County of Mayo: Awful Condition and P Cts

COUNTY OF MAYO: ITS AWFUL CONDITION AND P CTS, AND PRESENT INSUFFICIENCY OF LOCAL RELIEF. o ENEAS MAC DONNELL, ESQ. ILonïioii : JOHN OLLIVIER, 59, PALL MAL L. 1849. * SEARS, FRINTER. IVY LANE, ST. PAUL’S. COUNTY OF MAYO, &c. 2, Michael’s Grove, Biompton, London, April 21, 1649. W hen, on the the 5th of March, I framed my i6 Address and Advice to my Countrymen/51 recommended such a change of policy as I considered likely to“ put an end to religious and political strife in Ireland, produce cordial good-will throughout the United Kingdom, consolidate international Union, promote the profitable employment of the Irish population, introduce British capital assisted by British skill and industry, and advance, promptly and steadily, the general weal and prosperity.” The response to this appeal, from Ireland, has been such as to subject me to the painful alternative of either upholding a continu ance of conflicting policies and courses, each neutralizing any advantages attainable by the other, or of withdrawing, altogether, for the present, any interposition, on my part, in relation to the con dition and prospects of the great body of the Irish population. Unwilling to assume the responsibilities of the former course, 1 select the latter, and now leave to my opponents, with less of expec tation than of hope, the task and labour of providing national relief and permanent amelioration, by those means which they prefer to that conciliatory and grateful language and deportment towards their British fellow’-subjects which I have, upon this, as upon other occasions, honestly and earnestly suggested. I am bound to add that my views were favoured with a far different reception in this country, not excepting very exalted quarters, in deed; and, as a proof of the justice of my estimate, on one most important point, I venture to publish the following brief extract from a letter acknowledging the receipt of my publication, written to me, on the 19th March, by a gentleman of unexcelled authority, as follows :— “ I believe a considerable amount of English capital is ready to be invested in Ireland, whenever the people of this country are assured that agitation is abandoned, that life is safe, and that the maximum of charges on land and property is limited and defined by law.” 4 Nor should I leave it to be supposed by my British readers that the opposition to my views is universal throughout any class, religious or political, in Ireland. Far from it, I verily believe that, if all felt at liberty, or possessed sufficient moral courage, to speak as they think, I should enjoy the concurrence of an overwhelming majority, even at. present. I gladly and gratefully insert the following note from the truly venerable Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin : — “ Dublin, 17th March, 1849. “ My Dear Sir, “ I pray you to accept my thanks for the kind present of your ‘Address and Advice.’ May it sink into the hearts of our countrymen, and realize the happy effects which, if adopted, it would be sure to produce. “ I have the honour to remain, my dear sir, your faithful, humble servant, + D. M urray.” Eneas Mac Donnell, Esq. This state of things shall not, however, prevent my once more soliciting- public attention to the condition and prospects of that most afflicted portion of my country, my native county of Mayo. I shall coniine my course as much as possible to a faithful, unvar nished statement of facts, for which I most urgently implore con sideration. On the 17th of August, 184fi, Lord John Russell spoke, in Par liament, as follows :— “ The whole credit of the Treasury and means of the country are ready to be used, as it is our bounden duty to use them, and will, whenever they can be usefully applied, be so disposed as to avert famine, and to maintain the people of Ireland.” On the 25th of the same month, Mr. Labouchere, then and now a colleague of the noble Lord, spoke, also in Parliament, as follows : He admitted that Mayo was one of the most distressed parts of the country, and one upon which the calamity had fallen with greater severity than upon others. But the attention of the government had been directed to the particular circumstances of that county.” I have used my best endeavours to ascertain, truly, and without exaggeration, a just computation of the number of deaths from famine, within that county, since those pledges were promulgated, and I am compelled to estimate them at the appalling number of not less than 50,000 ! ! Nor is that ;all far from it, I have the most trustworthy reasons to apprehend that unless public advances, 5 either as loans or grants, be speedily, nay immediately made, many, very many thousands and tens of thousands, will be added to that list, in the same district, before the close of the month of August. 