168 RECORDS AND REMINISCENCES OF GOODWOOD 



the loss of the bills, but afterwards, in point of fact, 

 entirely to paralyze the proceedings of Parliament. 

 It was useless to allow counsel to come forward and 

 make statements, while their Lordships knew that the 

 arguments could be of no avail in inducing them to 

 alter the details. The Duke of Richmond, with much 

 kindness, as was his wont in finding out weak points, 

 replied that if such was to be the constitution of 

 Parliament, it was a mere farce to ask their Lord- 

 ships to consider a bill, when at the same time 

 they were told that they could not alter it. Better 

 would it be to alter the standing order, and declare 

 that the consent of the Queen and Commons was 

 sufficient to pass a measure. " If," he said, " such 

 an argument had been used by a young man just 

 come from school, I should have taken no notice of 

 it ; but when it comes from my noble friend, the 

 noble and gallant Duke, I am bound to protest 

 against it, and I certainly feel it my duty to take 

 the sense of the House on this motion." 



So intimately associated as his Grace had been 

 with the Duke of Wellington in his early and 

 military days, he waived all personal feeling when 

 in contact with him upon public matters. 



In the year 1847 great distress prevailed in Ireland, 

 owing in a large measure to the failure of the potato 

 crop, supplemented by that of the oats. From the 

 report of the Commissioners of the Poor Laws inquiry, 



