land, who, we may be permitted to ask, created them?
The very landlords who now sought to abolish them, at the expense of
millions of lives. Again, if small holdings were the bane of Ireland,
was the midst of an unparalleled famine the proper time to remove the
bane? Ought not such a bane be the subject of legislation, when society
was in its normal state? Sir George thought not, and hence he virtually
says to the landlords, "Now is your time to get rid of the people; they
have served your purpose; they are useful to you no longer; why should
they cumber the ground?" Mr. Poulett Scrope objected to carrying the
clause so suddenly into execution, as it would be a complete clearance
of the small farmers of Ireland, and would amount to a social revolution
in the state of things in that country. Mr. Sharman Crawford said he
would divide the House against the clause, which he did. Strange as it
may seem, some Liberal Irish members present supported the clause. Mr.
Morgan John O'Connell said he looked on it as a valuable alteration in
the bill. Alderman Humphrey said the phrase "quarter-acre" ought to be
changed to five acres; whereupon he was told, almost in terms by Sir
George Grey, that he did not understand what he was talking about. Sir
George said "he was afraid his honourable friend, Alderman Humphrey, did
not really see the effect of his own amendment. All holders of land, up
to 4-3/4 acres, would, according to such an amendment, be enabled to
obtain relief without selling their land." "Giving up to the landlord,"
not "_selling_," is the phrase in the clause. In spite of Sir George
Grey's opinion to the contrary, it would seem to ordinary readers that
the worthy Alderman knew quite well the force of his amendment; it was
meant to feed the starving people, even though they happened to have a
little land. Mr Gregory, replying in defence of his clause, used these
words: "Many honourable members insisted that the operation of a clause
of this kind would destroy all the small farmers. If it could have such
an effect, he did not see of what use such small farmers could possibly
be;" because, I suppose, they could not survive a famine that threatened
the lords of the soil with bankruptcy or extinction, as they were
constantly proclaiming. Mr. Gregory's words--the words of a liberal, and
a pretended friend of the people--and Mr. Gregory's clause are things
that should be for ever remembered by the descendants of the slaughtered