The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-06-18
The Decay or Ireland.

Al recent meeting OF the Dublin Stats.
tical Society, composed Of gentleman OF all
political parties, who meet on a common
scientific platform, an importan. debate
occurred on the condition Of Ireland, in
which facts and figures were produced, es.
tablishing only too conclusively the hope.
less progress 10 ruin OF the people and the
country. The following extract from pa.
per read by Mr.. Gibson, takes up the sub
ject from point in 1862, when he demon.
strated tina, Ireland during the previous
three years had been gradually decreasing
in wealth and population. On the 18th o.
May last he adduced fresh facts, chiefly de.
rived from the census returns, allowing tina,
the decay had not only no. been arrested
but was progressing at an accelerated rate
He states;
What has been the result since January
1852 The population IS diminishing al the
rate Of 100000 per annum. The land is
tic animals are still diminishing. In 1855
the value Of the live stock in Ireland was
435, 36S, 259. In 1862 it was &3l, 90, 325, the
reduction in value being "a, 163, 934. The
decrease in the cultivation OF Ireland from
1861 to 1862 was 13S, Sal acres. From ls6:
to 1868 the decrease in the number oil
horses was q, us. The decrease in the
number Of cattle was ll6,615. The decrease
in the number Of sheep was l52, COL
was SO, 592. Some Of the signs Of the times
are singular. Not only have the horses
diminished in number, but the breed Of
horses is deteriorating, and Populations OF
country gentlemen helplessly petition the
Lord Lie utenant to improve the breed OF
horses. The net decrease in the land under
green crops, in 1868, was 1855 acres; the
total decrease in cereal crops was Ia, 7l9
acres. Against this there was an increase
in meadow clover, and fax, TO the extent
Of II, $40 acres. Thus the total decrease in
the extent Of land under cultivation, from
1862 to 1868, was 81, 49, acres. The ernigra-
ton is rapidly increasing. A. every rail-
way station in Ireland, every day, the wall
Of the emigrants is heard. The present
emigration from Queenstown alone, per
week is GAS. Some things must be repeat.
ed as to the causes Of this decline in wealth
and population, now constant for nine
years, since 1855. By every statistical test
emigration, poverty,
production, cattle, pigs, poultry-for the
present, Ireland is beaten in the struggle
for existence. Ireland partly subsists on
the charity Of foreign nations. About a
million and a quarter Of money, sum
equal to one.fourteenth Of the rental OF
Ireland, is annually received by Ireland
from foreign charitable persons. Tie SOL
diers Of both armies on the Potomac SUBJ
scribe for the starving Irish. The cathe-
drals on the Sein, the Rhone, and Rhine
appeal to the charity Of the prosperous
branches OF the Celtic race; whilst proba-
bly, one third Of the money subscribed by
foreign nations, including America, for
Ireland, goes to pay rent to the absentees
who own the land Of Ireland. In the strug-
gle for existence, the Irish peasantry are
hopelessly beaten as long as they remain
in Ireland. In Ireland they can never rise
beyond the tenants at will-the whole pro-
duce Of the land taken from them except
potatoes and tnrf-their very existence de-
pending upon the caprice of absentees.-
In seventeen years, 1647 to 1863, 426, 42l
have died in the workhouse in Ireland, the
test of restitution being re-
applied. AS regards the SAN
itary condition Of the people, the number
Of the afflicted classes has positively in
creased, Notwithstanding the decline Of the
population from 1856, 1855 in 1851 to 5, $685.
]64 in 1851. During the ten years from 1851
10 1861 the number of deaf and dumb in
creased from $3.50 TO $685.; the number of
blind from 5,787 to 6,S66; the number of
unatics and idiots from $3.50 to l4,OoS.
The law Of lanlord and tenant in Ireland
$ only complicated machine to collect
.ent.
Respecting emigration and its cause, We |
ind the following facts;