The Lord Lieutenant's address to
the deputation was evidently found fault with, at least in one
particular, at head quarters--and he is on his defence in this letter.
"It is perfectly true" writes His Excellency, "that I did, in my answer
to the Lord Mayor, say there was no immediate pressure on the market;
but you must not give too wide a meaning to that observation, which had
reference merely to his demand that the exportation of grain should be
prohibited and the ports immediately thrown open. My meaning was that
there was nothing so pressing as to require us to act without waiting
for the decision of the responsible advisers of the Crown. But the
danger may be upon us before we are aware of its being near; for, as I
said in a former letter, the sudden decay of potatoes dug up in an
apparently sound state sets all calculation at defiance. Some
precautionary measures must be adopted, and adopted promptly, for there
is danger in delay."
It is worthy of remark, that the only part of the Viceroy's answer to
the deputation, that could weaken the arguments in favour of Free Trade,
was his saying, "there was no immediate pressure on the market;" and
this was the only part found fault with by the un-named minister to whom
the above defence was addressed.
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