The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1847-04-24
IRELAND

accounts OF famine, lever and death in Ireland
are sun occupying considerable portion of the
press, but not to such an Overwhelming exten,
as Formerly. They give place partially to dis
Pu'es about the proposed government measures
Tor the relief OF the country and TO accounts ~
murders and outrage. Both the Conservat,nn
ana the Repeal newspapers oppose violently the
passage OF the poor law bill. 1t is denounced as
system that twill be ruinous to the country
mat Will pauperize all classes save the wealthy
landlord and the landed proprietor, bearing down
by the weight of taxation consequent unon ito
auoPuon, 1.-THE middleman, the country gentle
man ana the agrlculturalist, and tending to the
total abandonment of agriculture''-and as a .nlan
10 divide the small means OF the nation amone
the millions OF the poor" From these express
ions one at distance would be apt to conclude
that It Is In reality a measure OF relief in some
degree adequate to the emergency it is designed
to meet.
The country, and little wonder is rapidly he.
coming disorganized. Crime is following upon
want ana misery. 1t is not apparent, however.
that the districts which have suffered most are
those where crime most prevails Lawless men
seem to be taking advantage of the general pros
tration and set the law at Defiance
Mr.. Prim, holding some Office on the public
works in Kilkenny, and having large sum OF
money in his possession for the payment of wag
es, was attacked Mr.. Prim and policeman
were murdered, and the booty carried off. One
OF the murderers was shot in the fray
Similar disorganization prevails in Limerick
county, Kings county and in others.
The county OF Cork is in horrible state. Fe
yer and dysentery are making fearful havoc
among the people. In the city of Cork teyer.is
daily increasing and assuming malignant tyne.
Many OF the poor law guardians and others EN-.
ployed in relieving the general distress have fall
en- victims to it in the country. The gaols of the
county are crowded by class of offenders Great
ed by the famine, and their fear is of acquittaI
rather than conviction.
The Cork reporter says -
Most horrIble-most dreadful are the last ac-
counts from the west of Cork 1t is enough tn
curdle the blood even to listen TO the description
given by witnesses Of what is passing in that
part OF our country, and above all, in the two
CarDeries. 1t is not food the unfortunate people
now want most, 1t is medical attendance. A pes
tlental fever, more mortal and destructive than
cholera Or plague, is carrying off the poor
There is not house from BaDtry TO Skull that.
with scarce dozen exceptions, does not contain
either the SICK, the dying, or the dead The lat
ter lie where they die, or are barely pushed out
side the thresholds and there suffered to dissolve
Their living relatives within the huts are too
feeble to carry them further and the strong.
outside-irom distant paces-and they indeed
are few, are afraid to handle unshrouded and mr.
cofined bodies.
Judge OF the consequences. The weather be-
gins already to grow warm; decomposition sets
in more rapidly than month since. Let us
state two or three facts which we have on unm-
peachable testimony. Our informant has told us
that In one locality, where public works are in
progress, the laborers were forced to examine
cabin at some distance, in consequence of the
noxious and ntoerable effiuvium issuing from il.
They discover ed in it five bodies in an advanced
state oil putrefaction, the whole OF family, who
had died, none knew them.
None oil the laborers cared touch the bodies
and to protect themselves while remaining on the
work where they were compelled to earn their
bread and chance of life, they pulled down the
howell. heaped timber and thatch over the black.
ened corpses, applied fire, and kept aloof until
the dwelling and the dead were consigned to
ashes. Such was the interment This occur.
red at place called Ratoora. In another howell
were found the dead bodies of father and SON
and in the mouth Of the latter was seen the faith
er's hand, three fingers of which had been eaten
of by his famishing offspring. II is our duty to
publish these appalling facts. We have autheu-
TIC information OF others just as dreadful; but our
flesh creeps at the remembrance. We cannot
go on with the relation