1 feel certain that the reduction of the population of Mayo, since 1846, is moderately estimated at 100,000 persons of all ages. The proportions of that reduction may be probably, about l-6th to l-8th in the east and south, and l-3rd to l-4th in the poor central parishes, and fully one half in the extensive districts along the sea- coast. On an average, I should calculate that the deaths, by famine, constitute at least one half of the diminution, and certainly the rapid extension of several burial-places tends to confirm this im pression. I shall not, 1 cannot dwell upon this subject, but will proceed at once, to publish the most recent intelligence received from that coun ty, commencing with extracts from the evidence of a gentleman, universally esteemed, the County Surveyor, who was examined before the “ Select Committee of the House of Lords, appointed to inquire into the operations of the Irish Poor Law,” &c. I ear nestly recommend the whole of that gentleman’s most valuable evidence to the attention of members of the Legislature. I pro ceed now to the extracts :— 22d March, 1849. H enry Brett, Esquire, is called in, and examined as follows :— 4810. You are the Surveyor of the county of Mayo?—Yes. 4811. How long have you held that appointment?—Somewhat up wards of 13 years. 4812. Are you in any way connected with the county otherwise than by your appointment ?—Not otherwise. 4813. You are not a native of the county ?—No. 4814. And have no relations residing in the county?—No immediate relatives, except my own family. ------- 4818. You are thoroughly acquainted with the state of the county of Mayo ?—Perfectly. 4819. Will you be good enough to tell the Committee what is the state of the landed proprietors of Mayo ?—They are in a state of great depression, and are daily becoming more so. 4820. Is it the case that a great many proprietors of unincumbered estates in that county are at present totally incapable of giving any em ployment in wages ?—Unquestionably ; and not only so, but suffering great privations themselves. 4821. And at this moment scarcely any employment in the way of 9 weekly labour is given ?—Hardly any, except wliat my Lord Lucan and some few more are giving. 4822. What is the state of the tenantry of the county?—Very bad indeed, in most parts of it. 4823. Are they discharging the taxes and the rates that are laid upon them ?—Certainly not ; they are unable in many instances to do so. 4824. A great many of them have left the county, have they not ?— A very large number. 4825. Are there any more likely to quit ?—A great number. 4826. And, in consequence of that, many of the lands are vacant ?— A very large extent of land is likely to be thrown out of cultivation. 4827. What extent of land which has produced crops should you sup pose to be at this moment thrown out of cultivation and to be waste ? Decidedly, upwards of 50,000 acres of available land. I am not talking of moors, mountain, and bog, but land which has heretofore been avail able land. 4828. Land which has been under cultivation?—Yes. 4829. And that quantity is likely to increase ?—Decidedly, under pre sent circumstances. 4843. Will you tell the Committee the actual state of the Grand Jury funds in the county of Mayo, as compared with their state previously to 1845 ?—Up to the year 1845 there was always a balance of not less than 10,000Z., sometimes 11,000Z. or 12,000/., invested in Exchequer Bills in the Treasurer’s hands. Since that period it has been diminished up to the late assizes, when the whole funds collected were somewhere about 7,000/., to meet 23,000/. of demands ; so that we are now close upon 16,000/. in arrear. Every institution, every public officer, every con tractor, and all Government demands, are unpaid, and the results must be very bad indeed; no less than certain ruin to several who are depending on those funds. ---------- 4850. Then, by your account, the county of Mayo is in a state of insolvency ?—Most assuredly it is. 4851. And hopeless insolvency, at present?— I am afraid so. 4852. How many Unions are there in the county of Mayo ?—Five whole Unions ; but there are portions of others belonging to it. 4853. You know the state of the funds in the different Unions in the county ?—I think I do. 4854. Are they in a state of insolvency ?—Decidedly. 4855. All the five?—Decidedly; but there is one of them not quite so bad as the others.

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