In the spring of 1847, a gigantic emigration scheme was launched.  It was said to have emanated from, and was certainly patronized by members of the so-called Irish party, which, with so few elements of cohesion, was inaugurated at the Rotundo meeting; but the father of the scheme seems to have been Mr. J.E.  Godley.  By it, two millions of Irish Catholics were to be transferred to Canada in three years; it being a leading feature in the scheme to send none but Catholics.  It was, the promoters said, to be an Irish Catholic colony, with a distinct and well marked Irish nationality,—­in fact, a New Ireland!  There was a memorial on the subject which extended over fifty one pages of a pamphlet, and which was prepared by Mr. Godley with much ability.  It went very fully into the whole scheme.  This, accompanied by a short explanatory letter, was presented to the Prime Minister on the last day of March.

The memorialists assumed that the cultivation of the potato could not be persevered in, and that Ireland, in her existing condition, could not grow enough of corn food for six millions of people.  Hence the necessity for an extensive emigration.  They are not, they say, to be ranked among those who believe Ireland incapable of supporting its existing population in comfort, under other circumstances; far from it.  On the contrary, they do not doubt that if “the social economy” of Ireland were made to resemble that of England, the population of Ireland might be larger than it then was.  It was only under existing circumstances that the population of Ireland was redundant, and all they desired was a temporary decrease.

In the letter which accompanied the memorial to the Premier, the memorialists put their views, shortly, as follows:—­1.  The present condition of Ireland is such, that there must be, for some years, a vast increase of emigration, they, therefore, urge the necessity of what they call “systematic colonization,” both for the advantage of the emigrants themselves, and the good of the colony to which they would emigrate.  They think this colonization, “on a very large scale,” ought to be made from Ireland to Canada, and that the State ought to lend its assistance to promote it. 2.  In the second place they lay it down as an essential part of their scheme, that religious provision must be made for the emigrants. 3.  They think there would be great advantage in enlisting private enterprise, in the form of agency, to carry out the plan. 4.  Furthermore, there must be a willingness on the part of the nation to accept an income and property tax, for the purpose of defraying the cost of emigration:  and, 5.  To help the emigrants to settle on the land, “aids to location,” as Mr. Godley called them, must be provided.