THE DISTRESS IN IRELAND.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1860, 9 February 1880, Page 3

THE DISTRESS IN IRELAND.

The Duchess of Marlborough, wife of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, hes addressed the following letter to the editor of the London "Times ":—"Sir, —ln the memorable year of the Irish famine the columns of your journal wore opened to subscriptions for the relief of Irish distress, and the appeal was nobly responded to by the generous British public. Since that time your widely-circulated paper has often, and always successfully, appealed to the liberality of the benevolent. After anxious deliberation I have resolved to try to raise a fund in aid of the distressed poor of the West of Ireland, and I < eg you to insert this appeal and to advocate their cause in your influential journal. In doing this I must explain—Firstly, the reasons that impel me to this step ; secondly, the channels through which I propose the money shsuld be spent; and, thirdly, the uses to which it should be applied. Firstly, as to my reasons. I would not for a moment compare the present distress, either actual or probable, in Ireland to that of 1847-8, when famine raged in the land and there was a complete breakdown of all machinery for relief. I am thankful to say things are now very different, and the districts where severe distress and famine are impending are comparatively circumscribed. The Government has initiated certain measures for affording employment. The landlords in Ireland are in numerous cases nobly standing by their people. But, in spito of this, there is no doubt that in parts of Kerry, G-alway, Sligo, Mayo, Eoscommon, Donegal, and the south of the county of Cork—in fact, in most of the western districts of Ireland —there will be ex-" tremo misery and suffering among the poor, owing to want of employment, loss of turf, loss of cattle, and failure of potatoes, unless a vigorous effort of private charity is got up to supplement the ordinary system of Poor Law relief. In this urgent necessity, then, I appeal to English benevolence. Secondly, with respect to the channels for the distribution of the fund: I propose to organise a committee of influential and philanthropic persous, to meet in Dublin once a week, or more if necessary, to receive applications from the distressed localities, and to decide on the various claims for assistance. It will not be difficult to form local committees and agencies to work in with the Dublin committee and superintend the distribution, of money. Thirdly, as regards the expenditure of the fund. It should bo spent on fuel, food, clothing, especially for the aged and weak, and in small sums to keep the families of the ablebodied in temporary distress out of the workhouse. There is also another mode in whioh I should like to spend some of the money, and that is, while carefully guarding against proselytism of any kind, to give grants to schools to provide a meal of bread and potatoes, and, if possible, a little clothing where found necessary, for the little ohildren attending them. I have thus very imperfectly described the objects of my appeal. lam fully aware of the responsibilities and. difficulties of such a task as I am undertaking ; bat knowing, as I do, the extreme urgency of the case, and in face of the severe weather we have already had and shall probably have again, I cannot hesitate in making this effort to elicit the sympathy of my countrymen of the sister isle, and to entreat them generously to contribute to the relief of the miserable sufferers by the inclemency of the seasons, which, added to the rainy climate and ungenial soil of the west, has well nigh produced famine of food and fuel. A committee is in course of formation which will contain the most distinguished names in Ireland, and an account has been opened at the Bank of Ireland, where subscriptions will be received and placed to the credit of " The Duchees of Marlborough's Belief Fund," and I need hardly say that I will undertake to see that any sums contributed to this fund shall be judiciously exponded and faithfully dispensed and accounted for without regard to creed or politics ; and now, having stated my case simply and without any pretence to eloquence, I believe I am not over sanguine in my confidence that I have not made this appeal in vain. I remain, sir, yours faithfully, F. Mabmjobough.