
the fruitful, though long-neglected internal resources
of Ireland, provided our efforts manifest skill, earnest-
ness, and accuracy, is peculiarly advisable, as likely to
excite a most useful and seasonable interest.
The awakened spirit of nationality by which the
Irish people are now animated, manifesting itself as it
does in divers forms, gives us hope that judicious
measures of improvement, from whatever source they
may come, will be properly encouraged and supported.
It may be true that at the present time there is a
stagnation in many of the ordinary channels of com-
mercial industry ; but then it will be admitted, as
evincing this awakened spirit, that every new com-
mercial project is canvassed and examined with an
anxious eagerness, bent upon discovering therein
some elements of utility, or some prospect of success ;
and not only so, but that capital is readily embarked
in any undertaking which promises, however dis-
tantly, a profitable return. To this object, indeed,
have already been appropriated some of those unem-
ployed funds which, on account of recent monetary
revolutions, have been withdrawn from Government
security.
There seems to be two probable causes of the ill-
success or stagnation of industry in Ireland—either
a want of enterprising energy, or its misapplication,
and both may arise, and very likely do arise, from
ignorance of the internal resources of the nation,

their extent, and the most available means for their
development. Hence a tardiness, on the one hand, to
embark in any Irish speculation ; and, on the other,
signal failure of some of the schemes that have been
projected. But the great mischief has been the
pusillanimity, or something like it, which induced
the doubt of the industrial capabilities of Ireland.
Like as in everything else appertaining to this hitherto
" unhappy country," a feeling of despondency seems
to hover over those who are concerned in any com-
mercial or speculative project. This evil must, there-
fore, be met in its very foundation. We must attack
it in its source. The minute and elaborate returns
of the census of 1841, the extensive researches of the
Ordnance Survey, and the reports of the Railway
Commissioners, and of the Mining and Inland Navi-
gation Companies, deficient though they might be in
their statement of statistical facts, yet furnished a
more satisfactory basis than ever had existed pre-
viously. On this basis a superstructure has been re-
cently completed by an able and acute investigator—
I allude to Dr. Kane—who, by patient and laborious
personal inquiries, and other supplementary means,
scientific and practical, has satisfied us, beyond all
doubt or hesitation, of the value, magnitude, and
availableness of the industrial resources of Ireland.
With regard to the sources of mechanical power in
that country, which, for all practical purposes, must
be considered to be steam and water, it is bvious
that, for the creation of the former, fuel is indis-
pensable : it must, moreover, be cheap and abundant.
It is now demonstrated that the resources of Ireland

in this one particular have been, hitherto, vastly
underrated. The principal coal districts are four in
number, corresponding in name with the four Irish
provinces. The Leinster coal field extends over
nearly five thousand Irish acres, and, according to
Mr. Griffiths's estimate, contains no less than
63,000,000 tons. The supply of coal from this
district has advanced to 120,000 tons annually, while
the cost has been reduced from 205. to lls. 6d. per
ton for large coal, and 4s. per ton for culm. By a
certain process the immense resources of the Lein-
ster and Munster districts, consisting of anthracite or
non-flaming coal, may be rendered available for all

the uses for which the diffusion of heat is required.
The northern district of bituminous coal, extending
around Lough Allen, is about sixteen miles in length,
and the same in breadth, containing, as Mr. Griffiths es-
timates, above 30,000,000 tons, and yet are these mines
hardly wrought at all, the yearly quantity raised
not exceeding 3,000 tons. This unhappy district,
abounding, as it does, with mineral wealth, is allowed
to lie neglected and fallow; and the population,
active, industrious, and eager for employment, are
starving in the midst of these hidden riches, restrained
only by their innate virtue from turning into un-
lawful channels the energies which nature destined to
an honourable and remunerative industry. " The
picture of this district, as I saw it some two years
since," says Professor Kane, "has never left my mind.
* * * As I walked on, there lay around my path
masses of iron ore, equally rich with the best em-
ployed in England. I knew that in those hills,
whose desolate aspect weighed on my mind, there

were concealed all the materials for successful indns-

try. A population starving, and eager to be em-
ployed at any price ; a district capable of setting
them at work, if its resources were directed by ho-
nesty and common sense ; but all sacrificed to the
stock-jobbing speculations of a few men acting on
the gross ignorance and credulity of some others.'
Much might be said of the Ulster field, and par-
ticularly of the interesting coal district in the county
of Antrim, that probably would surprise your
readers ; and the same may be alleged with respect
to the subject of turf, Dr. Kane's report on which
is exceedingly interesting and important. It is now
clear that there is scarcely a use to which coal is ap-
plied, which may not be almost equally, if not
equally, supplied by this neglected material. Will it
be believed, that of the 20,000,000 acres, forming the
area of Ireland, about 2,300,000 are turf, the larger
proportion of which lies neglected and unprofitable,
because either not turned to account at all, or wasted
from want of scientific management in the process ?
But the most important conclusion from all the
investigations instituted is, that the difference of the
cost of steam power in England and in Ireland is
very trifling in the whole cost of manufacture, FO
trifling indeed as to be utterly unimportant. There
is, however, a question still more interesting—the
efficient management of the water power of Ireland.
This is a subject greatly underrated. Many are
hardly prepared for the fact which is now pretty well
evinced, that if the water power of Ireland were
economised only to the extent it is in Lancashire, the
head-quarters of our coal-trade and manufactures,
that country would be supplied with an agency ex-
ceeding the entire power from steam, water, and
every other source which is at present at work in the
whole British Empire !
A fertile and instructive topic might be found in
the subject of the comparative estimate of the various
engines by which water may be applied to machinery,
as well as in that of the minerals and the agricultural
resources of Ireland, particularly the last; but omit-
ting these, for the present, we hasten to introduce
an extract from the very just observations of Pro-
fessor Kane relative to the construction of railways
in Ireland by means of Government advances, the
interest on which should be paid by the profit of the
railway traffic ; as to how the surplus (if any) is to
be
,a,pylied, and how the deficit (if any) could be raised :
Three-quarters of a century ago," says he,
when
' Scotland, poor, barren, and ignorant, lay at
the feet of England, the central Government saw the
necessity of creating at once such aesystemdisposition
s
of internali.
communications,
as should place at t
tto nu
and
the inhabitants the means of pacific intercourses
trade. Hence, between canals and roads, a million and