the summons.
He spoke, on the occasion, against the Irish railway scheme; but his
arguments were devoid of force and solidity. He said the money could not
be raised, which nobody believed. He said it was generally admitted,
that only twenty-five per cent. of the money spent in the construction
of railways went for labour; an assertion for which neither he nor the
Chancellor of the Exchequer gave any authority, and which Mr. Hudson
triumphantly refuted, in his speech on the Bill next day. But Lord John
further said, that he was resolved to meet the second reading with a
direct negative, and that he would resign if the Government were
out-voted; an announcement which, although it lacked argument, had force
and meaning in it.

Several of those present at the meeting expressed their views for and
against the Bill. The Irish members, especially the Liberal members,
felt they were in a dilemma. They knew Lord George's proposal was
popular in Ireland--regarded, in fact, as a great boon. They did not at
all desire the resignation of the Government, from which they had
received many favours, and expected many more. What was to be done? They
hit upon a plan, which they considered would lift them out of their
dilemma; they resolved to ask Lord George to postpone the second reading
of his Bill, for a time, by which arrangement the Premier would not be
bound to carry out his threat of resignation; and Ireland eventually
might have the benefit of the railway scheme proposed by the
Protectionist leader.

The party which was formed some time before, at the Rotunda meeting, and
named the Irish party, as representing Ireland and its interests,
without reference to politics or religion, continued to meet from time
to time, in rooms they had hired in London. Those who joined it,
probably, meant well in the beginning; and many of them, no doubt, meant
well all through; but they undertook an impossible task, when they
pledged themselves to work for their country, irrespective of their
individual views, religious and political. In an hour or two after the
meeting of the 11th of February, at Lord John's, had broken up, they
assembled in their rooms. Some of the Irish members who were present at
Chesham-place attended, and gave an account of what had transpired
there. The situation was grave. Time was pressing. The second reading of
Lord George's Bill would be on in a few hours. The meeting, which
consisted of thirty-four Irish peers and mem