The Express.
London, England, 1847-10-18 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 18, 1847.

IREIAND.
Demme, Ocr. la.
The Freeman's Journal of th:', morning hag an ar-
ticle entitled "Remodelling of Ele:!oral Divisions in
the South," which charges the poor law commis-
sioners with undue favouritism to the Earl of Devon,
to the detriment of the holders of property in the
union of Newcastle, County Limerick. The fact.' of
the case are these. The trustees of the Devon propetl
in Limerick have advertised its sale in some of the
London papers; and, as a stimulant to purchasers,
hold out the advantage of a very diminished poor
rate, which will be accomplished thus : at present
the property is scattered through six electoral divi-
sions of the union of Newcastle ; and, through the
agency of the poor-law commissioners, it is proposed
to form the dispersed parts into a separate electoral
division by themselves. The particular effect of the
arrangement would be the maintenance of the poor
of the division out of its property—an arrange-
ment apparently just; but the general effect
would be to establish a dangerous precedent
which might lead to the eradication of electoral pau- I
perism in some divisions, and throw the accumula-
tion upon others. The holders of property in the
Newcastle union have communicated with the coin.

missioners, but without a satisfactory result. Such
are the facts connected with the Devon property.
The contemplated arrangements would add consider-
ably to its value in the market; but the policy of
selecting any particular property for such a premium
is very questionable. Other proprietors would claim
the same privilege under similar circumstances, and
the result in many capes would be an active system of
• ..

The poor-law commissioners are keeping a vigilant
eye on the appointments under the act. The exigency
of the times and the difficulty of working so compli-
cated a machinery dispose the guardians to increase
the number of officers, who will hereafter be a burthen
on the rates when the system settles into easy motion. The
commissioners, on the other hand, recommend extra-
ordinary
exertions in the beginning with a few of&
eery, instead of their unnecessary multiplication. The
secretary to the commission, Mr. Stanley, in reply
to a resolution of the South Dublin union to appoint
a relieving officer for each electoral division, judi-
ciously observes : " The labour and trouble incidental
to the commencement of • system of out-door relief

should not be considered as showing the future ordi-
nary amount of the business of a relieving officer.
The three classes of persons relievable under the first
section of the Extension Act will be found limited in
extent, and, when the more permanent cases of desti-
tution have once been inquired into and recorded on
the books, the ordinary duties of the officer will not
require any ampler provision than that proposed in
the report of the committee." The guardians of the
union have appointed a committee to report on the
best mode of employing male and female able-bodied
paupers, and oblige each to do fair and reasonable
work for six days each week.
At the last meeting of the Royal Agricultural So-
ciety several letters were read announcing subscrip-
tions to carry out the proposal of the Earl of Claren-
don, relative to agricultural lecturers—among the
number, from the Earl of Fortescue subscribing 10/.
Several local societies have contributed to the same
object. The drainage prizes were awarded at the
same meeting, on the report of Messrs. Andrews and
Vaughan. In Munster the first was awarded to the
Duke of Devonshire, for his Cork estates; in Ulster,
to the Earl of Caledon and Lord Clanboyeand Dutferin.
In Connaught and Leinster none were awarded. The
proposal of his excellency will be fully considered on
Thursday next.
Tne Earl of Cork has just signalised himself by an
act of great benevolence towards his tenantry, which
is, in truth, quite in keeping with what has been re-
lated of him during the past year. The earl has just
issued instructions to his agent to remit the tenantry
on his large estates in Kerry 50 per cent. upon the
rental of the year just closed at September, and also
to pay the whole of the rate which the distribution of
out-door relief under the new poor law may render
necessary.