The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-08 00:00:00

DISTRESS (IRELAND).
THIRD REPORT OF THE RELIEF COMMIS-
SIONERS.
Relief Commission-office, Dublin, June 17, 1847.
May it please your Lordships,—We have the honou
to submit the third monthly report of our proceedings
under the Temporary Relief Act, 10 Vic., c. 7.
Of the 2,049 electoral divisions in Ireland, 1,677 are
now under the operation of the Act, and are distributing
1,923,361 rations per day, gratuitously, at an average
cost of 21d. per ration ; and 92,326 rations are sold.
Of these 1,677 divisions under the Act, 1,479 have re-
ceived loans or grants, and 198 have not yet required
any advance.

Of the remaining 372 electoral divisions not yet under
the Act, we have reason to believe that 60 will not desire
to come under the Act at all ; and 312 have not even
yet sent in any returns or demands, although many of
them are in much want.

If the number of rations necessary for the returns still
to be received shall bear the same proportion to the
number of electoral divisions as those of which we
already have cognisance, the entire number will be
2,388,475; and if the ordinary proportion for children
at half rations be added, the number of persons to receive
relief will be 2,729,684, of whom '2,622,684 will receive
relief gratuitously.
The time and opportunities have been so ample for a
suitable provision for the really destitute, since the Act
was in force, that if the dreadful cases of actual starva-
tion that have occurred in consequence of the calamitous
failure of the potato crop ar a still to be found, the cir-
cumstance can only be occasioned by the neglect of local
bodies, with whom rest the means of prevention.
We believe, however, that these cases are now rare,
and that an organisation is provided for arresting for the
present so :general a calamity with more complete effect
than was probably ever before attempted.
We will not deny that this result has not been attained
without an enormous expenditure, many abuses, and the
adoption of some inconvenient principles that it will be
necessary hereafter to counteract.
As the working of the measure becomes more and
more developed, we are enabled to judge of the effect of
the organisation under which it is proceeding, and of its
final results.

Your Lordships are aware that the principle of the
Act was to enable the different electoral divisions to
provide in each locality for the prevalent destitution by
moderate exertions and a reasonable expenditure on their
own part, aided by loans and grants from Government
when required, and that the Acts of these divisions were
to be subject to the superintending control of a finance
committee for each union.

The electoral divisions in Ireland vary in extent in
area from 257 acres (Blackrock, in Rathdown union) ;
to 145,598 acres (Belmullett, in Ballina union) ;
in population, from 514 (Seacor, in Letterkenny union)
to 135,661 (South City, Dublin) ; and have been valued
at from 3311. 10s. (Mullaghderg, in Glenties union) to
402,5161. 3s. 4d. (South City, Dublin).
For the purpcse of fixing upon an administration for
relief in each division, the Lord-L'eutenant, by his
order of the 4th March, defined the classes of which it
should be composed. consisting of some who had the
greatest interest in the welfare of the district, and of
others who were likely to be most thoroughly acquainted
with its wants.
There are very few cases wherein, notwithstanding the
difficulty existing in some localities of finding competent
agents and machinery, the objects of the Act might not
have been attained with comparative facility, if the per-
sons so designated had entered on the undertaking with
earnestness and honesty of purpose.
We regret, however, to report that in very many
districts such is not the case ; and one result from the
working of the measure appears to be manifest, viz.,
that for a general arrangement a trustworthy local
management, in most cases, cannot be ensured for
smaller limits than those of a union, although we are
ready to acknowledge that, in a great number of dis-
tricts, the complaint is not applicable.
The finance committees, composed of from two to four
gentlemen of each union, have, with very rare excep-
tions, acted with zeal and intelligence, correcting
many instances errors of system introduced by the relief
committees ; but they cannot always control details re-
quiring very accurate knowledge of the circumstances of
persons and families.
Where all classes of members of the relief committees
have combined in good faith and spirit; the administra-
tion has been nearly perfect, affording effectual but
reasonable relief to the really distressed, while maintain.
ing a due check on the attempts at fraud and imposture
that are naturally attendant on gratuitous distribution.
From this degree of perfection, however, we notice
the gradation to some counteracting spirit in the body ;
a wrong feeling of one entire class ; a degree of apathy
or neglect on the part of some or the whole ; a yielding
to intimidation or seeking for popularity, leading to the
abandonment of any attempt to check unreasonable
demands on the supplies ; down to the last degree,
namely, that of actual connivance at the grossest frauds,
and misapplication of the means at their disposition,
which last two are frequently effected by previously
driving any well-disposed members from the committee
by violence or insults.
In justification of ourselves, and as a proof of the dif-
ficulties we have to encounter in the endeavour to obtain
a proper administration of the measure, we cannot refrain
from laying before your Lordships instances of the kind
of abuses practised.
The first to be mentioned is the demand, in whole-
sale way; of rations for a greater number of destitute
than there are individuals in the entire population of the
district: this has occurred in several cases, and for
thousands in excess.

