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find, that on the contrary it continued unabated, or rather increased in intensity. Many thought that it only needed to convert the subscriptions into food, pour it into the distressed places, and all

"people in the vicinity of than the one I now write of. Cap"tain has been, I believe, a sufferer, like many others of "his class, by the non-payment of his rents; notwithstanding which "he employs 80 labourers daily, and has done so since the commencement "of the present calamity; and he has not suffered a single person on the estate to be placed on lists of any kind for relief. I do think "such laudable exertions should receive the favourable notice of all "societies dispensing charities, to whom he or any of his family may appeal."

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Another proprietor of land in the county of Galway, to whom the Relief Committee of Friends have made several grants, and of the value of whose exertions they have had good reason to entertain the highest opinion, writes thus, under date of April 17th, 1847:

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"In consequence of the dismissal of a large number of destitute persons from the public works this week, I have had a great additional "amount of trouble thrown upon me. Our soup-kitchen had to be "reinforced as to the quality of the material served, inasmuch as the majority of the recipients were thrown upon it for support almost entirely. Its expenses consequently increased, and I can hold out no hope of diminishing the cost, until the new relief plan is brought into operation; which I fear may not be the case for some little time, owing "to the immense labour thrown on the parish priest and myself, the "only residents capable of working it out. Our consumption has been as "follows: 784 pounds of rice; 250 pounds of beef; 490 pounds of "Indian meal; 72 pounds of treacle; this, with servants' wages and "fuel, &c. brings our expenditure up to £19 6s.

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"I have issued to sick persons 231 pounds of rice, 112 pounds of "biscuit, and 42 pounds of meal, the whole of the above expenditure being given gratuitously. It has I trust done good, and saved many "lives; though I regret to add the mortality is terrible, fever and dysentery, especially the latter, carrying off vast numbers. I supplied "coffins for nine paupers in the week, and many more were interred. "I regret to say that I had to appoint a clerk to superintend the kitchen; my health and property could no longer bear a confinement of six or

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would be right again. But the real difficulty lay in the structure of society throughout a great part of Ireland. A large proportion of the proprietors were non-resident,* and therefore no per

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seven hours daily in it, but I still am always present at the distribution morning and evening, and superintend it.

"I reserve the soup-kitchen fund for the sick, the widows, orphans, and aged, and hope to aid them efficiently through its means. "I think it only just to myself to say, that but one individual family on my own estate has received a single farthing of support from "it since it was opened. This is a family of eight persons, lying sick altogether of fever, and now convalescent. I have received from your agent your generous grant to us; the biscuit are a timely and valuable "aid in arresting the dysentery; they are the most valuable gift that " can be bestowed in the present circumstances of the people.

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Things look badly, but relying on that Supreme Power that has " heretofore supported my wife and myself, in the midst of this unex'ampled calamity, we struggle to sustain the hope and spirit of our "people, and restore their almost overwhelmed mental and physical energies; and in that hope I take leave of you, and am, &c."

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In another letter, dated 24th of April, the same gentleman says:

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I hope to have a decent breadth of tillage put in. I am quite aware "that on my exertions depends the absolute existence of our people, “and as long as I have health left, they shall not be spared.”

One of the last letters from the same party, when giving a concluding account of his distribution, says: "You will let me know what your " views are as to the future; I will be frank with you. The heavy losses "sustained by me leave me unable to go further in the relief measures. "A considerable portion of the rents payable at May, 1846, are due to 66 me, and I protest to you, that since the 1st of January last I have only "received a sum of £52. 12s. out of my whole income and heavy arrears; "under these circumstances, I am reduced to poverty. I see no shame "in confessing it. Only the estate owes no money, and that we have a "valuable farm, we should be in distress ourselves. I mention this "merely as a reason why I cannot go any further in relieving those "who surely will need it soon."

* The word "non-resident" is generally used in the course of this essay in preference to "absentee," as designating those who do not reside

sonal assistance could be obtained from them. The resident gentry were few and scattered. The other inhabitants were paupers, or pretended to be so. There was no middle class. Applications to the central relief committees for assistance, almost invariably referred to the small number of residents capable of taking any part in giving relief; stating that the whole, or almost the whole, of the distressed district belonged to absentees; often varying the statement by adding, that the property was under the care of the court of chancery. There are whole parishes without a single educated resident, except the Protestant and Roman Catholic clergy. Even these could not always be counted on, as the union of several parishes into a single benefice deprived many places of their assistance. The machinery for relieving distress did not exist, it could not be created with sufficient rapidity, and therefore the people suffered. No human power, nor any amount of expenditure, could have wholly averted starvation, or prevented the loss of many lives.*

on their property, whether they live in Ireland, in England, or in a foreign country, the injurious effects of non-residence being, in general, equally perceptible in any of these cases.

