was his saying, "there was no immediate pressure on the market;" and
this was the only part found fault with by the un-named minister to whom
the above defence was addressed.

The reception accorded to the deputation was soon known through, the
city, and the chief liberal daily journal opened its leader on the
subject next morning in this indignant fashion:--"They may starve! Such
in spirit, if not in words, was the reply given yesterday by the English
Viceroy, to the memorial of the deputation, which, in the name of the
Lords and Commons of Ireland, prayed that the food of this kingdom be
preserved, lest the people thereof perish."[61]

Meantime the newspapers were filled with accounts of the progress of the
disease, with remedies to arrest it, and with suggestions of various
kinds for warding off the impending famine. Mr. Campbell Foster, then
travelling in Ireland as "Times' Commissioner," made some very sensible
suggestions, which, he says, he had obtained during his journeys through
the country. (1). He says it was generally agreed, that the potato crop
of 1845 was about one-fifth more than the average of other years. This
arose partly from the greater breadth of land that had been placed under
potato culture, and partly from the unusually abundant produce of the
crop. Although he admits the general opinion that, at the time[62] about
one-third of the crop was lost, still, if even then the disease could be
arrested, his opinion was, that there would be food enough in the
country for the wants of the people. "Various plans," he writes, "such
as quick lime, layers of ashes, kiln drying, exposure to the air, and
ventilation have been suggested, to obtain dryness. Most of these are
utterly futile, as beyond the general means and comprehension of the
people." He then gives a simple plan of ventilation which was within the
reach of every peasant. It was, to make an air passage under the whole
length of the potato pit, and to have one or two vent holes, or
chimnies, on the surface of it. The next thing to guard against was
frost, which always descends perpendicularly. This being the fact, the
only thing required was simply a sod to place over the chimney, or vent
hole, every night, or when it might be raining hard, to keep the
potatoes dry and free from frosting. His second important suggestion
was, to save seed for the coming year--a point, strange to say, that was
never sufficiently attended to throughout the whole of t