The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-12 00:00:00

THE POTATO CROP.

The following is an extract from a report of the Commis-
sionera of Inquiry into matters connected with the failure of
the potato crop :

Dublin Castle, Jan. 20, 1846.
We have not understood it to be within our province to
suggest to the Government measures involving important
questions of policy ; but we consider it not only within our
province, but our imperative duty, to bring, without furthsr
delay, under the notice of Government, a state of circum-
stances which appears to us to call for immediate cousidera-
aon, and in which questions of policy may be involved.
t'wo questions of very pressing nature have been under the
con-Iteration of the board, which, for the present, have been
disposed of by a suggestion that those interested in the re-
vective localities shall avail themselves of the Act 1 Viet.,
c. 2t, which enables the Board of Works, upon certain pre-
lituinaries being taken, to advance money fur the executio►;
of local works.

We beg to refer your Excellency to the reports of these
cases, and especially to that of Nobber, as presenting pro-
bable indications of that which must be expected in. very
many instauces ,to occur. We cazinot disguise from our-
selves, that the remedy we have suggested in these cases
may fail of being successfully adopted, and if adopted, may
be but a temporary alleviation of the distress then prevail-
ing; and that eumerouse cases of distress are likely to occur
and some are near at hand, for which neither the Act
pointed out by us, nor any other, as far as we know, in exist-
ence or in the contemplation of Government, can provide ro
effectual remedy.
It appears, from undoubted authority, that of 32 counties
in Ireland, not one has tiecaped failure in the potato crop; of
130 pcwr-law unions, not one is exempt; of 2,050 electoral
divisions, above 1,400 are certainly reported as having suf-
fered; and we have no certainty, until the receipt of more
minute returns, now in progress of completion, that the re-
maining 600 have altogether escaped.
Every variety, in point of extent of loss, and every shade
of subdivision iu point of locality, will be finind in the re-
turns laid before us; and this circumstance, svhile it implies
an exemption from widely extended and uninterrupted lose
in one continuias locality, complicates, on the other hand,
and renders difficult the application of relief in the manner
apparently most desirable, by employment in labour.
The poor-houses will, without doubt, be found a most inn
portant means of relief, and we consider it a most providen-
tial circumstance that such an extensive resource is available
against a calamity more widely extended, and more serious
iu its nature. than any that has affected the Irish poor since
the year 1817. We have the satisfaction to know that the
resource is still open to a very great extent, and that even in
the most distressed district the poor-houses are very far from
beingfull. We look with anxious attention to their progress
towards repletion, as a strong, though not conclusive indica-
tion of the state of the union to which they belong. We
refer, however, to the core tabulary report of the recent oc-
currence at the poor-house at Kells (in which union Nobber
is situated), for a pro 4. that it would be unsafe to rely upon
the state of the respective poorhouses, either as a certain
test of the amount of distress in the union,, or as a sole re-
source fur its relief.

The ordivary expenditure t.)r one year of the poor-houses
in Ireland is about 260,000/., including essablished charges.
repairs and instalments for repayment of building ; and
taking the largest pecuniary estimate of the relief which
their capacity would atlbra, we cannot consider it as at all
equivalent to meet any such deficiency in the crop as that
estimated.

In turning therefore from this branch of resource for the
poor to those afforded by existing and contemplated
law-
for the encouragement of public works, we are suet by diffi-
culties attaching peculiarly to the present emergency.
In all cases 01 public distress, it is necessary, as stated by
the Commission of 1822 (16th May), to prefer small local
undertakings, where employment in labour is tv be given, to
those on a great scale. Works on a greater scale have a
tendency to invite an accumulation of numbers to a given
spot, and probably to disappoint the greater part of them.
That which is necessary on all such occasions is pecu-
liarly necessary now; the extreme variety in the extent of
the potato future, and the minute and insulated subdivisions
of land in which it prevails, lead us to entertain the greatest
doubt whether any adjustment of public works can be made
to meet the need wherever it may occur; and it must be
met, or death from famine may be the result.
Sir John 31`Neill, a highly competent authority, in a
document transmitted to us, estimates. the distance to which
the benefit of employment in public works extends at five
miles only. (Signed)
• EDWARD LUCAS, Chairman.