It was closed
on the 25th of June by Mr. Cobden; the division was taken, and the
Government was left in a minority of SEVENTY THREE. It was a memorable
night in the life of Sir Robert Peel. Although a night of defeat, it was
also a night of triumph for him; for, two hours before the division, and
whilst the debate was going on, Commissioners from the House of Lords
announced to the Commons that their lordships had finally passed the
bill for the repeal of the Corn Laws. It was the law of the land!
Writing to Lord Harding, Governor-General of India, ten days afterwards,
Sir Robert says: "You will see that we are out--defeated by a
combination of Whigs and Protectionists. A much less emphatic hint would
have sufficed for me. I would not have held office by sufferance for a
week.... There are no secrets. We have fallen in the face of day, and
with our front to to our enemies. There is nothing I would not have done
to ensure the carrying of the measure I had proposed this session. I
pique myself on never having proposed anything which I have not carried.
But the moment their success was ensured, and I had the satisfaction of
seeing two drowsy Masters in Chancery mumble out, at the table of the
House of Commons that the Lords had passed the Corn and Customs Bills, I
was satisfied."[93] Sir Robert expresses himself satisfied, but the
coincidence which caused this satisfaction was not, in the slightest
degree influenced either by himself or any member of his Government.
Neither was it the result of chance or good fortune; it was solely
brought about by the nice calculation of the anti-Corn Law party, who
had resolved to prolong the debate on the Coercion Act until the Corn
Bill would be passed. And as soon as they heard the aforesaid drowsy
Masters in Chancery make the welcome announcement, _they_ were
satisfied, and the division took place.

During the session, the Peel Government proposed and carried several
measures for the employment of the people of Ireland, the principal of
which were:--1. An Act for the further amendment of the 1st Victoria,
cap. 21; 2. An Act empowering Grand Juries at the Assizes of 1846 to
appoint extraordinary presentment sessions for county works; 3. An Act
to consolidate the powers hitherto exercised by the Commissioners of
Public Works in Ireland; and, 4. An Act to facilitate the employment of
the labouring poor for a limited period in the distressed districts. Up
to the 15th of August, 1846, th