86 THE IRISH PEOPLE. 



possesses every charm, grace, eloquence, beauty, and 

 misfortune ... the tone of the English towards 

 the Irish is execrable." 



87. In 1858, Lord Palmerston : " The number of 

 Irish is now set down as half the army, but it was 

 above that. Soon after the Crimean war, a debate 

 took place in the British House of Commons, when 

 the 23rd Welsh Fusiliers were very highly spoken of, 

 and the country that gave birth to such men lauded 

 to the skies. Sir John Gray, member for Kilkenny, 

 was in his place during this debate, and, knowing 

 that the 23rd Welsh Fusiliers were composed of 

 others besides Welshmen, he called for a return of 

 the different countries to which the men who com- 

 posed this certainly brave regiment belonged ; it 

 was ordered to be furnished. The regiment at the 

 time numbered nearly 1,000 men, and out of that 

 number there were 700 Irishmen in the 23rd Welsh 

 Fusiliers. Lord Palmerston was very much annoyed 

 about this motion being made, and said he trusted 

 " honourable members would in future refrain from 

 making insulting remarks on the Irish people, who 

 were conspicuous for their gallantry, and from whom 

 one-half of the whole British army was recruited." 



From the official returns from the Adjutant- 

 General's Office, April 29th, 1841, these were the 



