The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-31 00:00:00

THE WEST OF IRELAND.

We regret to hear that the distress which a few
years since visited Siigo, Galway, and the West of
Ireland generally has again returned this winter, and
is now making large numberS of families groan
under existence. An epidemic of fever,
state 1 to be of a most malignant type, also
prevails and many lives have been already sacrificed.
In a letter to the Lord Lieutenant several ratepayers
of Tuam say, "In the name of the merciful Jesus
send us a doctor in whom we will have
conti,l ence. It becomes our painful duty
toy tell your Lordship that we have eighteen
persons lying sick in a desperate fever, some without
food or drink." The Rev. P. Conway, parish priest
of Headford, has also informed the Chief Secretary
that he has administered the last rites of the Church
tl twelve persons suffering from starvation and
fever. He thinks that their lives will be sacri-
fi,led at the shrine of State economy, inasmuch
as very inadequate medical assistance is afforded in
the West of Ireland by the Poor Law Board. The
worst aspect of the case, the want of money and
food, is generally felt in Galway m. st severely. It
is not a flourishing town, and the communication by
rail between it and other Irish, cities is but small in
consequence of the want of commercial enterprise too
perceptible all over Connaught.
THE LATE PHILIP HARDWICK, ILA.

There are not many among those who have often
visited London who will fail to be ac-
quainted with the name of Philip Hardwick,
architect, whose death we record to-day.
The man was recognised as, essentially one of
the chief architects of the City of London. Under
his direction, the warehouses and large buildings of
the St. Katharine's Dock Company (his first famous
work), the new hall of the Goldsmith's Company,
the handsome entrance of the Euston-square
railway station, the City Club, the Great
Hall at Lincoln's Inn, the Globe Insur-
ance Office, and many other undertakings
which we might enumerate in the metropolis, were
designed and finished. The lamented gentleman,
who was born in London in the year 1792,
was for many years architect to the Duke
of 'Wellington and to the Greenwich Hospital
Commissioners, and had received the gold
medal of the Institute of British architects
and a gold medal from the Paris Exhibition Com-
misiioners of 1855. He was, moreover, for some
time vice-president of the Royal Society, of which
he was a Fellow.
FEMININE PRIVILEGE.

It is remarkable how quiet the women of Paris
have kept hitherto during this siege. They have
hungered and shivered in patience ; not a single
murmur has arisen against the hardships to which
the doings of men consign them. But at length
their spirit of interference has shewn
Sonic dealers in singing birds thought
that a population which ate cats and rats might not
object to their wares, and accordingly offered edible
songsters for sale. But the ladies would not permit
it. The outcry was irresistible. The dealers might
offer for sale, but woe to the inhabitant who
incurred proscription by eating. Fillet of
aw, hashed rat, leg of lion, rib of kan-
garoo, boiled withers, might be tolerated.;
ragout of singing bird never. And so—though the
faithful dog shuns the companionship of man, the
cat is jealous of her mistress, and the rat finds the
sewers no longer tenable—the singing bird chirrups
in peace.