87 



that a Peer of the Realm should declare, in the House of 

 Lords, that the Irish .people were aliens of course, there- 

 fore, had not the same claims to the protection of the 

 British government, as the English people had. The term 

 alien, however, might have been merely an unguarded 

 expression, arising out of the heat of debate. I never was 

 in Ireland, but from all I have heard, it appears that the 

 land, take it altogether, is capable of being made to 

 produce, per acre, as much human food as any land on the 

 face of the globe. The people of a country with such 

 resources within itself, ought to be as comfortable, happy, 

 and contented, as any people in the whole world. The 

 present condition of a great portion of the Irish population 

 is most lamentable, but how it is to be amended, those only 

 who well know the country, and the people, can form any 

 just idea. 



Taking into consideration the large supplies that must 

 come from Ireland, even if the condition of the lower orders 

 should be so improved that they shall consume double the 

 quantity of wheat they now do (for, whilst their condition 

 is improving, they will so improve the cultivation of the 

 land, as greatly to increase its produce) the increased 

 supply from the effective draining of the fens of this 

 country the lessening the demand for wheat, from the 

 labourers' allotment system (which has increased the con- 

 sumption of potatoes in labourers' families, and decreased 

 the consumption of bread, besides which, the general con- 

 sumption of potatoes has of late years been much increased, 

 from their being of a better and more nutritious quality) 

 under all these circumstances, without there should be in 

 some year a general failure of the crop, or the country be 

 involved in war, or until there is a very great increase of the 

 population, I feel persuaded that the future average price 

 of wheat in this country, with the present corn laws, will 

 not exceed fifty-two shillings per quarter, with other grain 

 at corresponding prices. As the burthens on agriculture 

 have been lightened, active and industrious tenants, renting 

 under liberal landlords, will be able, with such prices, to 

 obtain decent maintenance for themselves and their families, 

 but not at less : for labour, and other expenses of culti- 

 vation in this country, cannot be reduced accordingly. 



