The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-09-23 00:00:00

a dejeuner on board. His excellency will be
accompanied by Mrs. Lawrence and Miss Lawrence.—

tained at

Limerick Examinee
THE HARVEST.—

-We have had, for the last few weeks,
utiful dry weather, and all the doubts which had arisen

respecting the coming harvest are happily set at rest. Of
the oat crop our accounts are unanimous in setting it
down as one of the best, both as regards quantity and
quality, that has been cut during the past quarter, of a
century. Many farmers had apparent cause in the outset
of the season to tremble for the fate of the wheat crop,
but it has turned out mu,:h better than was at expected.
The potato, excepting a complete failure in some parts of
the north and west, far exceeds in every respect the crop
of last year. The accounts in general are favourable.—
Dublin Herald.

REFORMATION IN IRELAND.—A public invitation, by
an ex-priest of the Church of Rome, the Rev. Wm. J.
Burke, has just been issued, in the form of a large pla-
card, to the Right Rev. Thomas Feeny, Roman Catholic
Bishop of Killala, and circulated in Dublin and in the
west of Ireland. It is headed as follows :—" Glorious
and grand challenge from a true Catholic priest, an
alumnus of the Priests' Protection Society, to a Roman
Catholic bishop." Dr. Feeny has not yet accepted the
invitation ; but if he do, we may expect a most interesting
list of disclosures, far more curious than those of Maria
Monk, authentibated by the long experience of a practical
man. In either case, controversy or no controversy, the
Church of Rome is on her trial, and must be damaged by
the issue.—Dublin Herald.

-_VERDICT OF MANSLAUGHTER AGAINST LORD JOHN
RUSSELL AND Co.—On Tuesday an inquest was held in
the South Infirmary, on the body of a man, about thirty
years of age. A sub• constable of police swore that about
three o'clock on Monday morning he found deceased in a
dying state, under a shed in Market-street, and removed
him to the Infirmary. Appropriate means to restore him
were used, but he died within half an hour. The body
presented the appearance of long suffering, from exposure
to the weather and want of food. The coroner told the
jury that the facts were simple in this case, that the un-
fortunate creature died from want of the common neces-
saries of life, and he supposed he might fill up the finding
accordingly. The jury demurred, and said that they
would retire to consider their verdict. They accordingly
did so, and after some time returned, when the foreman
handed in the following verdict :—" That we find that
the deceased, name unknown, came by his death through
starvation, he being in the prime of life, owing, in our
opinion, to the reckless and careless treatment of our
governing ministers, in not giving more attention to the
distress of the country." The coroner said he was bound
to accept it ; and six of the jurors having attached their
names, and the other six their marks, to the finding, they
were discharged.—Cork Constitution.

CONFESSION OF MURDER.—A few, days since, a pri-
vate soldier of the 40th Regiment, at present stationed in
Cork Barracks, made a confession to one of the persons
employed in the military prison, to the effect that he had
committed a murder in England ten years since. A pri-
vate investigation took place at the police-office, when
the soldier made the following statement :—Tri the July
of 1841, he was walking in a place called Ash, in Kent,
when he met a young woman, named Betsy Court, whom
he suspected of having some money. He demanded the
money, which s'ce refused to give ; an altercation took
place, and the result was that he dragged her into a field
and murdered her with a razor. He hid the body in a
corn-field, and the growing corn concealed it from view
until the harvest, when it was discovered by the parties
engaged in reaping. The soldier, whose name is Frederick
-Kent, and who is an Englishman, was upon this confession
transmitted to the county gaol, where be remains to await
the result of inquiries into the truth of his confession.—
Cork Examiner.
No MIRACLE !—Some years ago the most hard-hearted
thief would tremble, if tempted to despoil the mass-altar
of a Romish church of its valuable trinkets. He looked
upon the act as likely to be followed by some sudden and
awful calamity. It was not an honest respect for the
" sacred" trappings of the altar which held him in check,
but a superstitious terror. A miracle might be wrought
in its defence ! Perhaps it was well that a desecration of
things devoted to religion, though perverted in use, was
prevented even by this sort of dread—for every one must
deplore an outrage of the kind. However this be, the
Romanists of this country have lost the great bulk of
their superstition ; and in order to show it, they now
sometimes tear to pieces the vestments of the priests, and
do not expect their hands to become instantly dead for so
doing. They are finding out the mistake; but this hatred
to a system which so misled their better judgment is now
perhaps carried too far. We read of frequent robberies,
by Romanists, of the plate of the chapels ; and we regret
to read such wanton acts as this, related by the Meath
Herald (however far they prove the now extinct fear of a
miracle) :—" On Thursday last the chapel of Kilbarry
was broken open, and a quantity of valuable property,
consisting of vestments, &c., cut up and destroyed (but
not taken away). The value of the property destroyed is.
about £30."

INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES OF GALWAY.—The following
gratifying symptoms of improvement are recorded by the
Galway Vindicator. There is no doubt whatever that the
opening of the whole line of railway to the western capital
will be the ultimate means of effecting a complete moral
revolution in the state and prospects of the hitherto
neglected province of Connaught :—" The great resources
of this county and province are only about being known.
It is now that some of our proprietors are beginning to dis-
cover rich mines on their estates which their fox-hunting
forefathers never thought of exploring—mines that will
not only preserve their property from the Encumbered
Estate Court, but place them in a position to accumulate
large fortunes. Galway abounds in mineral productions
which the owners might turn to most valuable account if
they possessed the means of melting and purifying them
at home. Some of the ore, now selling for 18s. a ton,
might produce, if manufactured here, 20 times that price.
We have had a chymical manufactory for some time past
at work in Galway, but so backward have we been in the
march of science in this part of Ireland that the existence
of this establishment was hardly known in the town.
However, some contributions from Mr. Bullock's chymical
worksin Galway having attracted the attention of foreigners
at the Great Exhibiton, it is likely that the world may
soon know that one step has at length been made in the
right direction in this remote and long neglected district.
We are glad to find that some of those articles are sent to
America, and that liberal orders from the continent have
latterly reached the Galway chymical factory.. A great
deal is shipped off to Berlin and Danzig, while not a single
pound is taken in Galway, either at our poorhouse, our
hospitals, our dispensaries, or by our resident apothecaries.

,
BARRING OUT A CLERGYMAN FROM HIS CHURCH.—
Another, the fourth, outrage has been committed on KW
darton Church, with the intention of preventing the Rev,
James Hardy from performing divine service on Sunday
last. About seven o'clock on that morning, the sextoness
having gone to prepare the church, found the doori
fastened inside, and the key-hole of the vestry-room door
plugged with lead, so that she could not obtain access.
Sheimmediately cameinto Armagh to Mr. Hardy, by whom
she was ordered to apprise the churchwardens, who soon
after met at the church. An entrance was obtained
through one of the windows by means of a ladder, and
after considerable difficulty the doors were opened. The
front door, on which is a common lock with a brass handle,
was fastened inside by a piece of iron ; so constructed with
a crook at one end to clasp the handle, whilst the other
end was pierced and screwed to the side of the door on
which the bolt entered. The outer vestry door was fast-
ened by screw nails, and the entrance door from the vestry
room to the church was screwed by two square pieces of
iron so fixed that the door and door-case were completely
rivetted. On the walls of the vestry-room were the follow-
ing words, scribbled by a lead pencil, the writing of which
shows marks of a free and well-practised band, though
bad spelling and worse diction are affected the truth
of the Gospel We Want in this Country not nothing
else." Lower down on the wall we read—" Mr. James
Hardy you left hus the Kays and Screw Nails and We
Completed the Job The man that attempts to open this
Church may prepare for their final Doom hereafter."
The key-hole of the outer vestry-door we have already
stated was plugged with a large quantity of melted
lead. The windows were also fastened, and in a most
ingenious manner, by a small chain in each, holes being
picked in the panes, and the chain then introduced, so
as to prevent opening—time was even taken to make
the fastening link the same as the others in the chain. To
complete their operations the fellows cut the new bell-rope
as far as they could reach. The obstacles being removed,
Mr. Hardy and the congrega‘ion got admittance, and the
service was gone through as usual. We trust that some
steps will be taken to discover the perpetrators, and prevent
any further repetition of such scandalous proceedings,
which are degrading to the district, and disgraceful to
religion. We are glad to learn that a reward of £lOO has
been offered for such information as may lead to the pro-
secution of the offenders. Among the subscribers are the
Lord Primate, the Earl of Charlemont, the Hon. Henry
Caulfield, Rev. Mr. Irwin, the High Sheriff, &c.
Armagh Guardian.

