The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-25 00:00:00

IRELAND.

MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE OF LAND-

LORDS.

DUBLIN, DEC. 22.—Another meeting of the Repro-
ductive Employment Committee was held this day, at
Radley's, College-green. A new circular was adopted,
to be distributed throughout the country, urging the
adoption of petitions to the Legislature praying the sus-
pension of the navigation laws, as the means of facili-
tating the import of food, and also that all available
vessels of war should at once be employed in the trans-
mission of food from the American and continental ports.
Another suggestion in the circular is, that relief com-
mittees should be empowered to sell food to the poor
under cost price.

STATE OF THE PROVINCES.

The same deplorable tale of destitution and death is
repeated in the accounts from the provinces received to-
day. The distress is becoming universal, and even in
the metropolis it is very severely felt. The Lord Mayor,
in compliance with the request of a numerous class of
the leading citizens of Dublin, has convened a meeting
to be held in the Music Hall, to-morrow, for the purpose
of adopting measures towards the relief of the poor.
The distress which prevails among the poor in this city
is of a character as deep as that by which other districts
in the provinces is afflicted.
The Cork Examiner contains accounts furnished by
its reporters in Bantry and Macroom, of the appalling
distress in those places. That journal says :
"Another week, and Bantry will see 1,500 men look.
ing out for employment. One fact speaks volumes for
the deplorable condition of the people here, that the
relief committee are about to advertise for a coroner
At the meeting of the committee, held on Saturday last,
Mr. Power said, I have written for the coroner re-
garding the death of a person in the town.
" Rev. Mr. Begley: 'Tis impossible they can attend
to all the business that has recently accumulated on them.
" Rev. Mr. Freeman: Otherwise we will die, and no-
body will be the wiser of it. I really think it would be
judicious to advertise for a coroner.'
" Our reporter remarks upon the apathy and utter in-
sensibility which are fast taking hold of those famine-
stricken beings. In a people proverbially remarkable for
kindliness of feeling, generous impulses, and strong home
affections, this is a most remarkable change. Utter misery
will confound the head and the heart, the affections as
well as the reason. Cold and hunger are sad destroyers
of our holiest sensibilities, and the desolation of hearths
and hearts turns our blood to ice and our best emotions
to marble. A woman bearing the mouldy and putrid
body of a dead infant in her arms, solicited charity from
one of the committee to enable her to purchase a coffin.
She bore the body since the preceding Thursday, and
then threatened to throw it by the ditch unless a suffi-
cient sum was given her for that purpose.
"In the meantime the land is neglected. The poor
people have neither seed nor labour. Some of them, as
a last resource, are compelled to kill and use the misera-
ble skeletons of what was an apology for stock on their
small farms.
" In Macroom and its neighbourhood matters are not
so bad at present. The acting of the Board of Works in
this locality is also unpopular, and spoken of with seve-
rity. The people employed on the works cannot earn as
much wages for the purchase of food as would keep soul
and body together. Their work is task work, and, from
the peculiarly rocky nature of the land, they are com-
pelled to work more and receive less than in other dis-
tricts. There is no appearance of cultivation here either.
The state of feeling of the people in the country may be
summed up in a few words.
" Their firm and undoubtel belief is, that they are all
reserved for the same fate as is daily occurring to their
neighbours—that they are doomed, without either ex-
pectation of relief or release, to expire before the termi-
nation of a few months—that they will be found either
in the fields or on the mountains, without either the con-
solations of clergy or the comfort of friends."
The letter from Bantry contains the following appal-
ling details:—
"On Wednesday evening last a poor man from
distant portion of the parish, exhausted by want and
hunger, was with extreme difficulty enabled to reach the
town, where, however, his physical capabilities were ex•
hausted, and where he fell almost lifeless and unable to
proceed further. The Very Rev. Mr. Parry was imme-
diately called upon, and administered the last conettion
of relie'on to him in the public street, from which place
he was subsequently conveyed to the workhouse, where
he expired in an hour afterwards.
"On Thursday evening I was accosted by a w,rnan
having in her arms a deed child, which she was unahle
to bury for want of a coffin; and which I understand is
still unburied from the same necessity.
" Within the last ten days the Rev. Messrs. Freeman
and Begley have attended the dying beds of from fifty
to sixty psrsons; it is their decided and unqualified
conviction that out of that number there are not
at present one-third of those individuals existing.
There is an important and melancholy reflection
attached to the consideration of this fact, that those
deaths are not in the great majority of cases either
the result of infirmity, confirmed disease, or old age,
but proceed from exhaustion, consequent upon con-
tinued want of food. Another painful source of
mortality amongst the labourers employed by Govern-
ment is the insufficiency of clothing., the principal
portion of which has been long since confided to the
care of the pawnbroker, or sold to the most available
purchaser. The condition of the people ir. this part of
the country is such, that their immediate friends hardly
recognise them, as the Rev. Mr. Freeman observed, ee
extraordinary a metamorphosis has been effected, that
in some instances the Catholic clergy—their constant
attendants in every change and vicissitude—find it diffi-
cult, if not impossible, to recollect their parishioners from
personal appearance.'
" On Thursday evening last a poor woman died s

