ast were compelled to acknowledge it at last,
and then the Prime Minister is furnished with a convenient letter from
the same Colonel Jones, so late, he tells the House, as the 19th of
January, in which that gentleman informs the Premier that it would be
better to give the people food for nothing than to give them any more
money; and as for task work, the Colonel says of them, that "their
strength was gone, and they had not power to exert themselves." This
looks wonderfully like a letter written to order. The people, for many
months, had been quite unequal to task work, but the Colonel could never
see it until the line of policy resolved upon by his chief required him
to clear his vision. "Sir," continued Lord John, "the opinion of the
Government previously to the receipt of this letter was, that the system
had become so vast in itself, while at the same time destitution and
want of food had so greatly increased, that it was desirable, if
possible, to attempt some temporary scheme by which, if possible, some
of the evils which now met us might be mitigated, and with so vast an
expenditure of money, some more effectual relief might be afforded." He
then laid his new scheme before the House. 1. His first proposal was to
form the country into districts, with a relief committee in each,
empowered to receive subscriptions, levy rates, and receive donations
from the Government. By these means the committees were to purchase
food, and establish soup-kitchens in the different districts, where food
was to be distributed without any labour test; the labourer, however,
was to be allowed to work on his own plot of ground, for the next
harvest. The Lord Lieutenant, he said, and the Board of Works were
consulted about this, and approved of it. The system was to be carried
out in the first instance by a preparatory measure, and then by a Bill
to be proposed to Parliament. 2. As soon as circumstances would permit,
by an easy transition, and without disturbing existing arrangements, no
further presentments would be made, and no new public works undertaken.
The Lord Lieutenant was of opinion that if the roads which had been
already begun should be left in an unfinished state, much evil would
result, and he therefore suggested that those roads should be completed.
With respect to the money which had been already expended, and was being
expended, on public works in Ireland, a claim had been made that it
should not wholly be a burthen upon th