THE REFORMATION IN WEST GALWAY
(From the Standard.)

We rejoice in being enabled to give our readers the fol-
lowing most gratifying intelligence regarding the progress
of the reformation going on, where ?—in Ireland. The
spirit of inquiry which has been stirred up by the mission-
ary labours of the Society for Irish Church Missions is
now being succeeded byvery numerous conversions from
the Church of Rome—so numerous, indeed, as to afford a
hope that if the present exertions can be continued, Ire-
land will speedily return to her ancient faith.

On Tuesday, the 16th, the Bishop of Tuam commenced
a tour of confirmation at the pretty village of Oughterarde,
in the county Galway, where a numerous company was
assembled to witness the interesting ceremony, it being
known that a considerable body of converts from the
Church of Rome would then publicly declare theiy renun-
ciation of the errors of that apostate church by receiving
confirmation according to the rites of the United Church
of England and Ireland. _

Among the company assembled were the Earl of Rad-
nor, who had just completed a personal inspection of all
the missionary schools and stations in this part of the
country, Charles Frewen, Esq., M. P., Thos. Lefroy, Esq.,
A. Lefroy, Esq., late M. P. for Longford, J. O'Flaherty
and lady, Major and Mrs. Martin, James Martin, Esq.
and family, Wm. Plunkett, Esq., Miss Plunkett, Rev. A.
Dallas, Rev. W. Trainer, Rev. W. Moore ( Rector of
Cong), Rev. W. Ash, and Rev. E. Ellis.
The church service was read by the Rev. J. Brown, rec-
tor of the parish, after which the Bishop of Tuam preached
from Acts xv., 41. The sermon concluded with a touch-
ing address to theconverts, exhorting them to walk worthy
of the vocation to which they were now called. The ad-
dress was listened to with the most marked attention.
The rite of confirmation was then administered to 99 in-
dividuals, of whom six only were born Protestants, so that
on this interesting occasion the congregation witnessed
the formal reception of 93 converts into the fold of Christ,
many of whom were adults—there were old men and
maidens, young men and children. Considering the
poverty of the district, the appearance of these people
testified that many of them were of the respectable class
of farmers and labourers.

Great as this number appears, it would have been con-
siderably increased had all the catechumens of the district
been able to attend ; for instance, it had been intended to
hold a confirmation at Tuverim when 63 candidates were
prepared, but at a late hour this was found to be impos-
sible, to the great disappointment of the people. Still,
such was their anxiety to make an open declaration of the
truth, that upwards of twenty started off at twelve o'clock
at night, headed by their missionary, the Rev. P. Conolly,
crossed the mountains during the darkness, a distance of
about twenty Irish miles, were confirmed, and afterwards
returned to their homes the same evening.
In the course of the afternoon a meeting of the agents
employed in this district was held in Glar School, about
two miles from Oughterard. The entire staff numbers 46
individuals, of whom 37 were present, and who were ad-
dressed by the Rev. A. Dallas. Almost all these agents
are converts from Popov, and their high intelligent looks
and open beaming countenances plainly showed that their
hearts were thoroughly engaged in the important work of
the mission.

The Bishop was to proceed the next day to Castle.kerke,
and thence to CH fden and other places. In the whole, it
was expected that at least 1000 converts from Popery
would present themselves for confirmation during the en-
suing week, which is an amazing number under any cir-
cumstances, and especially when we remember that only
one year has elapsed since the Bishop of Tuam held a con.
firmation in this district before, in the course of which 400
converts were confirmed. Such accounts as these give us
good hopes of Ireland; a brighter day is dawning upon her,
the real remedy is being applied, for the Bible and the
Bible alone is the true pacificator, and the Gospel of Christ
the blessed means of a benighted country's regeneration.

ARTIFICIAL LEATHER.—A steam engine of six or eight
horse power is erected at Abington, Mass., for grinding
up the chips and shavings of leather which are cut off by
the shoe and boot Takers, and which have heretofore been
burnt or thrown away. These are ground to a powder
resembling coarse snuff, and this powder is then mixed
with certain gums and other substances, so thoroughly
that the whole mass becomes a kind of melted leather.
In a short time this dries a little, and is rolled out to the
desired thickness—perhaps one twenty-fourth of an inch.
It is now quite solid, and is said to be entirely water-
proof.—The Builder.