bodied labourers, as it could
when it suited his purpose to resist a motion proposed by his opponents.
"Let it be remembered, the Chancellor of the Exchequer argues in favour
of this measure, that the money he asks for will certainly be paid back,
while only one-half, he tells you, of the money advanced or relief works
is sought to be reclaimed. Why, Sir, that was just my argument three
months ago."

The Chancellor of the Exchequer's Bill was carried by a large majority.

It is a pity that noble-hearted Englishman, Lord George Bentinck, did
not live long enough to see how enduring the gratitude of the Irish
people has been for the friendly and bounteous hand he endeavoured to
stretch out to them, in their hour of sorest need. Seven-and-twenty
years have passed away since then; yet that gratitude still survives,
nor is it likely soon to die out amongst a people noted for warm hearts
and long memories.

FOOTNOTES:

[205] Lord George Bentinck, a political Biography, 5th edit., p. 339.

[206] _Ib._ p. 340.

[207] Special London Correspondent of _Freeman's Journal_.

[208] Speech of Dr. (now Sir John) Gray, at the Tuam Banquet, 24th
January, 1854.

[209] "The speech of the night was that of King Hudson. In a most
masterly manner he swept away the rubbish, of the Whig
Chancellor."--_Special Correspondent of Dublin Freeman_.

[210] "How is it that a war expenditure never alarms our practical
public, while half the amount employed among ourselves produces
something like a panic? We spent millions on the Affghanistan war, and
had a whole army destroyed, with no one result whatever; there was
scarcely a remark made about it, and the generals who commanded the
expedition that led to defeat and disgrace got peerages and pensions....
We will put it to any one whether, if Lord George Bentinck had, as a
general (and had he continued in the army he might have been one),
caused the positive loss for ever of sixteen millions to this country,
in a campaign at the other end of the world, he would have been visited
with such a torrent of ridicule as that poured upon him on account of
his plan for laying out that sum at home, with an absolute certainty of
its return? No; his destruction of that amount of capital would have
been rewarded with a peerage and a pension for three
lives."--_Illustrated London News, May 8th, 1847._

[211] The majority was at first announced to be 204, but it was
afterwards found to be 214.

[212] The