The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-25
The Distress In the IA'and ef Madeira.
EXPRESSION OF sYMPATaG IN NEW YORK.
meeting Of forty or fifty OF ~ most prominea
citizens of New York was held last evening in ~

Il
citizens of New York was held last evening in u
Astor House. Pursuant to the following saaa:-
The undersigned, having received r-om frists In Ma
cena authentic intelligence OF the ea's1 destt Aton,
island by the destrue ion of tho vine sr potato anl
having OF them personal knowledge u the facts,
specfrly invite the eenevoent citizens OF Now York Z
assemble st the Astor Houxe Monday everng tho -
int nj O'Clock to take measures fer the ySef OF thoss
unfori anate suGee.s.
sgned--Iscob A. westerveit, John A.. Dix John vsa
Buren, Henry John Burden, Cicment d. March, Mcses
Grinnell: Simeon Draper, J Prescott Hall, Janus
stagg, Chas A stetson, Robert H. Coleman
Mr.. Mayor wsstervelt presided; Stephen Whitney
acted as Vice President, and Philip w. EpH =
Secretary.
The call Of the meeting having beeh read. ~
Chairman read a letter from Archbishop Hushe4'
enclosing check for $50.
Hon. JonN A. DIX presented t'se objects of tho
meeting and stated this peculiar situation of tho pso-
pie Of Madeira. He read the following letter reosived
by him nom Mr. March ~ S. Consul 1t Madeira:-
MKDnRA, Dec z 1862
Ny DEAR SiRWhen we had the pleasure of your Gem.
pany in Madeira a few years ago the Maiera peoplo.
hol gh poor and aborous, contcnted with their
lot Tor their great industry enabled them tes obtain the
means Of subsistence.
OF them Az you well know, the culture of ths vine has
been the chief occupation of the inhabitants cf Maeirs
or more than two centures In many parishes from tbs
nature OF the soil the warmth of the climate, and the
want OF water nothing cle bsndvantageousy grown
thousand pipes up the present year never failed
But the last vintage almost total failure In
districts where Thousands Of pipes of wine had annually
been made not grape was gathered and in the whols
hand the vinnge did not amount to hundred pipes Of
gsod wine. The condition, therefore, of the madeira
peoplethOse who formerly in good crc stances,
well the poor Aborers-is wofu in the extrcme and
unless foreign assistance be given to them many of them
must die of starvation 1t is feared that tho hosp
tails and the poor houses must be closed the
sources Of their maintenance are nearly exhausted.
Now, itappears 10 me to be beyond doubt many Of
benevolent
BIO happy to give little assistance to the poor
Madeira upon being made quaned with their sad con.
don and the channels through which their donations
would be transmitted
am told committee may be organized in New YORK
for this purpose and should such be the case hope my
dear sir viii geod word to your friends in favor
OF the starving people Of Madeira You truly repre-
sent them being hard orhng kindly disposed,
extremely temperate and religious people And let ms
add that gift Of the yalue Of barrel Of four
couple Of bushels Of might be the Of pro-
% &c. ''s 'e' = N''' ' J. HOWARD % srss MAscM AissRso'
Gen. Dix resumed his address, and made strong
appeal on behalf of Madeira, one of the most beau
titul islands Of the world She asks for assist
ance in her desttution, and he had no doubt that
this great city would respond to the call Mr.. Dix
then offered the following resolutions which were AZ
terwards put and adopted
Whereas large portion Of the Of the island
of Madeira, by failure of their crops in imminent
dagger of starvation and whereas the civil governor the
consus Of the United States and Great Britain and other
dsnguis he'd residents have appealed to tho iberaty or
foreign countries for the relief OF the suffering anders
Therefore
Resolved That sincerely sympatize with the dis
tressed Ieorc in whose behalf aid Is solicited and
that we will contribute all the in power to
Resolved That committee of thirty persons be appoint
ed by the chairman TO solicit contributions from the
bitanta of this city; and that the citizens generally be r-
quested without waiting be called By said commit
tee to deposit such they may be disposed to give
with Messrs Coleman stetson, at the Astor House, or
with either OF the mcmbers of the committee with whom
subscription book will be left for the purpose OF regs
tering all such contributions.
~, Cd hiatt
red to their discretion TO the mode in which the
amount collected shall be appropriated for the benefit
the people Of Madeira.
Mr. HORACE GREELEY begged to add few words
TO give force, not to the appeal made, but to tho
energy with which they would answer it. II was not
he thought difficult undertaking. Here was a
people OF only about hundred thousand persons to
be relieved, and they had given million OF dollars
to relieve the Irish people. They had not now how
ever to subscribe such a sum, but he considered
that hundred thousand dollars, the profits of ona
days business in New York, would be fair share
for them. Madeira was a colony of Portugal, poos
Kingdom. They had also intimate relations with Ma
delra and he hoped therefore, that the amount nece
sary would be Immediately made up. There is vessel
chartered at Bottom, mainly for the purpose Of
taking these islanders sustenance and provisions,
and if this vessel took out to the island intelligence
that New York was to send out u hundred thousand
dollars, it would have great effect in stimulating
the wealthy and benevolent of the island He there
fore urged that a committee should be formed and
an appeal made to the citizens
Another gentleman stated that all should be dome
within the week, and if a committee was appointed
for the purpose he would willingly become a mem-
her of it.
Mr.. VAN BUREN addressed the meeting. He had
spent he said. three or four months the island.
and knew the inhabitants to be an INDUSTRIOUS ac-
tive, honest and virtuous people-but people who
have not been able or indeed from the climate capa
bic, OF accumulnting wealth. They are mainly Occu-
pied in the cultivation OF the vine which supplies
them source of livelihood from day TO day. For
two hundred years this resource had never failed. to
the present time There had been now two failures
within the year. and there was great reason to fear
that the vines would never bear again. The people
OF Madeira improvident rs it may seem to some, arc
the most generous and hosptable people in thu
word but as friend of his had written to him from
the island, they were now exposed to starva-
lon Theirs was case, therefore, which ap-
pealed TO the generosity of the people of this
city and country and the whole world. II
had been said, jocuary indeed, that these poor
islanders had no votes but they had voices which
would make themselves heard in the highest of all
places. Madeira was an island peculiarly favorable
to the invalid and it would hereafter be source Of
great pleasure if Of themselves of those dear
to them should go TO the island to find the gratitude
and good feeling entertained by them towards the
people of the United States.
Scnor FIGUANERo, Minister of Portugal expressed
hi thanks TO the meeting for the sympathy they had
exhibited for his poor countrymen, and assured them
that their commisseration was as well bestowed ON
them as it had been some years since on the inhabi
tants OF the Cape Verde islands. The mails which
had arrived irom England this morning had brought
instructions to the Portuguese Consul TO make APP
zeal to the citizens OF New York, but he felt proud
aud grateful that this appeal had been noby anti
cipated.
A committee of thirty persons was then appointed
by the chairman, TO solicit and collect subscriptions
and vote of thanks then given to Messrs. Cole
man 4 Stetson, for their lberality in placing the
room AT their disposal; after which the committee
adjourned
"AS EXTENSIVE PRINTING OFFicE."-The Bos-
ton Times from which the above heading Is quoted.
appears to be pretty well posted concerning the in
ternal arrangements of our printing establishments
Speaking of our composing room the Times ssys:-
The posing of the NEw York HEIAIp estab-
hment Is probably the largest this continent II Is
IN the i tn story the building and has front of
hundred feet Fulton. and seventy five on Nassau