The New York herald., 1861-12-08

4 N
slas West and Northenst-What n Half
Starved Father Does for His Children
IN nconnaught-Report or Newspaper
recommendations S4faft OF 1he
Uratish cabinet, to Cover its Exterl,aiun-
ting systcm from the sisht.,of the
galway (Nov l9) Correspondence OF Dublin Freemanl
beg 10 let You know OF misery thai oa,se within
my own Knowledge on last Sunday. AS wss walking in
from Salth!h, last Sunday overlook IN, able leak
ing inna carrying basket his back, WI ch ne
on wall Tor few moments, apparently much fatgued
dskee h'n what he had in the basket, pukaid some
black froen) potatoes. asked how far be- had carried
them Hcsad from Furboug "a aisance Of four niles)
asked did no buy them lie said no. he go Them from
a friend. iaskcd what he going do with tAe,n
Ne aA % to ea for he child if they could pieh
ANYTHING oet c them, that be not misery 10 not know
whata send you this that you may know the state Of
the iasoring class here without employ ment.
SCARCITY oy FUEL IN cALwAYa
Tuarh NOV Isl correspondence Of the Dublin Freeman
meeting viii be held to-day ia Iuam in ordor 10 make
arran gements for providing the poor with slei the
scarcity Of which IS severely felt Ills rGrac, The
Archbishop DR. Mactale) hes been the good
work having, from his private means alre .dy opened
coal dsrot FOR meeting he existing want.
REraaR on A NEWSPAPER COMMISSIONER FROM THE
WEST.
lFrom the London I, 81. Nov. lel
SG Ts'ers Ne,gs LETTER IA tory Journal OF Lahliu pub
fishes tha rst OF series of letters the Of the
West from special correspondent Already must be
bered the Chief Secretary has stated tba though
great RESTITUTION exists there the people are nos in the
Their own, have asserted; but many may doubtless
be Anwng from prejudice TO accept Sir Robert Pces
declaration ON the point AS satisfactory j. ell that,
through another correct information The con
don of affairs in the West about W be rurnis he'd
information which ihere can be no motive in cooring or
dgstorting. sf5 tHt
The reporter OF dandsrs ye,es Letter writes:-
&c PoRruhsA, Galway. Soy. I6, 1851.
The gloomy accounts which have been in circulation
Tor some time past relative to tho state Of The stern dis
cts OF Ireland and Of the harvest gepapay throughout
shls part OF the country, render desirable that more
accurate Information than that OF should be
obtanct on subject OF much Interest Importance
The real condition Of affairs also require publicity more
extensive than occasional communications press OF
this country Which though possibly cGyrectly made can
not supply tint general information which careful
affected BY unuspni distress can afford Is has therefore
become my duty TO visit the west, SOUTH and northwest
counties in Ireland west Of the ryaf shannon ana 10
state accur teiy and freely the pesen condition of the
people III those parts OF the corv where distress now
exists ahere il is expected to he most severely felt
during the coming winter.
On tny yay to Portumas Ivisled Athonc and Banas.
oe and feom tho information acqusd in those localities
from Trustworthy sources, am ira position state that
the failure 81 the potato crop tue deficiency OF tho har
ge1e ally, and above all the fuel are of sun
cent exent TO justify tho prevalent opinion that this
winter will be Of severe distress ard prvaton to the
poose2 Classes Faine, such the appalling visitation
of lsi7 Is not to be apprehcnded but between AZ.
treme point and te,.ordnarN condition OF tho small
far and the peasantry Of ta west Of Ireland there
arc many degrees al misery through which large I'M.
soi tie people of This proyAee are fear destined 10
pnss. The landed propretere, however may m, CD to
riigate the ei by indulgence towards such their
tsnents as ayfnlered severe losses ana by givy e
poymen in tia drainage an2 other Improvement Of their
estatesa asGro which win be not only of clarity
and beuevolepcelo the lahoring classes but mua uit
\ mately prove highly rempgsratTe TO themselves.
The eopowil cndeayqr 10 keep out OF the wc7ahouse
as long as taey can, and eiN esd0ge ne det altering
rather than rsot to IT. 50 ae'as a'd dep seated Is eir dis
hk' u tas f; aut lsts are 100 many wheso scany
store of psSt- theis only food, will be ertifey sx
haused Two or three months and who mas. therefore
seek for reiic under tae poor laws have to be-
Neyc ht in the southern district Of the bar9ay Of Ath
lone e iiare V rs fsao crop has bce,l utasal ia ne
te 1msa,led lands and in reclaimed hog u such soils
the tuaois appear ID have ceased growing early
stage; that the potatoes that VI saipted With
the disease are Of ae ta,te focd they ayer attained
the usual size or rened Of ths ar.De boforoion ca
nearly one.tdt IS tainted, and the eare cT9a indp thefore
Be considered 10 Sc aiserdIle failure In Jry prayely m
| land whore the soil has been worked deeply and wel
rsanured, the crop is better the plant graw TO ad
vanced stage, but is still vey interior u quality, and
| usual weight buk and there 3 AZ least one Third
diseased The accounts from one or tgo places
unavorable. For example, Twas Informed that IN the
| parish OF Kilton, about five nltes from Athlone,
where the soil is of grarey character the potatoes
good aud not much affected by the disease This, how
ever is exceptional During the two years
great mortality prevailed among pigs, large numbers
having died from distempcr Nanyof the small farmers
aoso 'eaom pigs and consequently are unable to use
diseased and half grown potatoes in any profitable way
Tie oa crop Is rery inGee1a N quantity and large por
which WAS generally the case With the small farmers
and in cold undraned land, were unrpe and uncut TIL a
period, and now yielding very poor return
The raising green crops {.arnps and mangods) has
increased considerably within the last few years partcu-
lary direction Of the Seven Churches There
growth Of green crops and dairy farming has been
drced TO some extent There also numbers Of young
cattle 10 abor. This district appears to be
proving but the want Of good leading road into the
town Of Athonc serious Inconvenience farmers
addition to the failure Of the potato crop, loss Of
pigs and scanty return OF oats the andholders of tn
district suffered dreaduy this year from continued
overfowngs of tha shannon As shall have
rcfer this subject again. IL be here passed over
with the remark that the statements already published
certainly do not the amount of damage sus-
tained Tho crops of hay swept away, rendered Ut
L lnecnc Gtataa
landholders Tho extensive callows upon which they
grazed their cattle during the and carly winter
unayaing this Many Of the small farmers
declared that they might have up under the loss
their potatoes but that the destruction OK their cattle
arising from of pasture and loss OF hay win ruin
them In this district aboupding with bogs there will
be great suffering from Of fuel Large quantities OF
turf in the spring and early summer but the
process of drying prevented by continued wet In
many places the bogs inaccessible and horses
owing to the main drains being much swollen by
the rise Of the Shannon. ] told by several
farmers that their turf is in as bad or
condition than when 1t was cut
in the beginning Of summer. There was miser.
ably small supply in the market Of Athlonc on Tuesday
ami though Of very inferior quality IL brought fully dou
bic last years price, aud there is no doubt that VIII Do
come dcAser every day. saw some LOADS OF .ur pur'
chased in the market by persons who live IN iocaues
oMded by bogs but who have been unaple rom .e
cnse already assigned to tho fuel yhg Almost =
their own doors l remarked particularly Una. .nele
scarcely any turf stacked at the houses VI .s
moor Iaboriue pouulaton may pc saiS 10 bsy