" Even in September--it was on the 18th of that month--a
resolution was passed by the Mallow Relief Committee, that from
information laid before them, and from the verdicts of several coroner's
inquests, held during the previous few days, disease of the most fatal
character was spreading in the districts around them, in consequence of
the badness of the food purchasable by the working classes. A little
later, the Rev. Mr. Daly announced to the ratepayers at the Fermoy
sessions, that at the moment he was addressing them, numbers of persons
were living on cabbage leaves, whose countenances were so altered, and
whose whole appearance was so changed by starvation and wretchedness,
that he could hardly recognise them. Lord Mountcashel, the Chairman of
the sessions, on the same occasion used these remarkable words: "The
people are starving; they have no employment; they require to be
attended to immediately, for, starvation will not accommodate itself to
any man's convenience." Nothing truer. Many landlords throughout the
country made similar observations; but to all such, the representatives
of the Government replied, and not without a good show of reason, that
whilst landlords talked in this manner, they themselves, with rare
exceptions, did nothing to employ the people, nor did they, in any way,
relieve the fearful pressure upon the Public Works.
Pages:
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391