CHAPTER V.

John Russell Prime Minister--He confers important offices on some
Irish Catholics--His address to the electors of London--Its
vagueness--Addresses of some of the other new Ministers--The Irish
difficulty greater than ever--Young and Old Ireland--The _Times_ on
O'Connell and English rule in Ireland--Overtures of the Whig
Government--O'Connell listens to them--The eleven measures--Views of
the advanced Repealers--Lord Miltown's letter to
O'Connell--Dissensions in the Repeal Association--The "Peace
Resolutions"--O'Connell's letters--He censures the _Nation_
newspaper--Debate in the Repeal Association--Thomas Francis
Meagher's "Sword speech"--The Young Ireland party leave Conciliation
Hall in a body--Description of the scene (_Note_)--Reflections--Sir
Robert Peel's speech after his resignation--Lord John Russell's
speech at Glasgow--His speech on the Irish Coercion Bill--His speech
after becoming Prime Minister--The Potato Blight reappears--Accounts
from the Provinces--Father Mathew's letter--Value of the Potato Crop
of 1846--Various remedies, theories, and speculations--State of the
weather--Mr. Cooper's observations at Markree Castle--Lord
Monteagle's motion in the House of Lords for employing the
people--Profitable employment the right thing--The Marquis of
Lansdowne replies--It is hard to relieve a poor country like
Ireland--Lord Devon's opinion--The Premier's statement about
relief--The wonderful cargo of Indian meal--Sir R. Peel's
fallacies--Bill for Baronial Sessions--Cessation of Government
Works--The Mallow Relief Committee--Beds of stone!--High rents on
the poor--The Social Condition of the Hottentot as compared with
that of Mick Sullivan--Rev. Mr. Gibson's views--Mr. Tuke's account
of Erris (_Note_)--Close of the Session of Parliament, 131