by the Blight--Report of Professors Lindley and Playfair--Estimated
loss--Query Sheets sent out--Corporation Address to the Queen--Her
Reply--Address of the London Corporation asking for Free Trade--The
Potato Blight made a party question--Dean Hoare's Letter--Failure of
remedies, 48

CHAPTER III.

Lord Heytesbury and Sir Robert Peel--The Potatoes of last year!--Is
there a stock of them?--Sir R. Peel and Free Trade--Strength of his
Cabinet--Mr. Cobden proposes a Committee of Inquiry--His speech--Its
effect--Committee refused--D'Israeli's attack on Sir R. Peel
(_Note_)--Sir Robert puts forward the Potato Blight as the cause for
repealing the Corn Laws--The extent of the Failure not
exaggerated--Sir James Graham and Sir R. Peel--Appointments of Drs.
Lindley and Playfair to investigate the Blight--Sir R. Peel
announces that he is a convert to the repeal of the Corn
Laws--States his views, but does not reason on them--The Quarterly
Review--Special Commissioners--Mr. Buller's letter--Sir James Graham
and the Premier--Proceeding by Proclamation instead of by Order in
Council--Sir James's sharp reply--Agitation to stop
distillation--County Meetings proposed by the Lord
Lieutenant--Cabinet Council--The Premier puts his views before it in
a memorandum--The Corn Laws--Some of the Cabinet displeased with his
views--On the 6th November he submits another memorandum to the
Cabinet--Lord Stanley dissents from the Premier's views--The Cabinet
meet again next day and he concludes the memorandum--On the 29th
November he sends to each of his colleagues a more detailed
exposition of his views--Several reply--Another mem. brought before
them on the 2nd December--The Cabinet in permanent session--On the