It is difficult to conceive the motive of such a reckless
course. With some it appears to be an idea that, as an
opening is afforded of drawing largely upon the public
resources, it should be the endeavour of each locality to
get as much as they can; while others who are not blind
to the future consequences of such proceedings upon pro-
perty, would completely drain it for distribution among
the poorer classes, under the delusive hope, it is presumed
that the lattcr would then be permanently raised to an
easy and independent state of existence.
In several instances the government inspecting officer,
on the occasional visits he is able to make to any one
committee (having perhaps the charge of sixteen or
twenty), found no difficulty in striking off hundreds of
names that ought not to have been placed on the lists,
including sometimes those of servants, and men in the
constant employ of persons of considerable station and
property; these latter are frequently themselves members
of the committees, and in some cases the very chairmen,
being magistrates, have sanctioned the issue of rations to
tenants of their own of considerable holdings, possessed
of live stock, and who it was found had paid up their last
half-year's rent.

Intimidation (a very common cause of abuses) has, in
some places, been openly encouraged by members of com-
mittees. It is a remarkable fact, however, that wherever
intimidation, or the violence of the populace has been
met with perseverance and energy by the committees and
the inspecting officers, it has in all instances been suc-
cessfully resisted.
When the efforts of the inspecting officers are unavail-
ing in checking such abuses, the only remedy in our
power is to reduce the amount of the advances to what
we see reason to believe, on the best information we can
obtain, ought if duly administered to provide for the
really destitute.

Although we have no doubt that, even under such cir-
cumstances, our issue will he in excess, we shall expect
that it will be in part misapplied, and an attempt made
to charge us with a failure in supplying those who are
really distressed.
In enlarging on these unpleasant facts we would beg
that it may be understood that they are clearly ex-
ceptions, although sufficient in number to be deserving
of notice, and to show in parts of the country a great
want of the principles necessary for minute self-go-
vernment.
In other districts the measure is subject to the decep-
tions and petty frauds practised by many of the order
immediately above the class of actually destitute, and
which cannot entirely be checked by the best exertions
of the best committees. Thus even in the districts
where the service is most correctly performed, the
numbers on the lists will, no doubt, exceed those of the
really destitute; and it will become very necessary, in
any permanent arrangement, to provide for better secu-
rity and tests than can be adopted under this act.
Of these we have little on which to place reliance, but
the precaution of issuing cooked food, and we have every
reason to believe this, wherever it can be resorted to, to
be a most useful and beneficial practice; nor have we
heard any valid objection to it, since it has been under •
stood to consist of a thick stirabout of meal, rice, &c.,
and not of thin soup.
It has been reported to us that the introduction of cooked
food has been universally productive of the best effect.
on the health and appearance of the people. In several
places those who were at first clamourous against it, now
request to receive no other; the ration that as a pound
of meal appeared so small, when mixed, well cooked,
and swelled in its cold state to a mass of substance
weighing from three to five pounds, exhibits manifestly
a very reasonable amount of subsistence, and is frequently
acknowledged as such even by those who have to depend
upon it.
In many respects, although subject to many of the
evils and abuses to which we have before referred, we
can report that the principal objects of the Act have
been attained.
The absolute starvation that was widely spread over
the land has been generally arrested, as has also the
progress of the particular diseases engendered by the
. great destitution previously experienced.
As an instance we may give the union of Skibbereen,
with its dependent electoral division of Schull, the
sufferings of which districts were so notorious.
Although much wretchedness is still to be found in
them, there is now a provision made for every part of
the union, the population is gradually amending from
their former emaciated state, and the people are be-
ginning to turn their attention to future occupation and
tend to their permanent employ-
fnm,
the
hyone p
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lt
ahtei
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es t
rienl
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tl
ha ne
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e
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o
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find that the cost
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and
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as it is, will not much exceed
relief works, which left vast m
des-
titute totally unprovided, though assisted at the same
numbers
two-thirds
theof that
nsosotf
the
ttiimones.
b y large donations from the great charitable associa-
Since our last report, the Temporary Fever Act, 10
Vie., cap. 22, has come into operation.
We have reason to believe that the power given to re-
lief committees to attend to the proper burial of those
who die in a state of destitution, and to clear away nui-
sst
oai
vnuepc,l
re‘.3,‘
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dot vh(
,rpne
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ra,
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sdraettycheal
eenampn,otseedevmeact al
obi t
temporary
yxd, hsheeanoas
expense,
epbe en
will e x te
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i
tab
lse
have
been directed by the Central Board of Health to esta-
blished, which are intended to serve so many of 481 con-
tiguous electoral divisions as may require to use them.