The Landlords and the Government—­Public Meetings—­Reproductive Employment demanded for the People—­The “Labouchere” Letter—­Presentments under it—­Loans asked to construct Railways—­All who received incomes from land should be taxed—­Deputation from the Royal Agricultural Society to the Lord Lieutenant—­They ask reproductive employment—­Lord Bessborough answers cautiously—­The Prime Minister writes to the Duke of Leinster on the subject—­Views expressed—­Defence of his Irish Famine policy—­Severe on the Landlords—­Unsound principles laid down by him—­Corn in the haggards—­Mary Driscoll’s little stack of barley—­Second Deputation from the Royal Agricultural Society to the Lord Lieutenant—­Its object—­Request not granted—­The Society lectured on the duties of its Members—­Real meaning of the answer—­Progress of the Famine—­Deaths from starvation—­O’Brien’s Bridge—­Rev. Dr. Vaughan—­Slowness of the Board of Works—­State of Tuam—­Inquest on Denis M’Kennedy—­Testimony of his Wife—­A Fortnight’s Wages due to him—­Received only half-a-crown in three weeks—­Evidence of the Steward of the Works; of Rev. Mr. Webb; of Dr. Donovan—­Remarks of Rev. Mr. Townsend—­Verdict—­The Times on the duties of landlords—­Landlords denounce the Government and the Board of Works—­Mr. Fitzgerald on the Board and on the farmers—­Meeting at Bandon—­Lord Bernard—­Inquest on Jeremiah Hegarty—­The Landlord’s “cross” on the barley—­Mary Driscoll’s evidence; her husband’s—­Post mortem examination by Dr. Donovan—­The Parish Priest of Swinford—­Evictions—­The Morning Chronicle on them—­Spread and Increase of Famine—­The question of providing coffins—­Deaths at Skibbereen—­Extent of the Famine in 1846—­Deaths in Mayo—­Cases—­Edward M’Hale—­Skibbereen—­The diary of a day—­Swelling of the extremities—­Burning beds for fuel—­Mr. Cummins’s account of Skibbereen—­Killarney Relief Committee—­Father O’Connor’s Statement—­Christmas Eve!—­A Visit to Skibbereen twenty years after the great Famine.

As events progressed, the landlords of Ireland appeared to grow more and more alarmed, not so much for the people as for themselves; and they held meetings and passed resolutions, censuring the Government for the mode which it had chosen of counteracting the Famine.  The Government and its organs returned the compliment by pointing out the inaction and obstructive policy of the landlords.

At those meetings it was invariably one of the resolutions, that labour should be employed upon productive works.  The common-sense principle contained in this expression of opinion could not be denied:  it was, indeed, the general opinion of the country; still every one felt that it would require time to develop such works—­the starving millions must be fed, or at least the attempt must be made to feed them; they could not wait for tedious preliminaries, and more tedious surveys, and no other means existed to supply their daily food, but those afforded by the Labour-rate Act.[174] But