At
Berehaven, in the County Cork, a place certainly fearfully tried by the
Famine, the presentments at the sessions--at the very first sessions
held in the barony--were said to be quadruple the rental of the entire
barony! This, however, was only one district of the largest Irish
county; but the presentments for the whole County of Mayo, the most
famine-stricken, to be sure, of all the counties, are worth remembering;
and so is their explanation. They were forwarded to the Board of Works
by the County Surveyor. The number of square miles in the county are
given at 2,132, the rent value being L385,100. The County Surveyor
recommended to the Sessions presentments amounting in the aggregate to
L228,000, nearly two-thirds of the entire rental. The Baronial Sessions,
however, were far from resting contented with this. The ratepayers and
magistrates assembled in their various baronies, presented for works to
the amount of L388,000, nearly L3,000 in excess of the entire rental of
the county; but which was finally cut down by the Board of Works to
L128,456 8s. 4d. Prudent people and political economists will at once be
inclined to exclaim, "Very right; it was most fortunate to have an
authority to check such recklessness.
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