The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-17 00:00:00

DANGER OF FAMINE.

DUBLIN, Nov. 13.—The following is the letter addressed
by Lord Cloncurry, as Chairman of the Mansion house Com-
mittee, to Sir R. Peel, and the Right Hon. Baronet's reply:—
" Mansion-house, Dawson-street,
7th November, 1845.

" Sir,—As Chairman of a Committee consisting of highly
respectable gentlemen of all classes of political and religious
opinions, appointed at a recent public meeting of the citizens
of Dublin, the Bight Hon. the Lord Mayor in the chair,
it devolves upon me, as a public duty, to address you as re-
sponsible adviser of our most gracious Sovereign, and which
I do with unfeigned respect, and in the most anxious man-
ner, to call for your fullestiand most immediate considera-
tion to the preaent afflicting and most dangerous state of
the people of Ireland. We can assure you that our infor-
mation is both accurate and extensive ; that it reaches over
all parts of Ireland, and is derived from sources altogether
unaffected by any political party motive whatsoever. Be
assured, Sir, we tell you but the simple truth when we inform
you that the danger of famine is immediate and pressing, and
if not averted by the activity of man and the blessing of a
merciful Providence, must result in a
.pestilence of the most
frightful nature.

" We do solemnly assure you of our perfect knowledge
that the destruction of the potato crop is extremely ex-
tensive, with some slight mitigation in particular localities;
but as a general calamity is extending to all the provinces
and counties of Ireland—nor does the evil rest here—for
day after day the disease is extending. Quantities of pota-
toes apparently in the most healthy state one day are
found, on the ensuing, partially if not entirely, unfit for
human or even animal food. the disease is in its nature
expansive, and it is to our knowledge daily and hourly
expanding; nor is there any rational evidence to show that
that this wide-spreading rottenness will find any other limit
than in the destruction of the entire potato crop. We
do not intend you any disrespect, quite the contrary; but
we do wish to impress upon your mind the awful responsi-
bility which, as her Majesty's principal adviser, you incur
if your Government hesitates to adopt the most speedy and
extensive possible modes of alleviating the impending cala-
mity. Whilst you hesitate, if hesitate you shall, the people
of Ireland are about to perish in countless numbers. May
we respectfully refer you to Lord Devon's report of last
session, where you will find, or, indeed, whence we take
for granted you are already informed, that the Irish agricul-
tural labourers and their families are calculated to amount
to more than four millions of human beings. whose only food
is the potatoes—whose only drink is water—whose houses
are pervious to the rain—to whom a bed or blanket is a
luxury almost unknown, and who are more wretched than
any other people in Europe. We respectfully call your at-
tention to the fact that the foregoing description of the state
of the Irish peasantry was published long before there was or
could be the least suspicion of the most afflicting visitation
of Providence in the destruction of the present crop. If then
such was the condition of a large portion of the Irish people
even in favourable harvests, you will in your humanity
easily judge what must be the horrors of their situation if
the approaching famine be allowed to envelope the entire
population.
"We implore of you, Sir, not to allow • yourself to be
persuaded that we exaggerate the horrors or certainty of the
approaching famine ; we have no motive under Heaven of
misleading or misinforming you, and even if we had you may
believe we are utterly incapable of acting on such a motive;
our only object is to impress on your mind what we know
to be the fact, that famine and pestilence are at our door,
and can be averted only by the most extensive and active
precautions. The season for receiving supplies of foreign
food is rapidly terminating, the northern ports of Europe,
as also the ports of the British American colonies, as well
as of the Northern American States, will soon be closed,
until it will be too late to receive supplies from these
countries. Other foreign countries—afflicted by a similar
calamity—have already been before us in the market, and
are daily enhancing the price of those supplies, which our
Government might otherwise calculate on. The lives of the
people of Ireland are in the hands of your Government, if you
determine not to take immediate precautions, we are unable
to contemplate the extent of the horrible consequences re-
sulting from the destructiou of the people's food, and from the
neglect of the protection of Government. We are incapable
of using any language that could be construed into dictation,
but we respectfully declare it to be our conviction that it is
the imperative duty of the Government to adopt some or all
of the following measures, together with such other's as that
Government may deem advisable to meet the impending

.....
" 1. The opening of the ports of Ireland for all kinds of
human food, free of duty.
"2. The closing the ports of Ireland against the exporta-
tion of oats, either ground or whole.
"3. That the consumption of oats by cavalry regiments in
Ireland be diminished as much as it possibly can with safety
to the public service.
"4. That the distillation from grain be suspended in
Ireland, due precaution being taken to prevent illicit dis-
tillation.

" 5. That there be immediately raised money, by way of
loan, to the extent of one million and a half at the least, and
chargeable upon Irish resources—such as the department of
Woods and Forests, &c. ; and that the amount of such loan
be applied, in the first instance, to the increasing the quantity,
and decreasing the price, of food in Ireland.
" 6. That we earnestly recommend the forming of granaries
in each of the poor-law unions, and other localities through-
out Ireland, so as to bring food within the reach of all its
inhabitants.

