THE IRISHMAN'S FOOD.
rTo THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."'
SIR,—Sir Lyon Playfair, in his speech of May 18th, remarks that the Irish peasant is not as well fed now as he was in 1846. This I will not deny ; but, speaking for my own neighbourhood, I say that he spends more money on worse food. Formerly he consumed a good deal of wholesome oatmeal and milk ; now he disdains these, and buys baker's white bread, and tea at four shillings a potind,—a great change for the worse, both in nourishment and expense. Is this the fault of English mis- government?
I would like to ask Sir Lyon if, in his inquiry into the peasant's condition, he also inquired into the greatly increased demands upon him for religious purposes.
Did he inquire how many new and costly Roman Catholic churches, convents, and other religious establishments have been built since 1846, and how many more priests and members of religious orders have, as well as those buildings, now to be maintained for and by a much smaller population ?
Surely some portion of Paddy's monetary troubles is due to himself, not all to the landlord and Saxon government.—I am,
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