The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-21 00:00:00

IRELAND.
DREADFUL CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY.
Dunuti, DEC. 19.—As the winter advances the state
of the country and our prospects for the future become
still more appalling. In many districts numbers of the
people are actually famishing. Popular outbreaks and
plunder of provisions are becoming more frequent, and
even in the northern provinces those evidences of social
disorganisation are now apparent. Altogether the con•
dition of this country cannot be contemplated without
the most serious apprehension; and north, south, east,
and west, you behold the spread of destitution, with
scarce a ray of hope far present amelioration.
In the Cork Examiner, received this afternoon, there
is another very long letter from the reporter of that
journal at Skibbereen, repeating details of hopeless
misery and death similar to those in a previous commu-
nication from that town.
Even in Belfast, where there have been provision riots,
the state of things is little better.
Respecting another northern town the Tyrone Consti-
tution says—
" We are sorry to learn that some evil disposed per-
sons in the neighbourhood of Dungannon have attacked
the dwellings of two gentlemen residing in that vicinity
during the last week, and we are still more sorry to find
that they succeeded in levying a contribution of six
shillings from one, and a pound from another, of those
gentlemen. We have repeatedly stated our belief that
the commission of crimes of this nature should not be
placed to the charge of the unfortunate poor who are
really in distress.'
The Kerry Examiner thus reports from that distant
district:—

" DINGLE, DEC. 18.--DEATII FROM STARVATION.—
An inquest was held here yesterday on the body of
Daniel Lyne, of Miltown. This poor man being sent to
the Fever Hospital at Dingle, on Saturday last, from the
weak state in which he appeared to some charitable
neighbours, thinking it might be fever, was examined
immediately after getting into the hospital by the doctor,
and died in a few hours after."
From other districts the accounts are equally gloomy.
FOO.
The Belfast News LetterßlOTS
gives the following in a
second edition :
"FRIDAY, Two o'ceocit, P.M.—At nine o'clock this
morning, a mob, consisting of about 200 persons, sur-
rounded Mr. Bernard Hughes's bakery, Donegal-street,
uttering the most violent language. A number of the
ringleaders entered, the shop, and said, Give us bread,
or we shall take it by force.' Mr. Hughes refused.
Upon this, the men became very violent in their de-
mands, and doubtless would have fulfilled their threat,
had not Mr. James Standfield contributed five shillings
for the purchase of bread to quiet their violence.
Another gentleman gave two shillings. The amount
contributed was expended in the purchase of bread,
which was afterwards distributed among the mob. This
repressed their violence in Donegal-street; but, instead
of separating, they proceeded in a body to the Church-
street public bakery. The ringleaders, with their furious
partisans, crowded the shop, and demanded bread, other-
wise they would take it by violence from the shelves. It
was ultimptely determined that bread to the amount of
20s. should be distributed among the mob, to quiet them.
The county police arrived, and took the leaders into
custody, and lodged them in the cells of the police-
court. They had previously destroyed a bread cart at
Pinkerton's-row, and after clearing it of bread, not only
smashed the cart, but beat the driver. The ringleaders
were tried this morning at the police-court, when James
M'Cullough and James Mason were each fined twenty
shillings and costs, or to be imprisoned one fortnight.
Henry Mason, the leader, was fined forty shillings and
costs, or to be imprisoned one month. The prisoners at
the police-court, and the mob who created those riots,
were not natives of Belfast, but persons brought here to
labour on the public works. One of the persons most
clamorous for food during the several assaults on the
bakeries, when fined in twenty shillings and costs, paid
1/. 2s. Bd. for his liberation in half an hour afterwards."
KILKENNY, DEC. 19.—FOOD RIOT.--Just before going
to press we have heard that some serious disturbances
took place among the recipients of out-door relief at the
Poor-house this day (Friday), and that a cart loaded
with one hundred and twenty loaves of bread for the hos-
pital was broken and the bread carried off by the mob.
FOOD RIOT IN CLONMEL.
The Cork Examiner contains the following :
which
there c om communica-
tion caan-
tiCeonfthteestElsl.l„hD, EiCn. 17.—Referring fesrtraitneg tot my
dthat
eipectation of an outbreak taking place, I regret to
obsrxve that my information was correct. No violence
over
children—the
t tarhia
took place in the town until t hpraeret oi
n'cltohcek a ifnmtrh. e arrf
lit eery
s u eded l men
wresting k tinogrme no
d-
noon, when several carts laden with flour were attacked
in Irishtown by an immense concourse of women and
in
thet he
scene
carsreeean sobefuy
ote,
ur
their hurry, excitement, and confusion, they cut and
injured a great number of bags, the contents
of which
sacks
o at
tg offthe
succeededpolice
were
mad eeand al
in capturing several famishing
women, whom they
lodged in gaol. The
outskirts and
al
environs of the town presented
terminedwere inches s tdr ce
ewpe.d
t
rag‘The‘e:and
a ppearance ; large masses Of men and women
the different roads leading from it in every
perambulated
direction, and levying contributions on every carrier of
provisions. They commenced by attacking and ab-
stracting 17 sacks of flour from some cars on the Cabir
road, two of which, by, the activity of the police, were
subsequently recovered ; but there was no account ob-
tained of the other 15.
" From the determined and systematic manner in
which the depredations were Conducted, it became ne-