on of Ireland with the question of the Corn Laws. These
laws did not affect the description of food available for the people of
Ireland ... he was one of those who differed from the great majority of
the hon. members at his side of the House--he meant with respect to
measures to alter the Corn Law, which he had no doubt would be of
service to this country, but would for some time be injurious to
Ireland." He closed his speech by the declaration, that "he felt it his
duty to throw the responsibility upon Government; and in his conscience
he believed that, for whatever loss of life might arise from want of
food, or from outbreaks, the result of want, ministers would be
answerable."[90]

Meantime, the Irish liberal members grew heart-sick of the endless
debate upon the Corn Laws, out of which they expected nothing would come
to relieve their starving countrymen. During its progress, O'Connell
made a motion that the House would resolve itself into a committee, to
take into consideration the state of Ireland, with a view to devise
means to relieve the distress of the Irish people. He called attention
to the vast exports of food from Ireland; showed that while Poor Laws
might mitigate distress in ordinary seasons, they were not capable of
meeting a famine; and, speaking from the depths of his conviction, he
declared that, in his conscience he believed, the result of neglect on
the part of the House, in the present instance, would be deaths to an
enormous amount. "It may be said," the Liberator continued, with a
dignity worthy of him, "that I am here to ask money to succour Ireland
in her distress: _No such thing, I scorn the thought_; I am here to
say, Ireland has resources of her own." The Home Secretary replied;
admitted O'Connell's facts, but begged of him "to leave the matter in
the hands of the responsible advisers of the Crown." Lord John Russell
counselled the withdrawal of the motion, as he considered the measures
of the Government judicious. It was accordingly withdrawn, and so the
matter ended for that time. But again, on the 9th of March, O'Connell
asked the First Lord of the Treasury if he were prepared to lay before
the House a statement of the measures taken by the Government, to
obviate the impending famine and disease in Ireland. Delay, he said,
would be fatal, and the sums of money already voted would not be of the
least avail. He repeated, that the Irish people were not suing _in forma
pauperis_; there were