not over-peopled—­Description of England and Scotland in former times by Lord John Russell—­His fine exposition of “the Irish question”—­Mr. P. Scrope’s Resolution—­A count out—­Bernal Osborne—­Smith O’Brien—­The good absentee landlords—­The bad resident landlords—­Sir C. Napier’s view—­Mr. Labouchere’s kind words—­Confounds two important questions—­Mr. Gregory’s quarter-acre clause—­Met with some opposition—­Irish liberals vote for it—­The opponents of the quarter-acre clause—­Lord George Bentinck’s attack on the Government (Note), 280

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—­Money spent on making Railways—­The Irish vote on the Bill—­Names, 335

CHAPTER XII.

State of the Country during the Winter of 1847—­State of Clare—­Capt.  Wynne’s Letter—­Patience of the suffering people—­Ennis without food—­The North—­Belfast—­great distress in it—­Letter to the Northern Whig—­Cork—­rush of country people to it—­Soup—­Society of Friends—­The sliding coffin—­Deaths in the streets—­One hundred bodies buried together!—­More than one death every hour in the Workhouse—­Limerick—­Experience