The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-07-02 00:00:00

DISTRESS IN THE ISLAND OF ACHILL.

We extract from the columns of our excellent cotemporary,
the Manchester Courier, the following appeal on behalf of
the distressed inhabitants of the Island of Achill :
Most of our readers are aware that on the Island of Achill
there exists a Protestant Missionary establishment, under
the direction of the Rev. E. Nangle. It was instituted as a
refuge for the persecuted Protestants of the west of Ireland,
more particularly those who were converts from popery ; for
such is the blood-thisty and intolerant spirit of that damning
heresy,—not only in this particular district, where it is es-
pecially predominant, but in all other places and at all other
times,—that it is only necessary for a person to hint his con-
version from popery to christianity, in order to get his brains
beaten out, or maliciously injured to the extent of the power
of his relentless popish persecutors. The priests in the neigh-
bourhood too, have, under the most awful threats, forbid any
persons under their influence from supplying any article of
food to the Protestants in this establishment; and this to-
gether with the scarcity of provisions which at present exists,
has placed them in a most deplorable state of want. The
following is an extract from an appeal from them to the Pro-
testants in England, which we copy from the Achill Missio-
nary Herald, a very excellent Protestant monthly newspaper :
" Within this month, potatoes have been from sixpence to
sevenpence per stone, and oatmeal XI 4s. per cwt. In con-
sequence of the failure of our potatoe crop last summer, we
have been for a long time purchasing provisions, which we
were obliged to import, as the system of exclusive dealing
which the priests established, closed the market in this island
against.our people. This could not be done without a heavy
expenditure. Our labourers, receiving but eightpenie per
day, could not afford to pay more than twelve shillings per
cwt. for the oatmeal, and we gave it to them at that price,
when it was selling at £1 4s. in the market. Under these
circumstances we are constrained to appeal to the Christian
public for aid, and should more than suffices for the support
of our own people be given us, we shall gladly employ the
surplus in alleviating the distress of our poor neighbours
[meaning their persecutors] by employing them in reclaiming
our mission farm."

We trust our friends will not be unmindful of the wants of
their suffering fellow-christians in the sister isle, but promptly
lend their aid at this distressing crisis. We also hope our
Conservative brethren will follow our example, in making
known their condition, in every town in the kingdom.
Subscriptions will be received at the office of the Liver-
pool Standard.

LAUNCH OF AN IRON STEAMER.-011 Saturday there
was launched, from the building-yard of Mr. John Laird,
North Birkenhead, an iron steam vessel, called the Duchess
of Lancaster. She is about 220 tons, and 90 horse-power,
and is intended to ply between this port and Lancaster, with
goods and passengers. She will be of light draft of water
with a full cargo. The engines for this vessel are making by
Messrs. Forrester and Co.

TIIE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.—The annual meet-
ing of the South Lancashire Auxiliary to this society was
held in Liverpool, during the past week. Eloquent ser-
mons were preached, on yesterday week, in the different
chapels, and liberal collections made in behalf of the parent
society : the collection in Great George-street Chapel ex-
ceeded by £lOO the collection in any previous year. The
public meeting was most numerously attended. Highly gra-
tifying details were given, by returned missionaries, of the
success of the society in foreign and heathen climes ; and
spirit-stirring appeals on behalf of missions were delivered
by the reverend gentlemen who favoured the meeting with
their ptegrace.-4/10(m.