To have purchased and stored for their use the wheat and
oats of their own soil, would have been, one should suppose, the direct
way of achieving this philanthropic desire.
On the fifth night of the debate, Sir Robert rose again, and, in his
speech, applied himself almost exclusively to the famine part of the
question. He read many letters from persons in high position in Ireland,
to prove to the House what was unfortunately but too well known in that
country for many months, that the greater portion of the only food of
four millions of the people was destroyed. Reading from an official
report, substantially embracing the whole kingdom, he said: "In four
electoral divisions, nearly nine-tenths of the potato crop are gone; in
ninety three, between seven-tenths and eight-tenths; and in one hundred
and twenty-five, the loss approaches to seven-tenths of the whole crop;
in sixteen divisions, to six-tenths; in five hundred and ninety-six
divisions, nearly one-half; and in five hundred and eighty-two, nearly
four-tenths are destroyed." Appealing to the House, he says it has but
two courses,--"to maintain the existing law, or make some proposal for
increasing the facilities of procuring foreign articles of food.
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