manufacture—­Its immediate effect—­William the Third’s Declaration—­Absenteeism—­Mr. M’Culloch’s arguments (Note A.)—­Apparently low rents—­Not really so—­No capital—­Little skill—­No good Agricultural Implements—­Swift’s opinion—­Arthur Young’s opinion—­Acts of Parliament—­The Catholics permitted to be loyal—­Act for reclaiming Bogs—­Pension to Apostate Priests increased—­Catholic Petition in 1792—­The Relief Act of 1793—­Population of Ireland at this time—­the Forty-shilling Freeholders—­Why they were created—­Why they were abolished—­the cry of over-population, 1

CHAPTER II.

The Potato Blight of 1845—­Its appearance in England—­In Ireland—­Weather—­Scotland—­Names given to the Blight—­First appearance of the Blight in Ireland—­Accounts of its progress—­The Royal Agricultural Improvement Society of Ireland—­Its action—­The Dublin Corporation—­O’Connell—­His plan for meeting the Crisis—­Deputation to the Lord Lieutenant—­How it was received—­Lord Heytesbury’s Reply—­It displeases the Government—­The Times’ Commissioner—­His suggestions—­Mr. Gregory’s Letter—­Mr. Crichton’s—­Sir James Murray on the Blight—­Action of the Clergy—­the Mansion House Committee—­Resolutions—­Analysis of five hundred letters on the Blight—­Partial cessation of the Rot caused 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