The Sun.
London, England, 1831-08-03 00:00:00

FAMINE IN IRELAND.

TO THE EDIT OR OF THE SUN.

Ste,—For the purpose of inducing every one with the
means, as far as in me lieth, to add their mite for the
benefit of our suffering countrymen and families of the
Sister Kingdom, I beg through this medium to state,
that being impressed with a strong feeling for the calami-
tous state of the poor Irish, I went over a few weeks since
into the west of Ireland ; I opened a soup-room, wherein
I have been feeding daily five hundred and fifty children,
at the small cost of one pound per diem. I feed them on
the spot, under my own superintendance, to avoid the
thousand impositions which these demoralized beings prac-
tice in a time of famine. I knew the appetite could not
falsify, though the tongue might ; and, therefore, I filled
the stomach, while some of the other soup-rooms, by de-
livering it out, were, perhaps, in so many eases only sup-
plying the hog's trough. But now, since the press of the
famine is over, I have turned my attention to a more per-
manent good than merely feeding. I have selected eighty
of the elder girls from my establishment, and clothed their
worse than Indian nakedness, to beget in them the virtue
of decency ; and have them now at work, sewing, knit-
ting, spinning, &c. to inculcate the good order and inge-
nuity of employment. I have adopted this scheme to do
away with their resorting to begging, and as a plan of
practical morality, since the priests will not hear of any
thing in the shape of education, fearing religious conver-
sion amongst the children. The system has already been
productive of considerable change in the character of the
girls, for, from a practice of squatting in groups about a
puddle, a manure bill, chattering, musing, or dreaming
their time away into idiotcy, they have become, excited by
the spur of labour, to emulate our English industry. How-
ever, I fear my establishment is on too small a scale to be-
come a " national example," which has been my object
from the first ; and, therefore, I appeal to the benevolent
to assist me with funds, according to their means, to ex-
tend its scale. Their contributions may be sent through
the Relief Committee, Castlebar, county Mayo, and ap-
plied under their inspection.
I am, Sir, your's, Sce.
DAVID R/ATTHEWS.

Westport, July 25.

FRENCH ECCLESIASTICS.—The Cardinal
de RICHELIEU held the office of High Admiral of France,
under the title of superintendent of the Marine ; he had
also created himself Generalissimo of the armies, as the
King's representative. He went to war with helmet and
sword. The Cardinal de LAVALETTE, Archbishop of
Toulouse, commanded troops, made war a long time in
Italy and in France, and died sword in hand. He was a
Counsellor and Lieutenant of Cardinal RICHELIEU. The
Cardinal de Gulsu was at once a debauchee and a soldier.
Having had a bastard by Madame des ESSARTS, one of the
mistresses of HENRY IV., he wished to obtain front him
the priory of La Charite. The Duke de NEVERS had
claims upon this priory : hence arose a quarrel between
the Cardinal and the Duke. The Cardinal, clad in a
doublet, booted, and carrying his sword under his cloak,
met the Duke in a house, insulted him, struck him, and
was on the point of having him assassinated by his atten-
dants in the presence of several persons. The Duke de
NEVERS asked leave of the KING to fight a duel with this
Prelate. Under the reign of LOUIS XIII. the Bishoprics,
the Abbeys, the Priories, &c. were given to laymen, to
military men, even to women. " The greater number of
the benefices of France," says a writer of that time, "arc
held by unworthy and incapable persons; and we cannot
refrain from laughing when some good vicar addresses his
letters to Monsieur Mon ABBE, Captain such a one, or to
Madame such a one who is well enough known at Court."
Lcirdner's Cabinet Library, Vol. VII.