Last Report of the Irish Relief Commissioners

Galway Vindicator, October 30th, 1847

Relief Commission Office, Dublin Castle, October 12, 1847.

May it please your Lordship — We have the honor to submit our seventh and last monthly report as Commissioners for Relief under the act 10 Victoria, cap. 7. By the 22nd clause no advances could be made either by loan or grant after the 30th September. The cessation of issues to entire unions commenced on the 15th August, and continued every fortnight till the 12th September ; it was only to the fever hospitals that the advances from the Treasury were extended till the latest possible date.

The department is now engaged in finally closing its accounts, and the operations of the commission are virtually at an end.

In thus terminating our reports of this decisive measure, we have the satisfaction of believing that it was thoroughly successful in its primary object.

By providing a sufficiency of food for all, it improved the hitherto haggard appearance of the people, and diffused a degree of comparative content over the general mass of the community. We do not consider that the expenditure has been excessive, in proportion to the object. By the zealous and honourable exertions of the great body of local relief committees, under the superintendence and control of the efficient finance committees, and our inspecting officers, the actual numbers relieved did not exceed those contemplated in nearly so great a degree as might have been expected, from the distribution of relief being entrusted by advances of public money to small local societies.

The cost of food for each individual did not exceed an average of 2d daily. The entire outlay that has been defrayed by the commission from the date of the act, during these seven months of extreme exigency, including the fever expenses, amounts to £1,676,268 11s. 7d. (this sum may be altered in the final settlement in a trifling degree), of which a portion will be considered a free grant from the state, and the remainder becomes a charge to be repaid by the unions, distributed over each electoral division by a per centage on the rateable property, in no case, as we would propose, exceeding 3s. in the pound.

It is gratifying to believe that the nation generally appreciates the efficacy of the measure, and the value of the effort that has just been made in its favour.

We have before us strings of resolutions from many hundreds of the committees praising the conduct of the inspecting officers, and frankly and honourably expressing their gratitude to government and the legislature for the effective means afforded them for carrying out this benevolent operation. This testimony is the more honourable from many of the parties, who avow the little confidence they felt in the measures on its introduction, and from others, who admit that they are habitually opposed to the existing government.

In recording, however, these proofs of the benefits derived from the act, we are far from desiring to express an opinion that it is one for ordinary application ; on the contrary, we are fully aware of its many dangers and evils, and that it could only be.