The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-06 00:00:00

DISTRPwO
_.„,, IN IRELAND
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE FORMATION AND CIUIDANCE OF
COMMITTEES FOR RELIEF OF DISTRESS IN IRELAND,
CONSEQUENT ON THE FAILURE OF TEE POTATO CROP
IN 1846 :
thatßelief Actwh recentlywhen
the
üblpassed,ic lv9oraknsd,
floor Vwi cap.eh it
plOl.Ol 7v. Theddei,
requisite in any barony, extraordinary
present sessions are to be assembled.
2. The lieutenant of the county will be requested to
directs
btsee ()me
divide every such barony into convenient districts, for
the action to relief Committees ; each district to consist
of at least two parishes, and the exact limits to be ac-
curately defined.
3. For the districts so formed, the lieutenant will then
be pleased to constitute relief Committees : or to re-
assemble any Committees which may have administered
relief funds within these districts,' during the period
ended on the 15th of August ; and to forward to the
Commissary-General a return of the districts and of the
chairman and secretary (both of whom he will appoint)
of each Committee.
4. When Committees which have had relief funds are
to be re-assembled, some modification of the rule, as to
the extent of districts, may be necessary for removing
local objections ; but, under all circumstances, it will
be indispensable that the relief districts shall be within
the boundary of the barony, half-barony, or lesser di-
vision, for which relief works are required.
5. The Relief Committees (whether newly consti-
tuted or re-assembled) are to consist only of the follow-
ing functionaries and public officers
The lieutenant or vice-lieutenant of the county.
Magistrates deputed by each bench of petty sessions
in the barony half-barony, or lesser division, for which
presentment sessions shall be convened, not exceeding
two from each bench.
The resident magistrate in the barony division for
which the presentment sessions shall be held.
The principal clergyman of each church (Protestant,
Roman Catholic, and Presbyterian), officiating in each
parish in the district.
The Chairman of the Poor-law union, comprising the
whole or greater part of the barony division for which
the presentment sessions shall be held.
The principal constabulary officer in such barony
division.
The principal coast-guard officer whero available.
Officers acting under the Commissary-General, and
principal officer in the barony acting under the Board of
Works, to be ex-officio members.
6. As, during the past season, central Committees
were formed in certain districts, there will be no objec-
tion to the continuance of this plan, if their operation
should appear to the lieutenants of counties more desi-
rable, keeping the arrangements within the barony
boundaries, which is indispensable.
7. Each Committee should hold periodical meetings
at the place most convenient for the members and the
object. Minutes of each day's proceedings are to be
kept in a book supplied by the Commissary-General
for that purpose, as also for correspondence and ac-
counts.
8. Three members of a Committee to form a quornm.
9. The balance remaining of each relief fund of the
period closed on the 15th of August to be at the disposal
of the new or re-assembled Committee of the district for
which the fund shall have been created. The treasurer
to be reappointed.
10. All other Committees on forming relief funds, to
appoint treasurers.
otrreraespsuorenrdse.
nce between the Committees and her
Majesty's Government to be carried on through the
Commissary-General ; and it is earnestly requested,
with a view of facilitating public business, that individual
members of the Committees will communicate their sug-
gestions or objects of inquiry, at meetings of the Com-
mittees, to be conveyed to the Commissary-General if
considered necessary, so that the correspondence may be
carried on only by the chairman or secretary of each
Committee.
12. Applications with respect to public works, and
correspondence on matters incident to them, should be
addressed to the Board of Works.
13. The attention of each Committee should be pri-
marily given to the provisions of the Relief Act, recently
passed (9 and 10 Vic , cap. 107), as it prescribes the
mode in which relief is to be afforded by employment on
public works.
14. The Commissary-General will supply each Com-
mittee with copies of the following Acts and papers :
Act 9 and 10 Vic, cap. 107, for Relief Works. Also,
Act 9 and 10 Vic., cap. 104, granting Fifty Thousand
Pounds in aid of Public Works of utility for Poor Dis-
tricts.

