The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-13 00:00:00

THE SUN,

DISTRESS IN IRELAND.

TO THE EDITOR Or THE TIMES.

Sir,—l hope you will, in justice to those who have
appointed a general collection in the churches on the
17th (the day of the Thanksgiving), and still more
in pity to the unhappy people in the western districts
of Ireland, who will again perish by thousands this
year if they are not relieved, publish the accom-
panying statement, which has been prepared by Sir
John Burgoyne, for the purpose of explaining why
another effort of this sort is necessary.
It may be satisfactory to you that I should add my
testimony on three main points, having, as yon are
probably aware, made this subject my principal study
for a long time past, and being constantly in the
habit of receiving information, both written and oral,
from all parts of Ireland in reference to it. These
points are—
First,—That the new Poor-law will be enforced in
Ireland to the utmost extent of the power of the Go-
vernment—that no assistance whatever will be given
from national funds to those unions which, whether
they have the will or not, undoubtedly have the
power of maintaining their own poor—and that the
collection of the rates will be enforced as far as it

can be, even in those distressed western unions in
which some assistance from some source or other
must be given.
Secondly,—That there are certain unions in the
west of Ireland where the social system was so en-
tirely based upon the potato, as described by Sir J.
Burgoyne, that it was impossible that the habits of
the people could be so suddenly changed, and new
modes of subsistence so suddenly established, as to
allow of the crowded population which had grown up
under the potato system supporting themselves with-
out assistance in the second year after the failure. And
Thirdly,—That the change from an idle, barbarous,
isolated potato cultivation, to corn cultivation, which
enforces industry, binds together employer and em-
ployed in mutually beneficial relations, and requiring
capital and skill for its successful prosecution, sup-
poses the existence of a class of substantial yeomanry
who hare an interest in preserving the good order of
society, is proceeding as fast as can reasonably be
expected under the circumstances ; and that if the
rich and highly-favoured portions of the empire give
some further temporary assistance to these distressed
sections of our population, to enable them to " tide
over" the shoals upon which they have fallen, the
harbour will, ere long, be attained.
If you consider my testimony on these points of
any public value on the present occasion, you are at
liberty to make any use of it you think proper ; and
it is Sir John Burgoyne's intention that his paper
should be published with his name, which, consider-
ing the accurate information he has obtained in the
management of the Relief Commission, cannot fail to
carry great weight with it.
Believe me, Sir, yours very faithfully,
C. E. TREVELYAN.
Salt-hill Hotel, near Dublin, Oct. 7.

