The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-03-04
The Condition Of IrelRnd.-The Governme INT
Measures for ReiieE-The Speech OF Lord
Gn1p

Measures for ReiicE-The Speech of Lord
John X nsseiI.
John RUSSELL In Introducing this subject, said he
had more occasion for the indulgence of the House
disposition manifested by the House. that it would BE-
voluntarily bestowed. (Cheers) CHANGING at the past
ana Of ireland ms Lordshp stated that
population was constantly huctuatng the verge OF
psupersm; and that owing to the great variancss be.
tween the lew resident gentry the clergy the aity and
the aboring population there great difficulty in
giving effect to the already passed to improve
the condition of Ireland, both in the construction and
working Of the psrochia boards and other bodies organ
lied for that purpose On the authority of the third
port OF the Poor Law Commissioners he stated that in
Great Britain agriculture constitutes fourth of the
business Of the people, whereas in Ireland it forms two.
thirds In 1881 the number of persons engaged in agri
culture in Great Britain was 6Sl 0o0 in Ireland il
ll3l7 At the same time while Great Britain had
81 600 acres in cultivation Ireland had but IA 600
extent FIVE agricultural laborers for Great Btans one
At the same time, while in Ireland the wages of the
laborer was from 81 to 3D. day. II in Great Britain
from Is to Is Cd great portion Of them not suf
6cienly provided at any time with the commonsst
nscessares of life. Their habtations were wretched
novels, in which several families slept upon straw
covered sometimes with a blanket, sometimes without
even that protection. This their ordinary condition
which was now aggravated by calamity almost without
parallel famine resembling that Of the 18th 18th
century, so destructive and universal its effects
clear hear) His lordshp then described the measures
taken by Parliament and government TO meet the c8am
ty Under the labor act last session the sum Of
$3.50 900 had been expended unproducve works the
obect being inc Preservation o LIE by labor in prefe
renee to an illudged and eliminating charity Sub
sequeny at the request Of many parties in Ireland and
with tho consent OF the cabinet this labor turned on
productive works An active superintendence was ne
cessary, as was found that the labores worked inef
GENTLY or not at ALL IL left to themselves. The total
number Of officials employed under the Board of Works
was now III 6s7, OF superintendent 1885, and the amount
expended was ca 40 366 The number of laborers had
increased from 80 1885 in September os7 in Dece
Der. Last week they were 4S9 000 and he did doubt
that, at the present time they were upwards of halt n
million clear, hear) II was calculated that four or
eve persons gained subsistence for every aborer thus
employed, making tho total number supported by this
plan upwards OF 600 900. (Hear, hear The expense
in December fas5 0o0 and for the FIRST three weeks
Of January was calculated at between E70o 900 and
Many evils had necessarily arisen out of this
system Before tho compulsory substitute of task work.
large bodies OF laborers receiving government pay were
found standing idle; afterwards found that on task
work they could double or treble the wages tbey
had been accustomed to receive and the result was that
there was strong competition to obtain employ ment
upon the public works and farmers found difficulty in
procuring labor to till their land at any um-nay many
Of the farmers themselves who held twenty thirty fifty
and even sxty-eght acres Of land removed their sons
ana laboeS from their usual occupation OF tllsge TO
place them upon these public works Hear hearJ The
want OF food and consequent had so much
increased, that government had come TO the con.
ciusion that was desirable 10 attempt some
scheme by which some of these evils might be neat-
ed, and with so vast expenditure OF money mere re-
lief might be administered (Iear, hear, hesr) They
thought IT desirable to form district relief committees
which committees shall be empowered to receive sub
scrptions, to levy rates. and to receive donations from
the government and that by this means they would be