It was at this meeting O'Connell first brought forward his plan for
dealing with the impending famine, a plan which met with no favour from
those in power, there not having been a single suggestion put forward in
it which was taken up by them. The crisis, he said, was one of terrible
importance; the lives of the people were at stake; the calamity was all
but universal; something must be done, and done immediately, to meet it.
Private subscriptions would not be sufficient; they might meet a local,
but not a national calamity like the present. By a merciful dispensation
of Providence there was one of the best oat crops that we ever have had
in the country, but that crop was passing out of Ireland day by day.
Then, quoting from the _Mark Lane Express_, he said, sixteen thousand
quarters of oats were imported from Ireland to London alone in one week.
His proposal was, that a deputation should be appointed to wait on the
Lord Lieutenant (Lord Heytesbury) to urge certain measures on the
Government, in order to mitigate the calamitous state of the country. 1.
The first measure he proposed was the immediate stoppage of distillation
and brewing, 2. Next, that the export of provisions of every kind to
foreign countries should be immediately prohibited, and our own ports
open to receive provisions from all countries.
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