The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-22 00:00:00

IRISH AMENITIES.

Judging from the scenes that too frequently
occur at the meetings of public bodies in Ireland,
one would imagine that they were always held
after dinner. As a specimen of the sort cf Ameri-
can frankness displayed on some occasions, we
shall select three extracts from meetings held last
week. The first is from a report of the Clonakilty
Board of Guardians:—
Mr. Callanan : I say this scale of dietary is miserably
deficient ; and I say this, that the ex officio guardians of
Irish unions have killed or brought premature death on more
people than, I believe, have been destroyed in all the wars of
Europe for the last hundred years. It is self evident that the
low scale of dietary of this house has generated all the fearful
diseases that swept away the bulk of the population of this
house since 1845.
At this period of the proceedings, Mr. Donovan walked
round the table close to where Mr. Callanan was standing, and
rather between him and the chairman, for the purpose of
looking at the returns.
Mr. Callanan, addressing Mr. Donovan I bcg you will
take your seat, sir.
Mr. Donovan : Just as I please, sir. lam a guardian here
as well as you, and I can sit or stand just as I please : You
are not to dictate to guardians, clerk, and all.
Mr. Callanan : I beg yeu will sit down, sir.
Mr. Donovan : I will not sit down, sir. I have a right to
look at those papers as well as you.
Mr. Callanan : You had no right to leave your chair, sir.
Mr. Donevan : I suppose I am to stick to my chair by your
orders.
Mr. Callanan : There is conduct for you ; there is one of
Lord Shannon's agents for you.
Mr. Donovan : I beg to call on the chairman to preserve
order at the board.

The Chairman : When the regular chairman has so fre-
quently failed in his efforts to keep order here, it is hard to
expert that I, a temporary chairman, can do so.
Mr. Callanan : When the nominees of ex-offieio guardians
want to do the work of their employers, they always name as
certain authority-
Mr. Donovan : I have only to say---=
Mr. Callanan : I must now call for the protection of the chair
against those interruptions.
The Chairman : if you desire to have the protection of the
chair-

Mr. Callanan : I do desire the protection of the chair ; and
I desire you will keep your land sharks quiet.
The Chairman : I don't consider the word " land shark" is
a fit word to be used at this or any other board.
Mr. Callanan : Well, as a matter of taste, perhaps you are
right, but it would be a matter of greater taste if you kept
order. Now, in reference to this dietary statement made by
Mr. O'Brien, to the effect that the scale of dietary in all the
unions of Munster is nearly uniform with that laid down by
the Poor Law Commissioners - _ _

Mr. O'Brien : I have stated before that what I said was
substantially the same, but where special differences exist local
eirennastances will explain them.
Mr. Callanan : Now, sir, I want to know on what grounds,
or on what authority, these commissioners have measured the
stomachs of the Irish paupers.
The next is of a more amusing character, and is
from the Southern Reporter's account of a meeting
of a Harbour Board Committee :

Mr. Hargrave : I move Mr. Sheehan to the chair. (Hear,
hear.)
Mr. Sheehan : Oh, nonsense, man. I won't, for I have
a charge to bring against Ms. Bremner and the Secretary.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. Bremner : Come, Bernard, no balderdash.

(Hear,

hear.) •
Mr. Sheehan : That will do. Wasn't it good ? (Hear,
hear.)
Mr. Hargrave : Come, come, Mr. Sheehan, take the chair.
The meeting wait on your pleasure. (Hear.)
Mr. Sheehan : Och, go to the devil and shake yourself.
(Loud laughter.)
The Secretary : But, Mr. Sheehan, it is your turn to take
the chair. (Hear.)
Mr. Sheehan : Not at all, man. I wouldn't take the chair
at all, because I look upon your " Improvement" Department
as worse and a great deal, more jobbing than the old Wide
street board.