Opening of 1843--Assassination of Drummond--The _Quarterly_ on the League--Scene between Peel and Cobden--Mr. Villiers's Annual Motion--Peel's Free Trade Admissions--Progress of the League Agitation--Activity of its Press--Important Accessions--Invasion of the County Constituencies--The Free Traders in Parliament--Disraeli attacks Peel--Lord John Russell's Attitude--Debate on Mr. Villiers's Motion--Mr. Goulburn's Budget--The Sugar Duties--Defeat of the Government--Peel obtains a Reconsideration of the Vote--Disraeli's Sarcasms--The Anti-League League--Supposed Decline of Cobdenism--The Session of 1845--The Budget--Breach between Peel and his Party--The Potato Disease--The Cabinet Council--Memorandum of November 6--Dissent of Peel's Colleagues--Peel's Explanation of his Motives--Lord Stanley's Expostulation--Announcement in the _Times_--The Edinburgh Letter--Resignation of the Ministry--Russell fails to form a Government--Return of Peel--Parliament meets--Debates on the Queens Speech--Peel's general Statement--Mr. Bright's Eulogium--The Corn Bill passes the Commons and the Lords--Defeat of Sir Robert Peel--Some scattered Facts of his Administration 505 CHAPTER XVII. THE REIGN OF VICTORIA (_continued_). The Repeal Agitation--Debate in the Dublin Corporation--The Monster Meetings--O'Connell's Speech at Tara--The Arms Bill--Dismissal of the Repeal Magistrates--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 Cork--Decline of O'Connell--His Breach 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 Benevolence--Munificence of the United States 525 CHAPTER XVIII. THE REIGN OF VICTORIA (_continued_).