The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-11-13


We have received the following interesting COM
r unication from an American gentleman, who
spent short time in Ireland last summer, and was
deeply impressed with the scenes he witnessed
there. He wrote, from London, q letter to Roman
Catholic clergyman in Ireland. In this letter he
propounded certain inquiries, with the view of OBJ
tanning information. The writer desired replies to
the following questions -
I. What has been the falling off in the population
Of Ireland, by famine
2. During the past five years, what ratio DO the
marriages in Jour parish bear to the number IN the
g. What is the ratio of births for the same period
4. What is the proportional ratio of the Catholic
and Protestant population in your parishs
5. What number Of persons usually attend the
Protestant church in your parish
q. What is the annual compensation Of the Pro-
tsstant rector Of your parish also, of the Roman
Catholic priest
4 Who is the largest landed proprietor in yoar
neigh borhood, his income, and the number of acres
held by him!
To these inquiries the clergyman, who is one of
the most intelligent men in the county, made the
following reply. 1t contains information which
should be spread before the people Of this country
ANSWER.
! viii answer, Sa-iatim, to the best of my know
ledge, your different queries +
l. From the government returns, whose accuracy
! doubt very much, We have lost, by the famine,
two millions OF our sturdy population. | should
think, higher three.
II. AS to the marriages, the ratio, in my parish,
and, indeed, you may take il as q model for most
country parishes in Ireland, is abontone to sixty in
the last i've years, proportionaby TO the previous
five years preceding the famine Indeed, am
undertaking the average number Of the preceding
ten years. ia the number taking pllse with me, but
prefer this course, in order 10 oe correct
III The Dir lbs average with me in the last five
hc, ma tO
years in me iately preceding the famine, according
10 my parish register now before me. What a fall
ing of IS therel
w could not tell exactly the proportional ratio
Of the Catholic and Protestan population here. be-
cause the Protestant rector has living called the
parish of Killoe, some nineteen miles long, and five
or six in width, which in the Roman Catholic
church is subdivided into thee very populous dis
trcts requiring the coDjOint aid Of SIX priests 70 do
the spiritual duty OF said three parishes and are al
WAYS much occupied in dscaargng their ministerial
functions !, therefore, only tell exactly the
proper tomato ratio, at present, OF my parish,
forming third of said union. The whole Pro-
testant community With consists in six families,
averaging about thirty persons, hve or six of whom
became Roman Catholics in the last three years,
ard in the numbs the sexton of the parish himself
whilst NY flock at the asst census, about ten years
ago, according to my sworn testimony, and tha' of
the rector, who used al the engines Of the nammon
Of uprighteousness to swell his list and upderate
mine, was six thousand three hundred and three
souls alas! now reduced about one thousand seven
me the Protestant and all other dissenters average
about one per cent.
V. From twenty to thirty persons frequent or at
tend occasionally, when the weather is fine, one
small church OF this town, not including the rural
police, all of whom are strangers-exotics from
some orthodox county sent 10 watch over our fallen
interests and to assist the landlords in the recovery
Of their exor bitant rents
VI. The Protestant rector had heretofore about
three thousand pounds per annum, but this has
been eurtaied good deal by the transformation,
few years ago, into 1.-THE rent Charge paid, in the
FIRST instance, by the landlord, in order to screen
the parson from the odious and accursed duty of
being obliged TO sell the pot and the blanket of
such people as you visited upon your way to -,
the once happy home of your chivalrous ancestors,
and then dragged out Of the very vitas Of the in
cumbent tenant before he pays mis- rack teat The
present 1.-THE rent charge cannot wi, accuracy
calculate, but have heard from Of the agents
who pay him, that 1t averages about seventeen
hundred pounds sterling per aunum, not including
bis tine gebe house, and about eighty Irish acres
Of snd in a high state of cultivation free from all
taxes, except poor rates he pays on. OF that sum
about one hundred and FIFTY pounds year to two
cuIates for tskirg care of tie sous Of about $50
peop'e-ipdeed, the maximum Of his cherished
flock in the three united Parishes whilst the six
Romsn Catholic priests, who have the care and
guidance Of at least 600 people have not for the
1ast five years G speak for myself and my curate
only at presently, had average, the parish priest,
sixty pounds British. and his curate thirty pounds
Formerly il about double that SUN. in the
good old times, in the poor rural districts.
VII. The Earl of = is ore of the largest landed
protretors in this county, having about el 800 pc
sIrum, and demesne of LOO acres besides The
average rent upon his land is twenty shngs per
acre, not including poor rates. which At present
addition Of about five shillpgs per upon the
poor, struggling, care-wsrn tenant Other land.
lords Oh arge nearly double that SUN in the good
counties between this and Dublin but am happy
TO tell you that the whole class 10 this vagaboni
orange county selling out under the cucumber.
ed estates act, when, perhaps the poor people, in
the latter end, may gain something from the
possessors OF the SOIL who. in ge neral, who
have all realized fortunes in trade, at the bar or
other liberal professions, and consequently have
means Of improving the soil, and giving IL at the
real intrinsic value to the tenantry while the for
mer have been a reckless, profigste. unthinking
race Of men, who looked after their ten tntry
at ALL with very few honorable exceptions; and be
sides, hated us and our religion with unmit gated
rancor. They are now, thank God nearly all
consigned to the tomb OF the Clpulets. An 40
cured race has passed away, VINO have ruined our
lovely country, and by their pandsrnz in days
gone BY TO the folly and villainy Of fsrner govern
ments, have nearly blOtted out our fne race Of
stalwsrt men from the face Of proverbially fer
tile Island. They have paid the penalty of
their nsdetds. The very means adopted by them
for roofing out our fine peasantry, has BEEN in the
hands Of the all merciful Dsposer II human events
the prim airy and truly efficient cause Of peop,ing
your country, who unite IN daily prisons 20 heaven.
that ii ey have escaped the tyranny Of this govern
ment, AID enjoy the priceless boon Of liberty
have written a simple but truthful statement
As far as my judgment can direct, IL will give you
pretty &C 5ufate idea Of the state Of things in the
lAEd Of your fo-efathers