* From among the many statements of this nature made to the Relief Committee of the Society of Friends, a few have been selected :

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COUNTY OF CAVAN." This district is especially desolate, from there

being no resident gentry in the parish. The principal estate is in the

Two other causes greatly impeded the administration of relief. The want of dealers in food throughout a large part of the west; and the extreme difficulty of discriminating between the absolutely destitute, and those who pretended to be

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hands of a trustee who cannot give any relief. The remainder of the parish is subdivided amongst many small landlords, who are all absentees, and none of whom contribute any thing; all complaining that they have lost their rents. Extent about 12 square miles. Population "about 6,000."

QUEEN'S COUNTY." We have not one resident landlord in the dis"trict: applications have been made to each non-resident, and up to the " present time we have received but £44. Extent, eighteen thousand acres. Population upwards of 10,000."

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COUNTY OF ROSCOMMON. "All the landed proprietors are "resident, excepting the chairman of the committee. The rents of "three of the largest townlands of the parish have been received for the "last thirty years by a receiver under the court of chancery; during "which time there being no landlord to interest himself about them, "the land has been divided and subdivided into very small holdings, "and an immense population has sprung up, who are reduced to the deepest want by the failure of their usual food. Extent, one thousand "three hundred acres. Population 5,810."

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COUNTY OF MAYO. "There are fifteen absentee landlords: their agents do not live in the parish, and seldom come near it: no non"resident landlord has sent any subscription. The resident landlords "in some cases are giving assistance to those around them, but no gene"ral subscription has been entered into. I, as vicar of the parish, "called a meeting, but no one attended, as they said there was no one "to representwho is the principal landlord and an absentee. "Extent, fourteen miles by twelve miles. Population about 16,000." COUNTY OF GALWAY.-" The landed proprietors are all absentees, nor have they contributed a penny towards relieving their tenants "since the distress commenced. We have neither gentry nor a second person in the character of a large farmer within the parish. Popula"tion 4000."

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DITTO." The district with which I am principally connected con"tains a population of near 4000 souls, of whom a full third are in

So.

The agricultural population, whether farmers or labourers, had heretofore supplied their wants from their own holdings; now it became necessary to import food, and to none had previously existed.

create a trade where The silent streams of

"actual destitution, another third in deep distress, and not above a "sixth able to support themselves. In this district I am almost the only "resident proprietor; and though the absentee properties are crowded "with paupers, afflicted by fever and prostrated by famine, their con"tributions are small and their personal assistance nought. There is "besides much property in the hands of receivers under the courts, "where the usual indulgence cannot be given, where contribution is out "of the question, and where the utmost misery consequently prevails. "We have now on the works close on 500 persons, and perhaps over it; "but the poor, the sick, the aged, the infirm constitute a vast number ; "and though amongst these every thing we can do is done to the "utmost of our ability, much remains undone."

COUNTY OF CLARE. "I have to say (in answer to the remark made "in your letter, that in the distribution of a public fund it is desirable "in all cases, as far as possible, that it be done through a regular organ"ization of the benevolent and intelligent inhabitants of the district "claiming relief) that, alas, in the district for which my daughter is exerting herself, there is not one person above the rank of a peasant 'residing; that the greater part is inhabited by very poor people, and "that it all belongs to absentees, who have not contributed a shilling "for relief, or to persons over whose properties receivers of the courts are appointed."

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COUNTY OF LONGFORD." This district labours under peculiar dis"advantages, and is one of the poorest localities in Ireland. The por"perty belongs entirely to absentee proprietors, and has but one "resident gentleman within a circumference of eight miles. It is also deprived of the residence of either the Protestant clergyman or his "curate. For this reason, the vice-lieutenant was obliged to call on "the resident magistrate to act as chairman, who lives twelve miles "from many parts of the district. It is occupied by small tenants, "holding from four to ten acres, and very few upwards. The land is "bad and ill cultiv ted; and the inhabitants, never looking forward to

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