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 or 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
ender cost price.
STATE OF THE PROVINCES.

The same deplorable tale of destitution and death is
iepeated in the accounts from the provinces received to-
day. The (listress 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
--aa Of adopting measures toe ards 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-
gard'ng 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 theist.
" '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
kin Illness of feeling, generous impulses, and strong home
elf ctions, 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'um was given her fur that purpose.
"In the meantime the land is neglected. The pdor
people have neither seed nor labour. Some of them, as
a la't 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 u :popular, and spoken of with seve-
rity. The p iople 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 undoubted 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-
pectatien of relief or releas', to expire before the termi-
nation of a fe.S, 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 fallowing appal-
ling deteils:—
"ai Wednesday evening last a poor man from a
distant portion of the parisa, exhausted by want and
hunger, was with extreme diffisulty enabled to reach the
toen, where, however, his physical ca; abilities were ex
hausted, and where he fell almost lifeless and unable to
proceed further. The Very Rev. Mr. Barry was imme-
diately called upon, and administered the last eonseletion
of religion 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 woman
having in her arms a dead child, which she was unable
to bury for want of a coffin; and which I understand is
still unburied from the same necessity.
" Within the last ten d iys the Rev. Messrs. Freeman
and Begley have attended the dying beds of from fifty
to sixty parsons; 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 lone since confided to the
care cf the pawnbroker, or sold to the most available
purchaser. The condition of the people in this part of
the country is such, that their immediate friends hardly
recognise them, as the Rev. Mr. Freeman observed, 6.0
( xtraordinary a metamorphosis has been ( fleeted, 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 erening last a poor woman died sud-
denly on the road, at a place called Bawigurm. She
was on her way to implore relief at the workhouse, but
death, as if in mercy, terminated her sufferings. Tier
daughter came into town the same evening, for the pair.
pose of soliciting the aid of the charitable tovvawds 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 ARMACIL—The Armayk 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 deeti.
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, ILM, 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.—.Netery Telegrapk.
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
35. 6.1. per stone. We again repeat this alarming fact,
that provisions are not in this country.
PRODUCTIVE Worms. —An adjourned session was
held in Fermoy on Saturday last. Presentments to a
very large amount, for drainage and sub soiling, under
Mr. labouchere's circular, were voted, on the part of
Lord Kingston, Lord Donoughmore, and many other
proprietors. Lord Mountceehel was absent, aid the en-
tire of his electoral division was assessed for road-, but
the great bulk of the entire sum voted, 15,815/ , was for
productive 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 E.zaosiner.
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
The following important letter has been addressed by
the Earl of Shannon, one of the Vice-Presidents of the
Royal Agricultural I.nprovernent Society, to Mr. Bulien,
the secretary, and, we trust, that the
other noblemen' and gentlemen similarly circumstanced, will follow his
example is rejoining the society;-_
" Castlemartyr, Dec. 19, 18-16.
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 th,?, very inconvenient discussions that
might arise in a society composed of mcn of various
political opinions, that I felt it my duty to withdraw
when the rule was rescinded.
I feel great p!easnre 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 litt'e success.
"I enclose a check for my subscription (101), and re
quest that you will be so good as to inform inc of its
safe receipt. _

" I am, sir, Sour obe.:ient servant.
" SHANNON.

"Edward Bullen, Esq., Secretary."
THE MINISTRY.
The Dublin Evening PO6i 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 Adminis
trstion will meet on the 19th of January, cordially and
thoroughly united in their policy."
COURT OF CIIANCEV.—(TIIIS DAY.)
The Lord Chancellor this day give judgment in the
Limerick cases--The Attorney-Crneral v. Bi.ll and
Marrett. Ills Lordship yet aside one of the leases, but
dismissed the Bill in the other case, the party being
a Purchaser for valuable c nsi leration, and withnit
notier.

Dut TIIE
IR,' SH MARKETS.
STAM
O
tha
Dublin Corn Exchange, the canals
we had 'an
tIODS Of grain to-day. increased supply of all descrip
prices of Friday were. In the hegiuning the extreme
market became ge„rats,ul, i!,r pleked ssmples, but the
Oats 6d., and Barley, „Jceuput la and we note Wheat and
per barrel lower than on Fricra
.best malting. Gd. to l=.
to 443. ; red ditto, 38s. to 425. •
).„„ white Wheat, 40
o.its. lA:. 64, to 21c 6d. ; Oatto'elsalarley, 25g.
to 28s. ;
, 225. to 26s ; second
Flour, 225. to 235.6 d.
MARLOW, SATlTRDAYe=—Yesterday being our market
day, Wheat and Oats were in great demand. The for-
mer fetched 41s. Bd. per barrel, and the Oats 20s. per
barrel of 14 stone. The average price of Oats 20a.