denly on the road, at a—place called Bawlgurm. Sh.
was on her way to implore relief at the workhouse, but
death, as if in mercy, terminated her sufferings. fler
daughter came into town the same evening, for the pur-
pose of soliciting the aid of the charitable tovrards pur-
chasing a coffin to inter her deceased parent.
" I have heard the details of other cases equally affect-
ing, and resulting from similar causes; but the misery
and destitution which they depict present no diStin-
guishing feature from that observable amongst all the
labouring population living in this and the adjoining
baronies."
COUNTY OF ARMAGH.--The Armagh Guardian states
that attacks were made upon bread shops in that town
on Thursday, by labourers from the public works, sus-
pended on account of the frost and snow. Great desti-
tution prevails in the district.
EXPORT OF MEAL FROM NEwßY.—Yesterday (Mon-
day) morning, as a vessel was about to proceed down
the canal with a cargo of meal, bound for an English
port, it was signified to the authorities that there was
reason to apprehend an attempt would be made to
prevent its removal. A party of the 7th Fusiliers, at
present stationed here, were immediately ordered on
board, who, with Mr. Singleton, R.M , accompanied the
vessel and cargo until out of reach of attack. Innumer-
able hearty maledictions were, however, bestowed on the
owners of the cargo and the military, by the old women
and others stationed on the bridges while the vessel was
passing.—Newry Telegraph.
COUNTY OF CLARE, ENNIS, DEC. 21.—We under-
stand that it has been suggested to raise amongst the
landed interest of the county, a sum of money sufficient
in amount to purchase a large supply of provisions, to
store up for future issue, when provisions shall become
scarce. Meal has now risen in the retail shops here to
33. 6d. per stone. We again repeat this alarming Let,
that provisions are nut in this country.
PRODUCTIVE WORKS. —An adjourned session was
held in Fermoy on Saturday last. Presentments to a
very large amount, for drainage and sub soiling, under
Mr. Laboachere's circular, were voted, on the part of
Lord Kingston, Lord Donoughmore, and many other
proprietors. Lord Mountcashel was absent, and the (at-
tire of his electoral division was assessed for roads, but

the great bulk of the entire sum voted, 15,8 151., was foi

prodiwtive works.

CORK, DEC. 21.—We understand that two gentlemen,
commissioned from the Irish metropolis, have arrived in
this city, bringing with them money stated to be to the
amount of 5,0001., for the purpose of distribution in the
localities of the south, wherever the popular distress
more particularly calls for it. It is said to have been
contributed at the Castle, and by several official and
other wealthy citizens of Dublin. We shall be heartily
rejoiced to find the report correct.— Cork Eaaminer.
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
The following important letter has been addressed by
the Earl of Shannon, one of the Vice-Presidents of the
Royal Agricultural Improvement Society, to Mr. Bullen,
the secretary, and, we trust, that the other nobletned
and gentlemen similarly circumstanced, will follow his
example in rejoining the society:—
" Castlemartyr, Dec. 19, 1846.
" Sir,—l am rejoiced to find that the Royal Agricul-
tural Society have restored the 14th rule, and instituted
measures to guard against future infringement of the
fundamental rules. I felt strongly the necessity of that
rule, to prevent the very inconvenient discussions that
might arise in a society composed of men of various
political opinions, that I felt it my duty to withdraw
when the rule was rescinded.
I feel great pleasure now in restoring my name to the
books of the society, and, as one of the vice-presidents,
will endeavour to procure additional members, though I
have hitherto met with little success.
"I enclose a check for my subscription (101.), and re-
quest that you will be so good as to inform me of its
safe receipt.

" I am, sir, your obedient servant,
"SHANNON.

"Edward Bullen, Esq., Secretary."
THE MINISTRY.
The Dublin Evening Post says, " There have been
absurd and gossipping rumours in some of the news-
papers about divisions in the Cabinet. They are utterly
destitute of foundation. The members of the Adrninis
tration will meet on the 19th of January, cordially and
thoroughly united in their policy."
COURT OF CHANCEY.—(THIS DAY.)
The Lord Chanceilor this day gave judgment in the
Limerick cases—The Attorney-General v. BE.II and
Marrett. His Lordship set aside one of the leases, but
dismissed the Bill in the other case, the party being
* purchaser for valuable consideration, and without
notice.

STATE OF THE IRISH MARKETS.
Dusuts.—Attl
an Dublin Corn Exchange, the canals
being free, we had increased supply o all descrip-
tions of grain to-day. In the beginning the extreme
paid
fc
prices of Friday were r picked ssmp les but the
market became generally dull:he bestancl malting, 61. to Is. we note Wheat and
Oats 6d., and Barley, except
per barrel lower than on Friday.Baryehyita Wheat, 40s.
L. , 255. to 28s. ;
to 44 ; red ditto, 38s- to 4qs. ;
to 26s .second
Oats, 183. 6d. to 21s. 6d. ; Oatmeal, zzs.
Flour, 023. to 2.34. 6d.
MARLOW, SATURDAY.—Yesterday being our market
day, Wheat and Oats were in great demand. The for-
mer fetched 41s. Sd. per barrel, and the Oats 20s. per
barrel of 14 stone. The average price of Oats 20s.