Clifden Poor Law Union, Minute Book, 1885 - 1886
ncludes
-‘Resolved that owing to the very few persons who are qualified to fill the position of Guardian in this Union the qualification being £30 that the LGB be requested to reduce the qualification from £30 to £10 in Clifden Electoral Division and seven pounds £7, in the other Divisions’ (pp50-51, see also p68).
-‘LGB Letter no. 40607 dated 29 Dec 1885 stating that they are willing to reduce the qualification for the office of Guardian to £12 for each Electoral Division of the Union (p188).
-‘The little girl Toole is ordered to be admitted by way of loan, her father becoming contributor for her support to the extent of one shilling per week’ (p189).
-‘Resolved That in consequence of the general reduction in rents throughout Ireland, owing to the depression of all kinds of agricultural produce and the low price of stock we the Guardians of the Glenamaddy Union hereby place on record our opinion that all mortgagees should give a substantial reduction on the interest of their mortgages so as to enable the landlords to grant a reduction now sought and needed throughout Ireland. Passed unanimously’ (p191).
-‘Resolved: That consequent on the great distress at present prevailing among the people in many parts of this Union and which distress might be averted by giving the people some employment and some earnings and that the Government should be at once called on to render the required assistance to such measures as may be decided on. We also appeal to the landlords and shopkeepers within the Union to act leniently and indulgently towards the people during the time of their present trying ordeal’ (pp209-210).
-‘Resolved: That we the Guardians… are quite certain that if the landlords of this Union also the agents of absentee landlords press the tenants for rents due at present they must surely want the unfortunate people out of the country and we think it advisable that the landlords should at present refrain from enforcing these rents by ejectment or otherwise until we meet with better times and that the landlords should accept outstanding rents by instalments as at present since forty seven and forty eight (1847 & 1848) we never had a worse prospect of the times nor the people in a worse condition and we also think that the present rents fixed by the Land Commission are fifty per cent too high’ (p211).
-‘That we the Board of Guardians of the Clifden Union are of opinion that in view of the result of the late Parliamentary Election a large measure of Local self government for Ireland should now be granted subject however to the following indispensable conditions
1st. the maintenance of the supremacy of the Imperial government
2nd. The due representation of all classes and interests in the Irish legislature and
3rd. The conversion of fair terms of all agricultural tenants into freeholds’ (p391).
-‘Resolved. That we beg to call the attention of the LGB to the very great distress and wide-spread poverty existing in this Union. And we would urge upon the LGB the necessity of getting the Government to open up works of public utility immediately…’ (p409).
-‘Resolved. That the Board of Guardians have sufficient facts before them that wide spread and dire distress exists throughout the entire Union, and the Board beg to affirm that if exceptional powers are not permitted to the Board, to relieve distressed occupiers of land and sufficient funds placed at their disposal as indicated under Relief of Distress Act, now passing thro the House of Commons, hundreds of families will starve. The clause in the Act referring to the repair and making of roads, and boat slips and piers may be carried out here with the greatest advantage for the convenience as well as relief of the distressed districts. We earnestly request the LGB to come to our assistance at once. We respectfully point out the embarrassed financial position of our Union renders it impossible for us to meet the great demands made upon us and again we appeal to the LGB in the deplorable circumstances’ (p452).