"By one of those awful calamities with which Provi-
dence sometimes visits states and nations, five millions of
people, forming an integral portion of a flourishing and
mighty empire, and entirely deprived of food, arc con-
signed to all the horrors of famine. The Prime Minister is
ro:t radar and rightfully appealed to to relieve the suffering
part with an equitable application of the wealth of the
entire body, and he replies to them to look to them-
selves, and to rely on their own resources. Self reliance
is a foie theme when sufficient for any crisis ; but to tell
a people to supply themselves with food, when both food
and means of procuring it are gone, appears like the
requisition to the Hebrews to make bricks without ma-
terials. And does your Lordship, too, advocate, by this
singular letter, the nullity of the Imperial union ? For
forty-six years the people of Ireland have been feeding.
those of England with the choicest produce of their agri-
culture and pasture—and while they thus exported their
wheat and their beef in profusion, their Olin food became
gradually deteriorated in each successive year, until the
mass of the peasantry was exclusively thrown on the
potato. New improvements in agriculture were projected,
scientific reforms in the rearing and feeding 'of cattle
were discussed and adopted ; but to the mass of the
people the practical fruit of these improvements was a
fresh interdict of the-use of flesh, meat. or of flour, and a
further extension of the dominion of a less nutritiie kind
of that same vegetable, to the exclusive use of which
they were inexorably doomed !
"No matter ; a cry of Irish prosperity was raised by
those who were enabled to subject the growers acorn to
the uniform consumption of an inferior quality of food ;
and the same cry was re-echoed from the shuns of Eng-
land, gladdened with the abundance with which its in-
habitants were supplied, careless of the misery of which
that abundance was productive in Ireland, and losing
-fight altogether of the dietary destitution, hich, during
the spring and summer months,its people were uniformly
fated to endure. The English Legislature was not un-
grateful to the Irish landlords for those exporting ser-
vices, so beneficial to the English population, and in re-
turn for the increased quantity of the nobler food, which
alone they would consent to make use of, it furnished
them with facilities of seizure of crops and ejectment of
to:Autry never known before the union ; so that if any
the peasantry should become too fastidious for the use
of potatoes, or aspire to the interdicted food of flesh,
meat, or flour, destined to swell the rent-rolls of the one,
and feed the petted population of the other, they were sure
to be summarily driven from their tenements for not
raising further food for export, and reproached with
utter ignorance of the very elements of agriculture. On
the expulsion of the tenantry to the skirtings of the
mow, cattle shows became all the rage in Ireland, and
meetings were held to witness and applaud the success-
ful zeal with which Irish graziers could supply with still
larger quantities of beef, and pork, and mutton, the in-
creasing demands of the English people. The animals
were exhibited—not such an exhibition, however,. as
when the animals passed in review before him who was
coustituted by their common Creator the lord of the
earth as well as of all its animal productions. In these
exhibitions, this order appeared reversed, and whilst the
neglected condition of the poor peasantry showed the
estimation in which they were held, the unnatural di-
mensions of those pampered brutes would indicate that
they were looked on as the beings which shared to the
greatest extent the kindred sympathies of their owners.
Such, with a few benevolent exceptions, was the spirit
that guided those cattle exhibitions.
" In a great national chastisement, all must in some
d gee vicree be involved ; and though many of the poor are
matims, perhaps from the want of due resignation,
and to teach them that there can be still deeper misery
than that which they endured, the entire destruction of
the potato crop reads an awful lesson of the cruelty of
which that aliment has been made an instrument. It
was intended by the Almighty as a valuable adjunct of
human sustenance to his creatures—it has been abused
by man as an instrument of rapacious wealth, of dire
oppression, and of national degradation. Its destruction
shows what some seemed ignorant of—that the interests
of all are identified ; that one class cannot permanently
flourish, and another be abandoned to decay; and that the
people cannot be pushed to the verge of starvation with-
eut landlords and rulers sharing in all the perils of
their position. The perishing potato is the most formi-
dable agitator the oppressors of the people had ever vet
to wrestle with. But, though the transition to the full
harvest will be severe, it will become, in the hands of
Providence that caused the decay, the fructifying seed
of our national regeneration.
" Such is now the frightful state of this country,
brought on, as it were, by a systematic collusion be-
tween the Irish landlords and the English Legislature:;
and to which Ireland never would have been reduced
had she the protection of a native Parliament. The
famine has not, it is true, directly sprung from the
Union. But severe as it is, it would not be so fatal if
Ireland had net been rendered too feeble to• cope
with the calamity by the emaciating process to which
it had been previously subjected. As it is then an in-
contestable truth that it is to the Union our present un-
Prepared and destitute condition is to be traced, a
have a strict right, without any imputation of injustice
or mendicancy, to large grants, proportional to
the crisis, from the Imperial Exchequer. Wl:ilst
we supplied you with our abundant produce, we
were as dear and as cherished a portion of the empire
as Yorkshire, or any other shire in England. Nothing

ti~ L_,....y ..

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TIIE BARON DE BODE.—Another lamentable con-
sequence of the opposition offered by the Government
to the generally admitted just claims of the recently
deceased B iron & Bode is announced in the latest letters
from Russia, bearing date December, by which it appears
that the lady of the surviving claimant, Baron Clement
de Bode, has expired under excitement and anxiety, oc-
casioned by the responsibilities and peculiar position in
which her family are placed by the recent decision of
the court' in telation to his case. At the same time we
learn that it is the determination of the present Baron
to prosecute the long pending suit with energy, assisted
by the most talented and distinguished counsel of the
day, in defiance of any opposition that may hereafter be
offered by the law and its technicalities. The arrival cf
the Baron is hourly expected.

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