The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-12-29 00:00:00

A STRANGE ANOMALY.

The London Times of Saturday contains a copy of a
circular from the " Reproductive Employment Commit-
tee," in DW,lin embodying the questions of temporary
legislation and the food relief system, in which we find
the following paragraph :

- • -
•` The attention of the sub-committee have been
drawn to the defects in the food relief system in opera-
tion throughout the country, and the impending danger
of absolute starvation from the difficulties in the way of
importing food, owing to the scarcity and costliness of
frieghts. It appears that hitherto, in ordinary years. in
ordinary years, the rates of freightage from Liverpool to
Tralee bas been usually 7s. per ton ; one fortnight since
it had risen to 14a. per ton ; on Saturday, December 19.
it was 255. per ten I Again, it has been ascertained,
from one of the first houses in Liverpool, that they will
charter vessels from America only to England, and not
direct to Ireland; so that the necessity of importing from
England, subject to this enormous freightage, is imposed
upon Ireland."
-

The same paper of the same date contains the following
announcement, which is the London version of the state
of affairs between the two countries :

IRISH SUPPLIES.-Of the vessels which arrived in
the river on Monday, and which were by no means nu-
merous, in consequence of adverse winds and other ma-
ritime causes, thirteen were from Ireland, laden almost
entirely with provisions of various descriptions, the pro-
duce of that country. Of these arrivals, seven were
from Limerick, one from Sligo, one fi om. Belfast, one
from Dublin. two from Tralee, and one from Cork.
This is certainly very like an anomaly, if it is not one.
Freights are so high from Liverpool to Tralee, that the
population of the latter place are in danger of absolute
starvation. Yet Tralee and other ports are shipping off
their produce to the British metropolis. The common
sense plan to procure cheap food one should imagine
would be to save these exorbitant frieghts ; for Tralee to
buy at Tralee its food, instead of shipping it to Liverpool
or London, in order to buy it back again I

