The Repeal¹ Agitation²—Debate in the Dublin Corporation—The Monster Meetings—O'Connell's Speech at Tara—The Arms Bill—Dismissal of the Repeal Magistrates³—Speeches of the Duke of Wellington—The Arms Bill becomes Law—Proclamation of the Clontarf Meeting—O'Connell's Counter-Proclamation—Arrest and Trial of O'Connell—The Sentence—It is reversed by the House of Lords—Rejoicings on O'Connell's Liberation—The Excitement at Cork⁵—Decline of O'Connell—His Breach⁶ with the Young Ireland Party—Irish Debates in Parliament—Approach of the Irish Famine—The Devon Commission—Its Report—Arrival of the Potato Disease—The Famine—The Relief Committee of the Society of Friends—The Famine in Ulster—A Description of Cork and Skibbereen—Demoralisation of the Population—Policy of the Whig Cabinet—Lord George Bentinck's Railway Plan—Failure of the new Poor Law and of the Public Works—The Temporary Relief Act—Father Mathew—Private Benevolence⁷—Munificence of the United States.

The Repeal Agitation in Ireland, which had been thoroughly⁸ organised in 1842 by "Repeal Missionaries⁹" who had visited every parish in the country, reached its culminating point in 1843. Early in February that year Mr. O'Connell, who had filled the civic¹⁰ chair the previous year, and was then an alderman of the Dublin Corporation, gave notice that, on the 21st of that month, he would move a resolution, affirming the right of Ireland to a resident Parliament, and the necessity of