ncipal clergy
members of Relief Committees--Duties of Government
Inspectors--Finance Committees--Numbers on Public Works in February,
1847--Monthly outlay--Parliament gives authority to borrow
L8,000,000--Reduction of labourers on Public Works--Task work
condemned--Rules drawn up by new Relief Commissioners--Rations to be
allowed--Definition of soup--First Report of
Commissioners--Remonstrances--Quantity of stationery used--Cooked
food recommended--Monsieur Soyer comes to Ireland--His coming
heralded by the London Journals--His soup--Jealousy--M. Jaquet on
Soyer--The _Lancet_ on the subject--Professor Aldridge, M.D., on
Soyer's soup--Sir Henry Marsh on it--M. Soyer's model soup
kitchen--A "gala day"--Ireland M. Soyer's "difficulty"--Last
appearance!--Description of his "Model Soup Kitchen"
(_Note_).--Reclamation of waste lands--Quantity reclaimable--Sir
Robert Kane's view--Mr. Fagan on Reclamation--Mr. Poulette Scrope on
the Irish question--Unreclaimed land in Mayo--The Dean of
Killala--Commissary-General Hewetson on reclamation and
over-population--Opposition to reclamation--No reason given for
it--Sir R. Griffith on it--Mr. Fetherstone a reclaimer of
bog--Reclamation of bog in England--Second Report of Relief
Commissioners--Relief Works closed too rapidly--The twenty per cent.
rule--M. Labouchere's reply to Smith O'Brien--Letter from Colonel
Jones--The Premier's promise--The Claremorris deanery--Effect of the
dismissals in various parts of the country--Soup kitchens
attacked--Third Report of the Relief Commissioners--Questions from
Inspectors--O'Connell's last illness--His attempt to reach Rome--His
death--His character--Remaining reports of the Relief
Commissioners--The Accountant's department--Number of rations--Money
spent.

The expansion of the system of Public Works, under the Labour-rate Act,
was as unparalleled as it was unexpected by the Government. The number
of persons employed rose, in less than three months, from 20,000 to four
hundred thousand; the return for the week ending on the 5th of October
was just 20,000; for the week ending on the 26th of December, 398,000!
there being at the latter period at least one hundred and fifty
thousand on the books of the officers of the works, who either would not
or could not be employed; the famine-stricken were, meantime, hastening
to their shroudl