rious.
CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY.—Each successive day
affords fresh demonstration of the alarming position of this
ill-fated country ; and the gloomy, uncheering prospects
which are admittedly in perspective, are subjects of so
momentous—so paramount importance, as to call loudly
—imperatively, for the co-operation of all classes of the
community, to use their most strenuous efforts to avert
the evils which threaten to subvert the whole fabric of
society, and bring ruin and devastation in their train.
The columns of our contemporaries teem with accounts
of outrages on person and property, to an extent which
the annals of crime in this country never hitherto bore
any semblance. The Cork Examiner contains a history
of ravages making by gaunt famine in the neighbourhood
of Skibbereen, of so horrifying a nature, that the mind
shrinks from the perusal of the dreadful details. Men,
who, a few short weeks since, were strong and stalworth,
in the prime of life's vigour, fall, stricken by death, the
victims of destination and famine. Women, children, and RAILWAY INTE L.LitiElv CE.
unconscious infants, on the mothers' breasts, pine be-
neath the overwhelming pressure of want and misery, and The Aberdeen Railway Company are advertising for
find relief only by becoming the tenants of their coffinless two or three thousand labourers.
graves ! This is no idle romance—it is fearful reality—of On Saturday, the first portion of the works, for an
almost every day occurrence, in that ill-fated locality, immense station at Carlisle, was commenced. The station
which has become in these sad times, a place of unenvia- will be 800 yards long.
ble notoriety.—Tipperary Constitution. The directors of the Fleetwood, Preston, and West
EFFECTS OF A GOOD EXAMPLE.—The Derry Journal Riding Junction have been authorised by the shareholders
says :—Amid the want and wretchedness which prevail to proceed with the branch from Mitton to Burnley.
throughout the greater part of Donegal, it gives us much The Preston and Longridge railway has been disposed
pleasure to state, that there is one sunny spot on which, of to the Fleetwood, Preston, and West Riding Junction
comparatively speaking, no gloom or sorrow dwells. The railway.
beau iful glen of Dunloughey, adjoining the estate of A few days since, a train on the Bristol and Birmingham
Lord George Ilill, at Gwedore, is as much distinguished Railway ran into a flock of sheep strayed on the line; four
by the comfort and industry of its inhabitants, as it is by were killed, and several others much injured.
the beauty of its scenery, and its delightfully romantic po- On Thursday last, a single train on the Eastern Coun-
sition. Mr. Russell, an English gentleman, purchased ties Railway, brought no less than 2,000 packages of
the property a short time ago from Sir James Dombrain, poultry and game to London.
and no exertion or expense has been spared by him to de_ LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER.—Within the last few
velop its capabilities. He has produced a crop of turnips days the ground for widening this line hes been staked
from the bog which would stagger the credulity of any out from Liverpool to Huyton, and the double set of rails
agriculturist. On every side fencing, draining, and other will be immediately laid.
improvements are being made, which, in addition to the The outlines of bridges, dmbankments, excavations,
great benefit they will confer on the cottiers, will tend to culverts, and drains, are visible over a length of 13 miles
the ultimate advantage of the spirited and enterprising on the Blackburn, Clitheroe, and North-Western, from
proprietor. During the whole of the summer, and up to Blackburn to the village of Chatburn, where the contract-
the present time, every one on the estate desirous of ors will soon turn out their staff of troops and teams.
having employment, had only to apply for it to obtain it ; The new line of railway from Carlise to Lancaster has
and there are, at this moment, upwards of fifty labourers been opened for two trains in each direction, and the
constantly employed at one shilling per day, which is re- trains have arrived at their destinatien without interup-
gularly paid every Saturday night. If the other landed lion from snow, notwithstanding its elevation in places is
proprietors throughout Ireland would "go and do like- nearly 1000 feet above the sea.
wise," there would be little occasion for relief acts or pre- NOBLE COMMITTEEMEN.—A proceeding of some in-
sentment sessions. tereot to the fashionable world will be brought before the
REPEAL ASSOCIATION, MO ion usual weekly public in a few days—no less, indeed, than the appear-
meeting of the Repeal Association was held on Monday. ance, in connexion with the Court of Bankruptcy, of the
Mr. John O'Connell presented a report on the financial Marquis of Douro, the Earl of Essex, and Lord Bess-
position of the two countries, and he thoug'at lae said V borough the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland,-who figured.
count snow that, in justice, tins country ougtit not to e as (no rkauers wilt recollect, as arrectors of Pi row a At-
mospheric Railway Company.-21./ining Journal.
subjected to a rigorous exaction of any part of the present
advances, but that, on the contrary, all, or nearly all, DUBLIN AND HOLYHEAD •PACKETS.—The Dublin and
should be retained in the country. Mr. O'Connell then Holyhead Railway Company are about to build four
