REPOET OF THE MANSION HOUSE COMMITTEE » * V . RELIEF OE DISTRESS IN IRELAND. 1862. DUBLIN: BROWNE & NOLAN, PRINTERS, NASSAU-STREET. 1862. Committed. R ight H on . D enis Moylan , Lord Mayor, H is Grace the M ost R ev . Da. Cullen , >- Treasurers. L aurence E. K nox , E sq ., P eter P aul M ‘Swiney , T.C., V ery R ev . M onsignore Y ore , D r. P helan , R ey . D r. A nderdon , C.U., R ev . P. O’N eill, Marlborough-street, R ev . D r. M urray , V ery R ev . Canon F arrell , A. M. S ullivan , E sq ., D r. Gray , J.P ., R ev . J . Macnamara , J . F. F raser , H . T arpey , T.C., A lderman R oe , D.L., J.P., V ery R ev . D r. Spratt , J ames P lunkett , T.C., L ucas A. T reston , T.C., V ery R ev . D r. O’Connell , P .P ., P rofessor K avanagh , C.U., J ohn K elch , T.C., R ev . D r. Quinn , J oseph M‘Cann, T.C., R ev . T. O’M alley , M. S. O’Shaughnessy , E sq . D enis C. H eron , LL.D., Q.C., F. S. B arff , M.A., Oxon. M ichael E gan , T.C., W illiam Gernon , Barrister-at-Law, R obert O’B rien , J.P., T.C., A lderman Carroll , Ex-Lord Mayor, H . O’B eirne , T.C., Rev. James M6Mahon, P.P., St. Michan’s, Dublin, Alderman Laurence Reynolds, D r. R yan , T C., Charles Bianconi , J.P ., R ichard D evereux , E sq . Honorary Secretary— R . J. D evitt , T.C. r j fk ( P ^ " - 'l # < J REPORT. -----------------------------------------------i f 1. In giving an account of the proceedings of the Committee, some allusion to the peculiar circumstances under which it was formed and conducted appears to be necessary. 2. Soon after last harvest, the Public Press contained many statements from respectable persons that the potato and oat crops were very deficient in their respective districts, and that they apprehended a season of much distress in consequence of these deficiencies, and of the almost total want of turf. These representations were chiefly made by parties connected with the Western Counties. To alleviate such distress, some, including the Corporation of this City, urged Government to take measures by which employment would be provided for the ordinary labouring class, and for that immediately above it, as small farmers, whose means of support were lessened or altogether lost by the deficient crop; others suggested the construction of railways, drainage, &c.; and many, in addition, advised that outdoor relief should be given to the aged, infirm, sick, and poor widows, as empowered under the Poor Law Act of 1847, so that the contributions of local or other parties might be principally disbursed to assist the able bodied, whom it might not be desirable to send to the work­ house, or who would not go there, however deep their distress might be. 3. Whilst these statements were occupying public attention, the Irish Government informed a deputation which waited on B them from the Corporation of Dublin, in reference to the existing and prospective distress, that they “ considered that the opera­ tion of the Poor Law was adequate to meet any pressure that might be expected to fall on the unions.” Government thus plainly and truly enunciated that the Poor Law Boards are invested with extensive powers to relieve such of certain classes as may be in want of the necessaries of life, and that on those boards they threw the responsibility of doing so—a duty which, in fact, they virtually bound themselves to discharge when they undertook that office. 4. There were, however, grounds for believing that, even if the guardians gave relief in workhouses and outside, as they are authorized, many would still be unassisted by them. The small farmer class could not, and, as few able-bodied males would go into the workhouses, these two classes, amongst which distress most prevailed, were not likely to be much benefited by the Poor Law. But the published evidence of the Poor Inquiry Committee of 1861 clearly proved, that in many unions in Ii eland, including most of those in the West, the guardians had given relief very sparingly for several years, and almost entiiely in the workhouses, and that in several, not one sick or aged or other person had otherwise been assisted. It did not therefore appear likely that this stringent system was to be departed from this year, particularly as the Poor Law Com­ missioners in tlieir evidence before that Committee, fu lly approved o f it. 5. Considering that, under these circumstances, some effort ought to be made to assist those distressed districts, this Committee was formed to be a medium of transmitting any contributions that might be had from the wealthy and humane to districts where, on careful inquiry, some assistance might appear to be much needed ; and as such a means of relieving distress would, it was considered, be so far auxiliary to the Poor Law, and could in no way conflict with its operation—a point on which the Committee were very careful—its general approval might naturally be expected. Unfortunately, however, a portion of the Public Press asserted that there was no distress which required more assistance than would be met by the Poor 5 Law, aided by local efforts.