The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-01-26 00:00:00

THE. STARVING IRISH

Newton Saville, Augher' Tyrone, Ireland,
19th January, 1847.
Mr DEAR MR.. GROVES,=I can so rarely dbmmand
a moment's leisure that I have been unavoidably pre-
vented giving you an earlier account of our proceed-
ings in relieving the wants of the suffering- poor in this
locality, whose cause you have so kindly espoused. I
have now to report that since the severe frost Ire
have solely supported thirty families, comprising 139
persons, giving them twice each week as much meal
as they required to sustain them. We haVe One or
more of some of these families employed planting trees,
gathering stones,.or any work we find convenient, so as
to encourage industrious habits. We have been for several
weeks giving soup daily to about 100 fersons, and. I he
purchased a supply of turnips which sell at a low prize.
Added to this I continue to purchase weekly half a ton of
meal (generally from Londonderry), and after supplying
the families who • have nothing but labour to give in return,
I sell it at a reduced price to the poor men who are em-
ployed on the public works, an accommodation every day
becoming more valued, as the price of provisions now is
fearful, and seems to become worse daily. Our rulers
have surely been criminally culpable in not devising means
to remedy this dreadful evil. Only think of poor men
leaving their homes at five o'clock on a cold winter's
morning, after a breakfast of meal gruel, walking from
four to six miles to be in time for their work, working the
entire day till dusk, and then, returning the same distance
to their wretched comfortless homes, and half-starved fa-
milies, suffering such fearful toil for 9d. or 10d. a day,
whilst meal is sold at 2s. 4d. to 2s. 6d. a peck ! Their
sufferings beggar all description. Many of the men live
on turnips in order to leave the scanty supply of meal they
can purchase for their children. Wives starve themselves
to feed their husbands to enable them to work, and I know
many cases where the nourishment for infant children was
dried up from such self-denial in mothers. To crown all
the public works are now stopped. The money presented
for at the last sessions all expended, and many persons
who were before able from their weekly earnings to come
to me and pay for meal, now come in their last extremity
to beg me to save them from starvation ! Could I refuse
appeals like this, when I know their statements to be true ?
Thanks to your kind exertions, I have been enabled to
effect an immense amount of good, and I have done so
the more extensively, with the expectation that the ma-
jority of those now dependant on me would be taken off
my hands last week by the landlord, who is expending:
£630 in drainage, but to my surprise I am told not one
of them is to be employed by him.
This disappointment has filled me with dismay, as yoa
may well suppose our funds are almost exhausted, though
I have made every exertion in my power to husband my
resources, but despite all economy of management another
week will nearly finish our supply of meal, on which L ex.
pended all the funds remaining. My private means, on
which my family are depending for months to come are
almost swallowed up in the same vortex,—and after all,
if my poor people are now to starve they might as well
have done so at the onset. I have given no meal since
last Friday, but to a few of my former pensioners who live
on the property of a very wealthy, but most penurious
proprietor, who is doing nothing whatever. Retrench-
ment should be commenced, and I sought to throw them
on him for support. What has been the result ? They
have not tasted food since yesterday morning, except the
food given here to those members of the family employed.
Now I must give them meal to-night or they must starve.
Such is the way I am led to keep up so large a number.
My mind and body are almost worn out. I know not
where to turn, and the very fact of these persons being
hitherto employed by. me shuts them out from other
sources.

I felt called upon to state to you simply and truly the
present state and prospects of our famishing people.
Faithfully yours,
C. MAGINNIS.

Mr. Groves, Rumford-place, will, we understand, gladly
receive any contributions for Mr. Maginnis.

THE QUEEN'S HOTEL RAILWAY STATION.—We last
week briefly noticed the opening of this splendid hotel,
and having since visited it, we were not a little surprised
at its extent and the elegant and substantial manner in
which it is furnished. In all there are eleven sitting
apartments, and thirty-five bed-rooms, together with the
vaults at the back, in which there is a place set apart for
parties connected with the fish-market, where they are
supplied with hot water, &c. for meals, the kitchens,
cellars, &c. The rooms are all spacious and lofty. The
coffee-room, which is lighted by four large windowS
opening en the balcony, and commanding a magnificent
view of St. George's Hall and the Rail ay Station, is
papered in oak beautifully relieved in panelg and arabesque,
work in gold and colour; and in the centre of each pane'
is painted by hand—with all that skill and delicacy for
which the French are so esteemed—a vase of flowers sup'
ported by zephyrs. The effect of the contrast in colour
is admirable and enlivening. The furniture in this roornt
as indeed throughout the house, is massive and elegant i
and though the designs are for the most part plain, thef
are, of that substantial character not only suited to an
hotel, but pleasing to the view. There are four retiring'
rooms furnished in crimson velvet ; and throughout the
bed-rooms are uniformly fitted each with a mahogua
four-post bed, in figured damask, mahogany dressing'
table, and wash-stand with marble top ; and indeed evert
requisite of excellent quality. There are warm, hot, an
shower baths for ladies and gentlemen. Each lobby anr
the stairs are covered with wide Brussels carpet, whiT.',
has been expressly manufactured, and are all similar?'
pattern. The chandeliers, and indeed every fitting, di
play neatness, elegance, and simplicity. The Queen
Hotel will be conducted by Miss Holloway, who has ion
been known to the commercial public as manager of
.Wll
Queen's Hotel, Birmingham, and whose name alone 1.4,„.
guarantee that this house will be conducted in a moll'
that will at least deserve patronage.