tranquillize their minds under the most exciting circumstances, and procrastinate, if possible, the awful crisis of outbreak, which must and would come, if their sufferings were not speedily relieved. He thus knew their condition well. Their furniture had vanished from their now cheerless homes, piece after piece; their clothes were going in tatters off their backs, and shame and nakedness characterised multitudes of their honest and industrious community. But that was not all. While in this state of starvation and misery, crime and moral degradation must necessarily increase. The rising generation, too, were growing up without the means of education, except in one branch, a most fearful branch of education indeed, in reference to the rulers of our land,—our youth were trained to curse those laws which stood between them and the bounties of heaven in that munificence which God gives them. He was persuaded that he (Sir Robert Peel) could not but feel, standing as he did hi the awfully responsible position of Prime Minister of England, at this crisis. Their youth were trained to hate those oppressors who had enacted, and who maintain those laws by which they are literally starved. They were trained to this by practical parental example and it was not to be wondered at, seeing that this is expressly predicted in that sacred volume which they all hold to be the revealed will of Almighty God to man. "He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him." He did not quote that scripture—a scripture which was being literally fulfilled by starving millions—he did not quote it to harrow up his heart, but, being the truth, he wished it to tell upon his hand, if so be that it might lead him to use that power which was in his hand, in order to avert from himself and his party the predicted imprecations of an almost desperate people. He pleaded only on the ground of justice in the sight of God, that you remove the starvation laws, and redress the just grievances of the people. They solemnly assured him that the patience of
