(oh, oh).  Yes, free trade; free trade in the lives of the Irish people (laughter, cries of ‘oh, oh, oh,’ and great confusion); leaving the people to take care of themselves, when Providence has swept away their food from the face of the earth.  There were no stores, nor mills, nor granaries.  Then why (the noble Lord continued, with much vehemence) don’t he give us the information, if he don’t shrink from it?  Never before was there an instance of a Christian government allowing so many people to perish—­(oh, oh)—­without interfering (great confusion and cries of ’oh, oh’).  Yes, you will groan; but you will hear this.  The time will come when we shall know what the amount of mortality has been; and though you may groan, and try to keep the truth down, it shall be known, and the time will come when the public and the world will be able to estimate, at its proper value, your management of the affairs of Ireland (murmurs and confusion).”

CHAPTER XI.

Lord George Bentinck’s Railway Scheme; he thought the finishing of the railways would be useful; he was a practical man, and wished to use the labour of the people on useful and profitable work—­The State of England in 1841-2—­The remedy that relieved England ought to have the same effect in Ireland—­Under certain arrangements, there could have been no Irish Famine—­Tons of Blue Books—­No new Acts necessary for Railways—­1,500 miles of Railway were passed—­Only 123 miles made—­Lord George Bentinck’s Speech—­Waste of power-traffic—­Great Southern and Western Railway—­Principles of the Railway Bill—­Shareholders—­What employment would the Railway Bill give?—­Mode of raising the money—­L20,000,000 paid to slave-owners—­Why not do the same thing for Ireland?—­Foreign Securities in which English money has been expended—­Assurances of support to Lord George—­The Irish Members in a dilemma—­The Irish Party continue to meet—­Meeting at the Premier’s in Chesham Place—­Smith O’Brien waits on Lord George—­The Government stake their existence on postponing the second reading of Lord Bentinck’s Bill—­Why?—­No good reason—­Desertion of the Irish Members—­Sir John Gray on the question—­The Prime Minister’s Speech—­The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Speech a mockery—­Loans to Ireland (falsely) asserted not to have been repaid—­Mr. Hudson’s Speech—­The Chancellor going on no authority—­Mr. Hudson’s Railway Statistics—­The Chancellor of the Exchequer hard on Irish Landlords—­His way of giving relief—­Sir Robert Peel on the Railway Bill—­The Railway Bill a doomed measure—­Peel’s eulogium on industry in general, and on Mr. Bianconi in particular—­Lord G. Bentinck’s reply—­His arguments skipped by his opponents—­Appoint a Commission, like Mr. Pitt in 1793—­Money spent on making Railways—­The Irish Vote on the Bill—­Names.

No effort of statesmanship to overcome the Famine is remembered with such gratitude in Ireland as Lord George Bentinck’s generous proposal to spend sixteen millions of money in the construction of railways, for the employment of its people.