read an abstract of his report, and moved its adoption, steam-packets to run to and from Dublin, in conjunction
Mr. Cornet us MacLoughlin seconded its adoption which with the railway. They are to be of first-rate designs, and
passed. Mr. O'Connell, after the reading of some cor- in order to encourage competition and secure good ves-
respondence, rose to make his address of the day. He sell, they have most liberally determined to offer a pre-
dwelt upon the miserable condition of the country, and mium of £lOO to the builder of the boat which, in the
spoke of the horrors of Skibbereen, and this, said he, course of twelve months, makes the quickest passages with
occurs in the forty-sixth year of the union with England. the smallest amount of repairs. Of course the boats will
The post hoc was the propter hoc on this occasion, for be of iron.—Nautical Standard.
the misery was the effect of the union. The learned gent. A solicitor of London has been instructed by 1530
condemned the national committee as afraid of their own shareholders in Remington's direct London and Man-
shadow, for they ought to compel relief. He again re- chester railway, to apply to several members of the pro-
peated his demand of the thirty millions, and though he visional committee for a return of the deposits, in conse-
had been called "impudent" for making it, he did not 9uence of -the funds of the company being improperly
care, for he would be impudent whenever he could be of made use of in the purchase of land, and in the purchase
use in Ireland. They had time now to attend to these of shares in the market at a premium, and in the improper
things as the bye battle of Young Ireland was over. The Payments of solicitors and others, whereby the whole
little party might machinate against him—he defied them. amount stated to have been subscribed, and which ex-
The rent for the week was announced to be £BB. ceeded .£140,C00, has been recklessly squandered.
The Daily News announces that a great and compre- FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Tuesday night, a fatal colli-
hensive measure with reference to Ireland is resolved sion took place on the railway, at the station near Park-
upon, and is to be promulgated by Ministers in Parlia-
I side. It appears that the man who lost his life was the
ment. We select the heads of the measure :—The chief brakesman in charge of a waggon-train, and was what is
laws at present in operation, for employment, improve- termed " slipping" along the line, the frost preventing
merit, and drainage in Ireland, are to be continued, but to the wheels from properly bearing upon the rails. Of
he amended and made more efficient. The action of the course he thus cleared the way for any train which might
poor-house will be put forward as a check, to fling back follow, and unfortunately so dense is the fog stated to
the loiterer, who could find employment elsewhere, from have been, that the passenger train from this town ran
burdening relief funds ; but the warden of the poor will be into the waggon train, and the unfortunate man was forced
empowered to give relief in all cases to the infirm and the from his position by the violence and suddenness of the
really destitute. Emigration will be provided. Not only shock, and instantly killed.
will depots be formed at home, but active and beneficent CARRIAGE OF GOODS nY RAILWAY.—Tae deputation
preparations will be made in the colonies, so as to insure to the Government Board of Commissioners of Railways,
those who wish to emigrate against all the risks of the appointed at the Birmingham meeting of merchants and
poor, unprovided, and ignorant emigrant. The peculia- carriers, to present the memorial praying them to interpose
rity, however, of the present plan of emigratinn is—that the authority of Government to prevent the injury to the
it will be coupled with the choice of settlement at home. commerce of the midland counties, anticipated by the re-
A commission will be issued for the purchase of waste moval of the carriers from the line of the London and Bir-
lands, which are to be enclosed, reclaimed, cultivated, mingham Railway, had an audience at the Goverment
and then oft-red in no large lots for sale, with such facili- Chambers, Whitehall, on Tuesday week. To the memorial
ties as will render them a premium for industry and fru- were attached between 3,ooorand 4,000 signatures, and in-
gality, and the foundation of a class of Irish yeomen. eluded Derby, Nottingham, Manchester, and the Chamber
There are other lands, not waste, that are not cultivated, of Commerce of Worcester. Sir Dennis Le Marchant,
and which in the hands of the poor, incumbered, mbar- M.P.for Worcester, introduced the deputation to the Corn-
rassed landlord, are as profitless to the community as the missioners, Mr. Strutt, Lord Granville, Sir F. Bruce,
bog or the heath. To render these more available, liberty and Sir E. P. Ryan, who appeared to take much interest
will be given to sell entailed property. Government In the important representations made to them, and asked
wilt be ecnpowerea to proceed to the sale of a portion of many questions with reference to the clauses of the me-
those estates indebted to Government which have not mortal.
paid up the interest or instalment agreed apon. 'LIVERPOOL, MANCHESTER, AND NEWCASTLE-UPON-
TYNE RAILWAY.—The public will have observed an arti-
cle in the papers, headed " York and Carlisle," the object
of which appears to be to create fears that Kendal, Apple-
The scenes of misery arising from famine are becoming
by, and all that western district, will lose the anticipated
