The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-05-04 00:00:00

MART-LA•BONYE.

IMPOSITION UPON TIII: 1,1311 PEASANTRY.—Within the
last few days the influx of the Irish into the metropolis has far ex-
ceeded any former period, and consequently, flout the wart of em-
ployment, thilr distress has been most dreadilil, and hundreds of
them have !Tidied to the pa•ishes of St. (;ilea's and Mary-la•bonne
for tiller. the most abject condition. '1 he policy or practice of
the cor.docors of palish affairs being to pass them home immedi-
ately, acco.dingly many hundreds were sent hack, and the pa-
mchial officers of Maryaa-bonne finding, from the accounts of the
poor people, that something very uncommon urged them to quit
their native country, they instituted an inquiry. and on Satutday
Th tens. Thorpe and Whiairgton appeared before the 3lagistrates,
Itaalinson and Griffith, with a crowd of th.r poor persons,
and stated, that they had a communication trt make not unlike the
late inquiry in the City respecting the Poyais settlement.
The Magistrates having directed them to proceel—
.Me. said it would be better for the sufferers themselves
to state the nature of the transaction.

Accordingly one of the most intelligent, a woman named Eleanor
Welsh, stow t! up, anti mated, that she resided at a place called KR-
inalloek, io the county of Cork, whereshe lived as her state of life
enabled her. on tee industry cf her relations and family, when
some perions came who appeared to be travelling the interior of the
country, eircularingaeceunts, in the moat glowing terms, of the high
wages in England, and the general want of workmen, who, they
said, were paid 6s. per day, and in consequence of the great de.'
mend for hands, women were employed regularly through the year
at 3s. per dem. This to her was •• glorious news"—aecerding to
her own words—as by the very utmost of laborious exertion, the'
men of her family could only obtein from ltd. to Ina. per day, and
they all took the very first epportunity of bettering their fiw-
tunes in another land, urged particularly by her. as she
perceived daily tit_ husbands, lathers, and brothers cf her eurround-
mg reighbours led to prison and execution for crimes which their
excessive pov, rty had caused. They all accordingly sold the little!
remains of their property. and walked to the city of Cork, a distance I
of 30 miles frren Killmallock, where the saute story was continiteel
among the persons engaged in procuring paesengeni toe the steam.
packets and traders at ti:at port, and she and between lOU anti 200
other* embarked, paying 16s, each, passage money, to Bristol, tieing
obliged to find their own stores; hut, from the !shortness of the
veyage, the wily privation they experienced that they severely telt
w•:‘, the want of water fee tea or entire. which was denied them, at
the mire time it hyirg iatieteted, that by paying they could pro
titre tea or celree, a Inch they c nail not obtain, the prices being
I•eyend their merino, as the passage morey had nearly enrsittneil
t'•eir :dl; and they were, when landed, cotepelkil to walk front
(iris.( leedon. a di:. arce of 112 miles, depending chilly on
the humanity shown them on the road front those sho pitied their
wry-worn appearance. On aerivirg in London, she found, as well
as ail the test had. how grossly she had heen deceived ; and she
now, with her family, implored the Magistrates to return her to
her own country, a hare, if she ceeld not obtain in her native vil.
loge, plenty of the necessaries of life, there were these who would
share v ith lee their mild, and give her their sympathy.
Air. II AW I. I S SON, A*llo WAS much tailrace! at the poor fiesture's
recital, said-- (loot! God ! is it possible that such a thing's* this
could be allowed in a city like Cork, where the authorities are sup-
posed to he so enlightened, anti must be aware, if they chose to
inquire, of such an atrocity being caniedihrward in their port, and
I may say under their eye e"
11r. Baler IT HS, his wortblAilleaeue. said, from his know.
ledge of the attain' of the ports offoak and Bristol, he was conti-
der.t, if such a practice hut etillid; lk !neat have been very clan-
demlt:ely carried on, as he was ehee op respectable ntagistrate or
commercial map, would tolerate nth a practice, ruinous to the
respectability of their character ea Mercantile. men.
'l'he passes for the petit& being rued:" out,
r. RAW LI X SOV said, he should take care to apprise the SCCTC.
tsry of State for the Route Department of this practice, in order
that. en it, being comitu.ecated to the Itish authorities, it nigh:
most effectually he stepped.