"7. That we also earnestly recommend the setting the
people to work without any delay, by urging on and assist-
ing the construction of railways, and also in works of drain-
age, as recommended by Government commissioners, and
other works of general or local utility.
" I have the honour to be Sir,

" Your obedient servant,
" CLONCURRY."
" Whitehall, Nov. 10, 1815.
"My Lord,—l have the honour to acknowledge the re-
ceipt of the communication of the 7th November, which
bears your Lordship's signature, earnestly calling the atten-
tion of her Majesty's Government to the calamity with which
Ireland is threatened by the failure, through disease, of the
potato crop, and suggesting for the consideration of the
Government the following measures :
" 1. The opening of the pats of Ireland for all kinds of
human food, free of duty.
" 2. The closing of the ports of Ireland against the ex-
portation of oats, either ground or whole.
" 3. That the consumption of oats by cavalry regiments
in Ireland be tdiminished as much as it possibly can with
safety to the public service.
" '4. That the distillation from grain be suspended in Ire-
land, due precaution being taken to prevent illicit distillation.
" '5. That there be immediately raised money, by way of
loan, to the extent of one-and-a- half million at the least, and
chargeable upon Irish resources, such as the department o
Woods and Forests, &c., and the amount of such loan be ap-
plied in the first instance to the increasing the quantity and
decreasing the price of food in Ireland.
" 6. The forming of granaries in each of the poor-law
unions and other localities throughout Ireland, so as to bring
food within the reach of all its inhabitants.
" 7. The setting the people to work without any delay,
by urging. on and assisting in the construction of railways,
and also in the works of drainage, as recommended by the
Government Commissioners, and other works of general or
local utility.
" I give full credit to the assurance that in making this
communication, your Lordship and those who are parties to
it are influenced by no other motive than the desire to aid
the Government in the efforts which they are making to
avert or mitigate the impending evil.
" I shall without delay submit this, as I have submitted
all other representations which have reached me on this
painful subject, to my col'eagues in the service of her
Majesty.
" Although considerations of public policy and of public
duty prevent me from entering, in this acknowledgment of
your Lordship's communication, into a discussion in respect
to the advantage of the particular measures recommended
for immediate adoption, yet I beg so assure your Lordship
that the whole subject is occupying the unremitting atten-
tion of her Majesty's confidential advisers.—l have the
honour to be, my Lord, your most obedient servant,
" ROBERT PEEL.
" The Lord Cloncurry."

OUR INDIAN CORRESPONDENCE.—The army has
succumbed, and Runjeet Singh's grandmother ascends the
Punjab, with the title of Provisional fiegum of the Grand
Duchyof Tar tary. The Divan is under a cloud, probably on
account of that immense cigar, Ben Bolin, who is fuming with
vengeance. The Sheikh had fallen sick at Alicampane, and
was not expected to rise for the present. His maternal aunt
has promised to aid him ; but the perfidious woman is said
to be in league with Runjeet Singh, who has given himself
up to the wildest excesses, drinking gallons of Carrara water
and eating the shells of the delicious cocoa-nut with extra-
vagant recklessness. Should the Sheik rally, the contest
must be fearful; but the British resident has received in-
structions to look on with his arms folded as long as possible.
If a blow is aimed it him, he is to demand his passport, and
retire to the frontier to await further orders.—Punch.
CORONER'S INQUEST.—Friday evening an inquest
was held in the Committee-room of the Visiting Magistrates,
in Horsemonger-lane gaol, before Mr. Carter, one of . the co-
roners for the county of Surrey, on view of the body of
Thomas M‘Namara, a wire-worker, apd trapmaker, aged 32,wh0
was an inmate of that prison, and the particulars of whose
case on a charge of stabbing his wife, have so recently been
before the public. The first witness called was Mr. Jolm
Keene, the Governor of the prison, who produced the warrant
of commitment for the prisoner's remand from Monday last
to that day (yesterday), and said that the prisoner had been
in his charge from the 3d instant. On Thursday morning
last he was informed by the principal turnkey that the de-
ceased bad hung himself, and he, in consequence, hastened
to his cell, when he found the decased quite dead and cold.
He, however, dispatched a messenger to Mr. Meymott, the
prison surgeon, who promptly attended, and pronounced him
to have been dead for several hours. Mr. Keene, at the con-
clusion of his evidence, said the present was the first occur-
rence of the kind that had happened during his residence
there as Governor, a period of twelve years. The jury, after
some deliberation, returned a verdict to the effect, that the
deceased had destroyed himself by hanging, but that they
had no evidence to enable them to form any accurate opinion
as to the state of his mind at the time he committed the act.
WAKEFIELD CORN MARKET, NOV. 14.—The sup-
plies of all grain are liberal, more especially barley. The
wheat trade was firmer this morning, and all fear of any pre-
sent alteratian in the corn-laws having subsided, we 'lliad a
good demand for the old and new wheats, at an advance of
ls. per quarter; common sorts also were easier sales. Fine
barley Is. and inferior qualities 2s. per quarter cheaper. Oats
rather lower, and shelling in limited request. Malt as before.
ILLNESS OF THE DOWAGER LADY HOLLAND.—We
regret to announce that her Ladyship, who has been indis-
posed for some time past, is in an alarming and critical situa-
tion. Her Ladyship's symptoms are of a kind which give
but faint hopes of her recovery. Sir Henry Webster and
Colonel Fox (her Ladyship's sons) arrived in town on Friday.
from Paris, having left that capital immediately upon the re-
ceipt of the alarming intelligence.
George Finch,Esq., of Burky-on-the-hill, in ac-
cordance with his promise in the spring, "that the game
upon his estate shall be destroyed, so that the quantity sur-
viving shall not be injurious to his tenants," has given par-
ticular instruction to his keepers to extirpate the hares as
nearly as possible. Sir Gilbert Heathcote also, it is confi-
dently stated, will shortly issue similar orders (though, per-
haps, not to the same extent), as far as relates to the lord-
ships of Normantort and Empingham ; and other landlords,
it is hoped, will evince consideration for their tenants by
adopting a like course; for, under the present gloomy pros-
pect, when the farmer's interest is so fearfully menaced, and
his difficulties in regard to seasons, insects, &c., are so great,
a continuation of the " game nuisance," as it has long been
appropriately termed, must become odious and intolerable.—
Lincoln Mercury.