advantage of a plentiful supply of coals at reasonable rates,
every day more and more appalling. We learn the fol-
in case that portion of the original York and Carlisle line,
!awing from a Cork paper —" At Dinnmanway the re-
situate beneath Bishop Auckland and Kirby Stephen
porter met, on yesterday week, four corpses going to
(which is almost incapable, front the nature of its gradients,
Fanlobus grave-yard. The first was carried on two sticks
for the application of locomotive power) should be aban-
or wattles borne by men ; it was followed be about a
dozen people. Tile next was the body of a child carried doped. It will be found, we believe, that the supply in
in a coffin on a mart's back, attended by no other person. question has been by no means lost sight of, but is calcu-
The next was on a car, followed by ahbut twenty persons; fated upon as a thing of considerable importance in aid of
and the fourth was on a butt, driven by a woman—no one revenue, although it has been found expedient to relin-
else in attendance. In fact, funerals are now of such quish that portion of the project referred to. We learn
hourly occurrence that few have heart to attend them." that a well-judged and most prudent amalgamation has
The same writer states :—" In Skibbereen, no one can been agreed upon by the leading representatives of the
speak to you on any subject but that or the destruction Northern Counties Union with the Liverpool, Moriches
of human life. Men are all day digging graves in the ter, and Newcastle Junction, under the title of the
" Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle, and York and
burying places, and all the carpenters and cartwrighta are
Glasgow Railway Company," the effect of which will be
at work day and night, not excepting Sunday ; still they
to reduce the capital to £3,000,000 from £4,000,000, au-
cannot meet the demands made upon them for the rough-
est coffins. At Ballydehob, the people were dying in all thorised to be raised by Acts passed in the last session of
directions—those living being mere skeletons." Parliament, without almost any sacrifice of the traffic
The reporter says :—" On entering the town you are looked for by the two companies, according to the evi-
dence given before the Committee of the House of Com-
surrounded by famishing creatures, from whom it is al-
mons.—Railway Times.
most impossible to escape—every one of them bas a more
ST. HELENS CANAL AND RAILWAY.—A special meet-
dirtressing tale of destitution than the other. Here I
ing of the proprietors was held on Wednesday, at the
heard horrible details of the neighbouring parishes. The
Clarendon Rooms, to sanction an application to parlia-
parish of Skull adjoining, which extends to the sea coast.
mint for powers to make branch railways to Warrington
It contains 37,922 acres, and has a population of 18,000.
and Blackbrook, to make some alterations, to issue shares,
Here there are but two resident gentlemen—Mr. Lirorick
and Mr. O'Callaghan—the landlords being all non-resi- and take other necessary steps towards the improvements.
It was proposed to extend a branch to Bridge-street,
dent. In this parish, as well as the adjoining—Kilcoe
Warrington, to reduce two inclined planes on the present
and Kilmoc—the deaths are daily increasing. and the
line, and to cross the Sankey Canal to the collieries on
bodies are carried to their graves without coffins. The
the other side. The colliers of St. Helens had promised
R. C. clergyman told me that in Skull the deaths were
The the hoard their support. The necessary capital required
ten a day on the average of the last fourteen days.
was to be derived from 6,366 shares of £25 each. The
people are living on sea-weed and cattle that they steal ;
estimate for the Warrington extension was £77,000, for
they are carrying off cows and sheep every night. Kilcoe
the Sutton incline, 'k33,000, for the Widness incline,
contains 5272 acres, with 2800 inhabitants. They are
£23,000, making a total of £133,000. An estimate of the
dying here at five a day on the average of a fortnight. I
expected traffic was read, showing that after paying the
was told that one family of eight persons were found in
their hut on Thursday devouring a dog belonging to them. working expenses and interest on the new capital, a re-
turn would be left of .13025,000. Mr. Mozley thought after
There were thirteen buried in Skull Churchyard on Fri-
day ; only one of them had a coffin • they were taken on what had already occurred the experiment w_s a danger-
ous one, and would not consent to it but upon good
doors, covered with a little straw. Under these circum-
grounds. It was urged in reply that by altering the in-
stances it is cruel to insist on these wretched skeletons
clines, they would open a coal field, which would give
going miles to and from roads to earn a few pence ; it
them 300,000 tons, in addition to 600,000 tons they now
would be much wiser and more humane to give them a
carried ; so that in every point of view the proposed
little food and permit their remaining within doors. The
schemes were desirable. Some discussion .ensued, at the
stocks of corn are nearly exhausted."
Mr. Cummins, close of which both the resolutions read by the chairman
were put and carrred. There were only Mr. Moziel and
letter to the Duli a magistrate of the county of Cork, in a e
of Wellington, relates the most heart-
five other dissentients. The meeting then separated,
rending cases. lie visited a towniand in Skibbereen, with

DISTRESS IN IRELAND