14 JUNE 1935, Page 12

A Hundred Years Ago

" THE SPECTATOR," JUNE 13TH, 1835.

The distress in the West of Ireland generally, but especially in Mayo, is quite appalling. Some of the peasantry are actually living on seaweed ; and in several cases, death through starvation has occurred. There is a want of employment for the poor, and a deficiency in the potato-crop. Dr. M`Hale, Catholic Archbishop of Tuam, has written a statement of the terriblb distress of the country to Lord John Russell ; and we see, from a few words which fell late last night from Lord Morpeth in the House of Commons, that Goveinment will adopt some measures to relieve the immediate wants of the sufferers.