The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-25 00:00:00

IRELAND.

Dosing, Die. 24.
It is quite true, as the Freeman's Journal of this
morning observes, that no preparations have yet been
made by the liberal party in Leland for the approach-
ing session. Ths great questions of the church, the
land, and the franchise, to which the Freeman adds
the poor law, have scarcely been mooted at all, ex-
cept in occasional newspaper articles, and no single
step has been taken to collect public opinion on those
most important subjects. The Freeman urges the
country to move: I greatly fear its urging will be in
vain.
" We believe,* says the morning organ of the Irish

Lberals,
The time has come when the opinion of the countrp !
should be expressed on those subjects. We know that '
already Waleson are bosstiag that they will have a quiet
session, so far as regards the Irish popular party ; and
chuckling d
chuckling with malicious mirth at the apparent Twin
which the silence of the country has given to their ora-
tion, that the Irish people had ceased to take any interest
in the settlement of the church question. Is it tree that
the Irish people take no interest in the settle-
ment of the church question ? If it be not true,
there is not a day to be lest in disproving the ministerial
pretext for the maintenance of ascendancy, and demon
grating that the Irish people are resolved to render cathode
emancipation a reality. Every county, every town, every
parish, should meet to pronounce on this question • if they
do not, then will be:but too much reason for concluding that
the manger was right when he made the assertion, that the
catholic Irish were content to have prostestaat aseendancy
perpetuated. When they shall have met there are other
• steps which it will be necessary for them to take ia order to
, give effect to their meetings. but to these we will advert
• when we come to deal with each of the four quotient

seTaiately.
It is almost certain, however, that unless the whole
liberal press of Ireland be brought to co-operate cor-
dially and earnestly for the purpose, there will be no
audible voice sent forth from this country to express
the feelings of the people and the cause of relorm—
public attention, as far as it is aroused at all, being
absorbed by the struggle between the high rent inte-
rest and the tenant farmers.
Lord Clonctirry by contradicted the statement of
the protectionists that he had signed their memoriaL
His lordship, in a letter to the editor of the Freeman,

says :
My Dear Sir—ln the Evening Packet of last evening I
am said to have cheerfully signed Lord Olengall's petition.
This is a mistake ; I lost not a moment in retailing to sign
it ; a reqsisition, calling a mest.ng to dinar the matter, I
churfalir signed, as discussies, in my opinion, tends to elicit
truth.—My dear sir very truly yours,
Maretimo, Dec. 23. CLONCIIRRT.
The Rev. Mr. Kelly, parish priest of Kilrush, has
addressed a memorial to the Lord-Lieutenant, de-
scribing thefrightful:state of wretchedness into which
the poor of that distact have been suffered to fall.
The rev. gentleman who writes, as he says, in con-
fusion, with his house surrounded by crowds of poor
persons crying for relief, and "whose blood has been
turned to water by starvation, thus briefly states the
case of his clients:
In this union (Kilrush), the poorest in Ireland, during the
summer months 30,000 persons—half the present ppula-
tion—rueived outdoor relief. Of these nearly 20,000 have
been within the last year thrown houselees and homeless on
the world. I shall not harrow your Excellency's tender
feelings by a description of their miserable state—whole
families huddled together in miserable huts—in appearance
more like corpses from the sepulchre than animated
beings.,=Several philanthropic Englishmen have visited
1 the district, and saw with their own eyes our situ.
I don, who, I presume, have already given your Ex-
I aellency a faint idea—yet the cup of our misery has only
within the last fortnight been filled up. Not a single ounce
of meal or any outdoor relief his been given for
Idays. Our poorhouse contains over 2,000 inmates. Of
these, 900 are children of a delicate frame and constitution.
I Yet the young as well as the old are fed on turnips for the
I list week. Thousands from the neighbouring parishes, de-
I prived of outdoor relief, crowd about the union workhouse ;
I there :disappointed, they surround the houses of the shop-
I keepers and struggling farmer. Their lamentations, their
hunger shrieks, are truly heartrending. Yet, my lord, I
ea gratified to say that no property is touched—no
threats held forth. I kr.ow whole families in this town
to Ile down on their bad of straw, determined rather
to starve than steal. It is true, that no means are left
astried to alleviate their miseries by many, very many,
eliariuibly risme, of whom it may be said that, if they
I amid coin their hearts into gold, they would give it
Ito the poor in their present extreme necessity. Yet what
avail their efforts to meet the present awful visitation ? It
was determined that a public meeting would be held to
address your Excellency; yet, when a report—alas! a true
report—has reached, that 35 paupers from Mayarta parish,
who travelled some 15 miles in the hspe to be relieved
at the workhsuse, were all drowned while crossing a
narrow ferry. I considered it my duty not to lose a mo•
meat in communicating to your Excellency our awful
situation, which may be imagined but cinnot be described.
One week more and no foW. The honest peaceable poor
of this district fall like leaves in autumn. I feel in thus
addressing you I have taken a bold step, yet your sym-
pathy for the poor has encouraged me."