Act 9 and 10 Vie., cap. 101, to authorise the advance
of One Million Pounds for the Improvement of Land by
Works of Drainage in Ireland.
Tho Drainage Acts, 5 and 6 Vic., cap. 89-8 and 9
Vic., cap. 56—and 9 vie., cap. 4 ; and where necessary
the Fishery Piers Act, 9 Vic., cap. 3.
Treasury Minute of the 31st of August, 1846.
Papers on the Drainage of Land.
Papers on the use of Indian Corn and Meal.
15. A most important duty of the members of the
Relief Committees will be, to promote by their influence
and example, improvements in husbandry, the drainage
of land, and reclaiming of wastes.
16. The employment provided by law must be of a
public nature ; and the owners and occupiers of land in
Ireland are, by the Act 9th and 10th Vic., cap. 107,
charged with the expense of such works as are indis-
pensably necessary for the subsistence of the destitute
poor.
17. The Government has also afforded many facilities
towards the general agricultural improvement of Ireland
by drainage, not only of the uncultivated, but also of the
large proportion of imperfectly cultivated land ; and
abundant means have been placed for this purpose at the
disposal of the landowners, more favourable than here-
tofore, both as to the rate of interest and the period of
repayment.
18. When public works of relief are to be executed,
the several Relief Committees in the barony are to supply
to the officers of the Board of Works appointed to con-
duct them, lists of persons requiring relief by employ-
ment, made up from registries of applicants for relief, in
tke following order, and not containing a greater number
of persons than the officers of works shall propose to
employ from each relief division of the barony, having
regard to the extent of the labouring population requir-
ing relief in such division :-
1. Persons destitute of means of support, who have
the largest families wholly depending on them.
2. Persons with smaller families wholly depending on
them.
3. All other persons requiring employment on public
works, for whose support it is actually necessary.
19. A book for the registry of applicants for employ-
ment will be supplied to each Committee. As the ap-
plications are received, inquiry should be made to ascer-
tain the real condition of every applicant, and none
s 1
actualoul d
hbeec
ers es git iys t
oe registerede
euft,
hs
ve n
ga s
nsoh aol lt
haeprp
re
ea
sro tuo be in
r ce or
means of acquiring subsistence, than employment on
public works.
20. When lists of applicants are supplied to the officers
of the Board of Works, they will issue work tickets to
shall net personshct w c
onhtoa
in are
allto be em
the applicants
andtsrwhene gis
ter
et
dh listsths
should be stated at foot, giving there the number still
requiring employment. The lists to be revised from
time to time, at the discretion of the Committees.
21. The Relief Committees are not to interfere with
the execution of the works, or with the officers or
stewards; but it will be at all times open to them to
draw the attention of the Board of Works to any occur-
rences in relation to the works which in the opinion of
the Committee are deserving of consideration.
22. It is not to be desired that Relief Committees
should carry on works of relief of the description for
which provision is made in the Act 9 and 10 Vic., c. 107.
All such works should be submitted for the considera-
tion of the baronial sessions, and if sanctioned, they
must be executed only by the Board of Works.
23. When Committees are compelled by circumstances
to provide employment from funds at their own disposal,
it should be limited to small works of local utility; and
they should not give a higher rate of wages, nor exact a
smaller quantum of labour, in any work so carried on
by them, than is given or required upon works carried
on under the superintendence of the Board of Works.
Such works should be carried on by Committees only to
the extent to which private employment is proved
not to be available. The persons so employed should
be paid for their labour in proportion to the work
actually done, and not by any composition in lieu of
wages.
24. The means of providing food for the labouring
population, in lieu of the potato crops lost, are fully
explained in the Treasury Minute of the 31st August.
The importation of foreign grain is most properly left
ionch
exclusively to private enterprise ; and, to a certain
one-half
yteht
the
e amount
Lord-Lieutenant,
agency.d .
extent, the distribution, as well as the introduction, is
left to
xe
- thee
lln m
ls E 25. Donations in aid of subscriptions will be made by
L subscribed,i eu ten a
nt,
awhichh(i
placedmay
amateethnet
to
disposal of the Committees • the amount varying accord-
ing to the circumstances and the degree of distress to be
relieved.
26. On applying for a donation, it will be necessary
to transmit to the Commissary-General a list of the
subscriptions actually collected ; but the contributions
from charity funds of any kind should not be included,
or in any way
27. A certificate to the following effect should be
mixed up. with the personal subscriptimfs.
affixed to each list of subscriptions, signed by the se-
cretary of the Committee and chairman for the time
being
We certify that all the subscriptions set forth in this
lebetoenchcollected e
panudrpose•ds.to the treasurer
it Reliefan y
sum
contributed Committee, an d that therehfraotm
funds i s
It is not necessary that the treasurer's receipts should
be transmitted to the Commissary-General ; they will
be called for by the commissariat odic( r, who will be di-
rected to issue the donation.
28. The relief fund formed of the balance remaining
from the past period, subscriptions for the present period,
any other contributions obtained, and the Lord-Lieu-
tenant's donation, will be applicable only to the following
purposes :-
1. Providing supplies of Indian corn, or Indian corn
meal, or other food, for sale.
2. Affording relief by employment, if necessary.
3. Defraying the
contingent expenses of the Com-
mittee, including remuneration for the services of
the secretary or clerk.
29. The books, correspondence, papers, and accounts
of the Relief Committees • , should at 11 times be open to
the inspection of Government officers, who will be ap-
pointed to visit each barons. and who should be fur-
nished with copies of any do'cuments or accounts they
may require. Detailed accounts of receipts and expen-
diture in the form of
an account current, should be kept ;
and certified copies of them will be required after the
15th of August, 1847.

W. STANLEY, Secretary.
Commissariat Relief Office, Dublin Castle,
September 24, 1846.