Lord George Bentinck | Page 7

think, having sat eighteen years in this house,

and never once having trespassed on its time before in any one single
great debate, I may appeal to the past as a proof that I duly weigh the
measure of my abilities, and that I am painfully conscious of my proper
place in this house.'
It was impossible to resist such appeals from such a person, even at
three o'clock in the morning; and diffident, but determined, he then
entered into what was, perhaps, the most remarkable portion of his
speech--an investigation of what was the real position of the country
with respect to the supply of food in the past autumn and at the present
moment. Having shown from the trade circulars that, far from there
being at present 'a wheat famine,' the stocks in the granaries in bond
were more than double in amount to what they were in the year 1845, 'a
year admitted by all to be a year of extraordinary abundance,' he
proceeded to the Irish part of the question: 'I beg leave to say, that
though this debate has now continued for three weeks, I am the first
gentleman who has at all entered into the real state of the case as
regards the allegation of a potato famine in Ireland, upon which, be it
remembered, is founded the sole case of her Majesty's ministers for a
repeal of the corn laws.'
And this was very true. The fact is, though the Protectionist party had
made a most unexpected and gallant defence, no one was really
prepared for the contest except Bentinck. Between the end of
November and the meeting of Parliament, he had thrown all the
energies of his passionate mind into this question. He had sought
information on all points and always at the fountain-head. He had
placed himself in immediate communication with the ablest
representatives of every considerable interest attacked, and being ardent
and indefatigable, gifted with a tenacious memory and a very clear and
searching spirit, there was scarcely a detail or an argument connected
with his subject which was not immediately at his command. No
speeches in favour of the protective system have ever been made in the
House of Commons compared with his in depth and range of
knowledge; and had there been any member not connected with the
government, who had been able to vindicate the merits of British
agriculture as he did when the final struggle occurred, the impression

which was made by the too-often unanswered speeches of the
Manchester confederation would never have been effected. But the
great Conservative party, exhausted by the labours of ten years of
opposition, thought that after the triumph of '41 it might claim a
furlough. The defence of their cause was left entirely to the ministers of
their choice; and ministers, distracted with detail and wearied with
official labour, are not always the most willing or the most efficient
champions of the organic principles of a party.
Sir Robert Peel, with respect to the disease in the Irish potato, had
largely referred to the statements of the inspectors of police. Lord
George wanted to know why the reports of the lieutenants of the Irish
counties were not given. Being well-informed upon this head, he asked
the government to produce the report of Lord Duncannon, the lord
lieutenant of Carlow; especially that of his noble father, the earl of
Bes-borough, lord lieutenant of Kilkenny. 'Is there any man in England
or in Ireland whose opinion, from his business-like habits, his great
practical knowledge, and the warm and affectionate interest which for a
long period of years he has taken in everything which concerns the
interests of Ireland, especially of the Irish peasantry--is there any man
whose opinion would have greater weight? The opinion of Lord
Bes-borough on an Irish subject, the lieutenant of an Irish county, and
himself long a cabinet minister? Well, sir, I am assured that, having
taken the utmost pains to investigate this matter, Lord Besborough has
made an elaborate report to the Irish government. Well, then, I desire to
know why Lord Besborough's report to the Irish government is
suppressed? Is it because that report would not assist the present policy
of her Majesty's government?'
He alleged the names of many other individuals of high station who
had officially reported on the subject to the government: of Lord
Castlereagh, the lieutenant of Down, a member of the House; of Lord
de Vesci, whose son was sitting for the Queen's County, over which his
father presided in the name of the queen. A murmur ran round the
House, that it would have been as well if these reports had been
produced.

The last portion of this argumentative harangue referred to the most
important division of the subject. Bentinck met it boldly,