Page:History of the Anti corn law league.pdf/177

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STARVATION IN IRELAND.
161

said, for the motion, but not with a view to total repeal, as his own opinion was in favour of a moderate fixed duty. Mr. Strutt followed in favour of repeal, and then the noisy disturbance commenced afresh. The gentlemen born to dine, had, for that night, performed that important function, and they returned, heated with wine and hatred of any invasion of their vested right to put their hands into the pockets of the herd of bread eaters. Mr. Warburton was assailed in the middle of his speech by loud cries of "Divide, divide; " and when Mr. Mark Philips, representing a constituency equal to the aggregate of fifty undisfranchised but still corrupt boroughs, returning seventy-two members, rose to enforce the claims of the most important manufacturing community in her Majesty's dominions, he was greeted with deafening clamour. It was useless to carry on the discussion under such circumstances. The call for a division was acceded to, and the numbers were found to be:—

Against the motion, 300
For it 177

Majority in favour of the continuance, unmitigated, of the landowners' monopoly, 123.

The delegates, who had again met in London, renewed their declaration that they would resume their agitation with increased determination to attain their great object, and I had the honour of moving, my heart going heartily with it,a renewal of the pledge that we should use every exertion to obtain the return of those members alone who would vote for the repeal of the Corn Laws.

The division in the House of Commons was on the 26th of May. In my paper, of the 6th of June, I find the following notices of the commencement of the rebellion of the belly in Ireland.

The wonder was that it did not break out sooner:—

"The Limerick Reporter, after stating that at Listowell the state of the poor was awfully deplorable, potatoes being sixteen pence a stone,