Union--Subscriptions--Money--Food--Number of Ships
sent to Ireland with Provisions--Freight of Provisions--Ships of
War--The "Jamestown" and "Macedonian"--Various Theories about the
Blight--The Religious Theory--Peculiar--Quotations--Rev. Hugh
M'Neill--Charles Dickens--The Catholic Cantons of
Switzerland--Belgium--France--The Rhenish
Provinces--Proselytism--Various causes for Conversions assigned--The
late Archbishop Whately's Opinions--His Convert--He rejects the idea
that Converts were bought--Statement of the late Archdeacon
O'Sullivan--Dr. Forbes on the Conversions in the West--Mr. M'Carthy
Downing's Letter--The Subscription of L1,000--Baron
Dowse--Conclusion.

The Temporary Relief Act, popularly known as the Soup-kitchen Act, was
limited to the 1st of October, 1847. The Government determined that
after its expiration relief should be given through the Poorlaw system
only. In preparation for this arrangement, an Act (the 10th & 11th Vic.
cap. 31,) was passed in June, sanctioning outdoor relief. The harvest of
1847 was a good one, but so utterly prostrate was every interest in the
country, that the outdoor relief system soon expanded into alarming
proportions. In February, 1848, the cost of outdoor relief was L72,039,
and in March it rose to L81,339. The numbers and cost were then both at
their maximum, and according to the best estimate which can be formed,
the number of outdoor poor relieved was 703,762, and of indoor 140,536,
making an aggregate of 844,298 persons, irrespective of more than
200,000 school children, who were, as stated above, fed and in part
clothed by "the British Association." So that the total number receiving
relief in March, 1848, exceeded a million of persons; being about one
out of every seven of the population.

The parliamentary papers issued from time to time, detailing the sums
granted on account of the Irish Famine, are, for the most part, very
perplexing; because, being usually printed on the motion of some member
of parliament, they only give the precise information called for, and
only up to the period at which it was called for; so, not only are they
perplexing, but they are often misleading, although correct enough in
themselves. Then again, it sometimes happens, that the sum voted by
parliament is not entirely expended on the object for which it was
granted. To give an instance of this: there is a parliamentary paper
before me, order