Year: 1879




province the percentage of increase being greatest in
'''''' Reiieeedin WorhAouss on Incrase.


propi.ces ~ o 10 5M OFT. '7s Ea.rtrs percere,gs
81: ;s;y ;s !: -


Total, 49,. 4sosa 1888 40o9 n2
Increase in paapsrsm during the winter season
sesG st that the Of tSs poor law " unions
them IN but in some OF IL. union. rfesa to- in
which the expenditure has already reached such
will doubt become if employ is
be ~ The
ment and the deficient supply Of fuel are the two nepa
submit for His Graee's consderaton and both subjects
prospects of the during the coming winter and the


of many of the in distressed dis


VALUE OF POOR LAW REPORTS


The poor law unions the only bodies which
supply statistics of the disress but their returns
never cover the whole ground, inasmuch as they
house apply for outdoor relief. As that Is the
last resort many thousands pinched and perhaps
on the verge Of starvation of whose suferings the
must not be forgotten that these official returns
como in till after the evont is recorded. and do
being presented to the Irish Executive The ordinary
food OF the small farmers farm laborers and work
ing people in the towns Is very poor ana tne west
inferior in quality. In ordinary years there arc
many families that never taste meat from years
end to years end" aud those who can
afford it once or twice o week are considered
well to do in those districts. Potatoes and Indian
meal are the staple articles Of food among the Con-
naught and Western Munster peasantry. but in Leln
ster, Ulster and Eastern and Northern Munster the
farmers are better fed though the laboring classes
in town and country in miserable condition.
Thus. when great distress is reported it means the
deprivation OF the most ordinary necessaries of fe
The poor law unions are supported entirely from
local axaton-in fact practically from the landand
the farmers and small traders in the towns have to
about property" being taxed to support these
institutons. The property is taxed. but the land
Saa borne n'Ssy BY the Occupying tenant as the
landlords farm little themselves. When
the crop fails there is little money to
is increased and it is the impoverished people Of
the locality who have to meet the increased demand
Thus the destitution is largely increased.


1t is impossible separate the prevalence Of dis
tress in Ireland from social and political No
matter how it originates these causes invariably
into operation the distress becomes vis-
BILE, and infallibly determine the result. 1t seems
anomalous to those who do not know the coun,
| be the inevitable result Of very bad harvest in
ireland, but to those who know the people and the
has been an example of an Irish administers
tion dealing with an Irish famine. for the simple
later when she had an Irish Parliament under the
English Crown, there never was any famine in the
to deal with such emergencies are all English. just
| the heads which plan the measures applied.
These the facts that have important bearing
| on the present condition Of Ireland


STRONG EVIDENCE OF THE DISTRESS.
When the first cry of distress came from the West
knew there suffering ahead. The Catholic bishops
Of Ireland, at meeting held during tho month Of
October after discussing the state Of the country.
passed OF resolutions. among which were the
| following


That is the urgent duty Of the government to take
which has upon them through no fault Of


That with the sad experience before of the opera
tiOnS of he Law
during the famine Of the past We consider ts
ties Of tho impending crisis.
rsSye the pressing Of the
Ds and Of n, aSSa be
throughout the country such scheme embrace arteral


on OF esrthworks for trans and railways the
and nar.hy districts, well as the


dsputssion consisting of the Primste tho Arch
wait On the Lord reques His Grace to sub
nit those views to Her Majestys government.


their political views and decidedly opposed to revo-
lutionary projects. Their evidence Is therefore inn
portan for they have considerable local knowledge.
travel over much of the country and receive con-
stantly reports from every parish. through the
priests. of the state of things prevailing.


STRONG STATEMENTS FROM AN IRISH TORY.
The appeal OF the Irish members already pub
lished in the HERALD. affirming the existence of
widespread distress and asking the government to
intervene to alleviate it was signed by seventy mem
bers, irrespective Of party; but more explicit
statement is made in letter from the Hon. King
Harman. q conservative. who had denounced the
agitators in the strongest terms. The following
passages are selected


unhesitatingy say that only dire Distress but alb


am reluctantly but firmly. convinced that this only
DO averted by government assistance The statement fire.
as n' ny S e Of
small wstery and wanting In nutriment. The crop
IS .sS As % y"s
inferior quality owing to the wet while the
root erops are generally miserably poor The last few
OF the country toward saving the turf and the
snort w time %o Sso nss.s 0s
the ,ur Especially whore the boss are Of n
iato it. All this is bad enough especially whom
descriptions Of farm producewh tho exception during
the last few weeks Of butor-are taken into
famine to the doors of thousands the sudden collapse OF
the credit system The majority Of the small farmers in
the West have no ready the large farmers have
been hard it during tho last three that they
tho Wcs speaking GENERALLY the posatoes Wi, not last
till Christmas; the people have not shilling and
for wages or. starve Who win give the worki
many frightened or dissas.cS with the present
agitation will not will not discuss the political
to whether the people might be better of If
denee and eeonomy had prevailed in past years lean
West and means of averting aterrbe catastrophe


ncty do not ask for Wholesale relief
norao believe that the state of matters have endeav
my belief. founded tho closest cxanin
that there several districts In the OF Ireland
Poor relief will utterly unable TO cope with the dis
aster and where IL be attempted. additional sup.
swamp msnv who ut present may just weather tho


AN IRISH DEMAGOGUE.