The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1880-02-06

poor in Connaught, and explains why II ID
that general aid is necessary: B
SLIGO, January Ia, 1880. B.
MY Dear Lord: 1t becomes nv urgent
duty to make known to your Lordship, and,
through your favor, to the Clergy and the
faithful of your Diocese, the destitutiou
which now unhappily prevails in every par.
ish of this Diocese of Elpliin, and which
every day assumes more alarming propor-
tions. During the last four years of aeri.
cultural depression our people gradually iost
their means and fell into debt and within
the year which has just closed the failure
OF crops, the exceptional depreciation 81
live stock of every kind, and the great NOR,
tallty in cattle and sheep, reduced the greaf
majority OF the tenant class 70 extrsne,pos :
fy:7At represent moment they have neither
money nor credit, nor the coarsest food to
support life. The few wet, unwholesome
potatoes, saved from the blighted crop of
last year, are now consumed. For weeks
past very many Of the poor have sold or
pawned their last articles of clothing, even
their very beds, in order to buy little In
dian meal, which they could not get on
credit In fact, famine is rapidly over
spreading this province, and the debility
brought on by anwholesome, insufficient
food, during the past months, will render
its work of death rapid and irresistible.
For many years past we have had in this
ill-tated country system of Poor Law Re.
lief; but, as your Lo,dship may be aware,
the man, aud the family Of the man, who
occupies so much as one.quarter acre of
land, be it in the bog or On the mountain
side, is excluded from all relief under
this law, either within or without the work.
house. The law will allow him and his
family to starve if he does not qualify him
self tor relief by giving up bis house and
land, and becoming an inmate of the work
house. Now, as over ninety per cent. of
those now suffering. or lapsing iuto des,itu
ton are small landholders, Poor Law Relief
for them would simply mean that they
should give up forever their poor but cher.
ished homes, and that they should break the
sacred ties OF family life, separating, as they
should at the workhouse door, the husband
from the wife, the parent from the children.
1t would mean, moreover, that they should
either remain for life, pining in idleness
within their drcary, unhealthy prison, or,
after leaving it, lead ever after the lives of
helpless vagrantts. But no; our pure, warm
hearted pcasantrv will not abandon the
homes they were born in ; they win not sep.
arate from all they hold dear on earth thew
will cling to their homes and to each other
till death, and starvc rather than submit to
t@"t iut'uu,au ecoe ur dcstitution. That test
was, really, though not or course avuweuty,,
devised by the Landlord Legislature in Lon.
don for the cheap and easy wholesale cvic-
ton of the small tenant class, which it
thoroughly effected in 1S47. 1t is still
maintained in the Law, to the eternal dis
grace of tho English Government for the
same unhalowed purpose.
Her Majesty's Government has been,
within the last four months, repeatedly
called on to provide employment, and
through employment the means Of support,
for the people of tho destitute counties, by
promoting and undertaking drainage and
other reproductive works, but, so far, it has
neither given nor promised such employ
ment; it seems determined to leave the
lives of the people dependent on the afore-
said Poor Law Act and its Relief System.
In this sad condition We have but one
means Of saving our people from wholesale
eviction aud starvation-an appeal to Chris
tian sympathy for prompt and generous aid
Great efforts will no doubt be made here in
Ireland by those Who are themselves above
distress. Several thousand pounds will also
come to us from England; but all that will
be inadequate to mitigate the distress in one
case out Of ten. 1t is the ever.generous
offerings of the millions Of our fellow.coun.
trymen in America that VIC must chiefly re-
ly for saving the lives Of our people. And
even with your most abundant gifts, the
| help of the State will still be necessary, if
the people are to be kept in their homes,
and if their lands are to be titled and seed
cd this spring in a way to save them from
| another famine in the. coming year.
therefore appeal with the fullest conf
dence to your Lordship and to your Diocese,
in the name Of my destitute flock, and Of
all who need relief in our afflicted country;
and implore you to come speedily to our
aid. In this Diocese, and believe
throughout the Province of Connaught.
there is in each Parish a Relief Committee,
who undertake to inquire into oil cases of
destitution before administering relief. 1t
is through those committees l will distri.
butte the Offering you will have the charity
to entrust to me-
The fervent prayers Of our suffering poor,
and of their clergy, will bring down from
Heaven blessings hundred-fold on all our
benefactors.
have the honor to remain, my dear
Lord, with most affectionate respect, your
Lordship's devoted brother in Christ,
l.. GILLooLY, G. NJ,
Bishop of Elphin,
/ Most Rev. DR.. LYNCH.
Mayor Courtepay desires to make re
mittance to Ireland, on account Of tn,
L nha.l Dol. nH ca IL IA