"As we understand that the Mansion House Fund is to be distributed amongst the poorest districts in Ireland, we deem it absolutely necessary to make immediate application to your Committee for whatever portion of the fund they may be able to allocate for this district. The parishes represented by our Committee are Templecrone and Letter macward, Co. Donegal, large and extensive parishes, including 2,531 families, consisting of 13,372 persons, who occupy 72,230 acres, the Government valuation of which is only £4,279 10s. 0d., or 1s. 2d. per aere on an average. The distress in the above-mentioned parishes is something fearful to contemplate. Our first instalment from the Duchess of Marlborough's Fund, amounting to £50, won't enable us to relieve for the present more than 240 out of 960 applications, giving each family ½ cwt. of Indian meal. In fine, if relief be not forthcoming from other sources than the Duchess of Marlborough Fund, we cannot possibly cope with the fearful destitution which prevails in this part of the country. We are, in fact, without the slightest degree of exaggeration, on the very verge of famine. Before making this application we investigated most particularly the state of the parishes referred to, and we are therefore in a position to vouch for the accuracy of the above statement. Under these circumstances we trust that your Committee will at once come to our aid.