TO THE EDITOR. OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—Notwithstanding the impatience expressed at
the demands for Ireland, we must still, in common
charity, afford her considerable assistance.
Distress still hangs over that country, from which
she is quite unable to relieve herself.
It is not the ordinary distress of a lowering the
condition of the people from one luxury or comfort,
but it is the reducing them from the lowest state
that can support life to one without means even to
do that.
Absolute famine still stares whole districts in the
face, and we must not allow ourselves to become
callous to the horrors of such an evil because we
have had it before us for any given period.
But it is said that it is their own fault, and origi-
nates in an erroneous and improvident system ; sup-
posing it to be so, are we to allow thousands to die
of starvation because they were enabled by Provi-
dence to subsist previously, for almost ages, on an
erroneous system ?
The only other argument against extraneous relief
is that the country ought to be called upon to make
sacrifices to relieve itself, and that the property of
Ireland must support its poverty—a just maxim un-
der ordinary circumstances, and one that has been
adopted by the Legislature in the provisions of the
new Poor-law.
That law, being duly carried out, will compel all
that can contribute for the support of the poor to do
so in proportion to their means, and will reduce the
demand on others to what cannot possibly be met by
that provision.
The extent of the effect of the loss of the potato in
Ireland, however, is still not perfectly understood,
particularly as affects all whose income was dependent
on the land, up to the greatest proprietors.
The great mass of a dense population spread over
the face of the country lived, as is well known, on
the potato.
A family once located on from one to three or four
acres of land was provided for; a cabin could be
raised in a few days without th expense of a six-
pence ; the potatoes, at the cost of a very ltttle labour
supplied them with a sufficiency of a food with which
from habit they were perfectly content ; and a pig,
or with some a cow,, or donkey, or pony, and occa-
sional labour at a very low rate of wages, gave them
what was requisite to pay a rent, and for such cloth-
ing and other articles as were absolutely necessary,
and which with a great proportion were on the
lowest scale of human existence.
The foundation of the whole, however, was the
possession of the bit of land; it was the one, and the
only one, thing absolutely necessary; the rent conse-
quently was high, and generally well paid, being the
first demand on all money received, in order to se-
cure that essential tenure, and only what remained
became applicable to the other objects.
Although of the lowest grade, it was an easy mode
of subsistence, and led to the encouragement of early
marriages, large families, and a rapidly increasing
population ; and at the same time afforded the pro-
prietor a very good return of profit for his land. We
can hardly wonder at the continuance of this impro-
vident system, as it has been called.
The entire loss of the potato in 1846 threw this
whole class into absolute destitution, whatever little
means could be obtained went for food, thousands
died of want, and of course not a shilling of rent
could be raised among them, thus spreading distress
to many superior classes.
The next to these were the small farmers who cul-
tivated from 6 to 20 or 30 acres, and may be supposed
to have been exempt from being much affected by
the calamity, but were not so. They were in fact
without capital ; the food for themselves, families, and
dependents was still the potato ; they had a cow or
two, perhaps a pony and a cart, and two or three
pigs. Their farming was of the most slovenly de-
scription, and their selling produce, after paying
their rent, afforded a little better clothing and a
little more of comforts than enjoyed by the cottiers.
Still, the main stay was the potato. When that
went, everything else at the disposition of this class
was required for food, and with a great number was
insufficient ; the payment of rent was not only im-
possible, but all the little stock and other means for
future continuance of their habitual occupation were
disposed of; and a great number of this class were
added to the absolutely destitute. Here again is
experienced another falling off; for these constituted
the lower ratepayers, whose contributions for sup-
porting the poor can not only no longer be looked
to, but who will themselves, many of them, add to the
number of paupers to be supported.
The extent to which these two classes were affected
by the loss of the potato may be estimated by the
numbers that it was found necessary to furnish with
mere food for many months in 1847, which at one
time amounted to 3,000,000 individuals.
It is usual to consider the property in Ireland
generally as fairly chargeable with the remedy for
the result of this calamity after the first helping
band given to it, but it cannot be so adjusted.
In all parts the evil has been felt, but in some
much more intensely than in others,
On all the eastern side of Ireland, from north to
south, the proximity to the English markets induced
a greater cultivation of produce for barter, and there
are more farmers, graziers, &c., independent of such
an article as the potato, although there is mixed up
with them a large number of cottiers ; but even these
latter have in some degree more resources in available
means for the application of their labour.
These districts, therefore, may reasonably be re-
quired to make the necessary sacrifices to struggle
through the difficulty, and may comprehend, perhaps,
four-fifths of the country, but the remaining fifth--
that along the west of Ireland—remains in a most
deplorable condition, and has not within itself the
possible power of relief.
The west of Ireland is far removed from markets,
and it would require the judicious application of much
capital, and under more favourable circumstances
than Ireland has yet afforded, to raise it from its late
condition of mere self-supporting existence.
The consequence has been that these western coun-
ties are almost entirely occupied by the cottiers and
small holders above described, not only arising from
their backward state as regards the production of
articles of barter, but encouraged by another casual
circumstance in the nature of the coast, which being
dance of sea we inlets,
in deep gulfs and
peculiarly favourable wt
supplied them with an abun-
dance applied to the land was
Hence the great bog of
propagation of the potato.
without food, and the body
the
people there are now
above:hmemeanws without the
rents which could supply their
ing the rest.
In other countries one interest may
c
relief of another; the farmer may relieve the
to the
hethmanu-
lecturer and merchant, and vice versa,
requires it ; but in Ireland there is but one inetegtaste,
being that in the produce of the land.

_
It may be assumed, perhaps, that the people having
now gone through the periods of dearth of the last
two years, ought to be sufficiently provided for by the
abundant produce of the present season.