* This view was also taken in Par­ liamentary and otlier public discussions, by the Chief Secretary for Ireland, and other members of the Government, and in consequence many were led to believe, and others probably led to affect, that the cry of distress was in a great measure artificial and chiefly sectarian, and the further consequence was, that with few exceptions, the contributions received by the Com­ mittee have come, not only from one section of the community, but from a very limited portion of the wealthy of that section, as will be perceived by a glance at the subscription list which is herewith published. 6. In making this observation, the Committee are well aware that many humane persons of all sects have been prevented from exercising their usual benevolence from this misunderstood view of the extent and severity of distress ; but that severe distress, which was neither relieved nor likely to be relieved by the Poor Law, nor by local efforts, prevailed in many districts, the Committee will now endeavour to show; and that their proceedings were neither commenced nor conducted in any sectarian spirit, they trust that their acts will fully prove. 7. Having been favored by the Poor Law Commissioners with returns which show the rate or rates made in every electoral division in Ireland, in the year ended March last, and the numbers on indoor and outdoor relief, fortnightly, in each union since the first of November, and having framed queries which were answered by applicants for funds, the Committee were much assisted by these data in deciding how far any or how much funds should be allocated in each case. 8. From the 17th February, to the 10th of August, the Com­ mittee have had applications for assistance from parties connected * It appears from the returns of money contributions to the several districts, that in more than one-half they were subscribed by occupiers, and by parties unconnected with the districts ; in somewhat less than one- half, subscriptions were received from the proprietary, occupiers, and others. In several districts, neither landlords nor occupiers subscribed, the funds being altogether given by parties unconnected witli them, amongst whom the Society of Friends should be mentioned, whose liberal and judicious benevolence, on this as on other occasions, in money and in food, is above all praise. 6 with 592 electoral divisions of thirty-seven Poor Law Unions in the West and South of Ireland, from four in Ulster, and from three in Leinster, and they have allocated £4,861 to the several applicants, who chiefly are Protestant and Catholic clergymen and members of Relief Committees—parties on whose representa­ tions of the extent and severity of distress much reliance must naturally be placed, from the sacred character of many, the res­ pectability of all, and their local means of observation. Letters from many of these parties, detailing numerous marked instances of destitution, have been published, yet the Committee are not aware that any contradiction has been attempted in respect to them, except in one instance, in which on inquiry the representa­ tion of distress was found to be far under its reality. 9. Though it is possible that even respectable persons who are in frequent contact with much distress, which they cannot sufficiently relieve, may colour or somewhat exaggerate in their representations of the sufferings of their neighbours, it is not likely that they would intentionally misrepresent or mislead ; and that they have not done either, would seem to be proved by the fact that none of these published statements have been contradicted or even questioned, as doubtless they would be, and ought to be, if materially exaggerated or incorrect. 10. Unfortunately, the material and social condition of many parts of Ireland is still such that, whatever improvement there may be in other portions of it, the recurrence of a similar bad harvest may cause even far greater distress than that which has resulted from the last. It may, therefore, be useful to examine how far the opinion is well founded that the Poor Law, as heretofore administered, or as it is likely to be administered in most unions under existing circumstances, is capable of meeting any similar emergency or unusual extent of distress.