[204] Immediately after the above clause was added to the "Poor Relief
(Ireland) Bill," Lord George Bentinck made the following attack upon the
Irish-famine policy of the Government: "The noble Lord," says the
report, "proceeded to contend that, if the Government had had recourse
to the system he had recommended, it would have raised the condition of
the people, and the House would not have heard of the tens of thousands
and the hundreds of thousands of deaths; but they could not learn from
the Government how many, for there was one point upon which the Irish
Government were totally ignorant, or which they concealed, which was,
the mortality which had occurred during their administration of Irish
affairs (hear, hear). They shrink (continued the noble lord,
energetically) from telling us; they are ashamed to tell us. They know
the people have been dying by thousands, and I dare them to inquire what
has been the number of those who have died through their mismanagement,
their principles of free trade (oh, oh). Yes, free trade; free trade in
the lives of the Irish people (laughter, cries of 'oh, oh, oh,' and
great confusion); leaving the people to take care of themselves, when
Providence has swept away their food from the face of the earth.
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