April 17th, 1846: William Smith O'Brien believes there would be no Famine if Ireland was self governing. While accepting the British crown, this Protestant patriot rejects Westminster rule.
He tells the House of Commons during a Coercion Bill debate the Irish people are alienated, perhaps irrevocably, from this parliament. He finds the linking of repressive legislation with relief measures disingenuous.
"How different would have been the conduct of an Irish government and an Irish parliament," O'Brien asserts. "An Irish government would have summoned an Irish parliament to meet in November last, to consider the steps necessary to meet the unforeseen calamity instead of coupling measures of coercion and relief. .. out of the resources of Ireland they would have made preparations to prevent famine among the people."
O'Brien will hold British ministers responsible for premature loss of life. Already three people have died. He cites the Roscommon Journal: "On Sunday morning a poor man was discovered within calf a mile of this town, stretched by the ditch, and apparently some hours dead." An inquest jury found that the man died from destitution and hunger.
In Limerick a man has died of starvation on the public works. Fellow workers subscribed a penny each - one twelfth of their hard day's earning - for his family.
It is monstrous, O'Brien continues, to talk about the rights of property when the people are starving. In Limerick, Clare and Kerry many families are surviving on one meal of bad food a day. He describes a meeting of several thousand labourers in his Co Limerick constituency. With the help of the Catholic clergy, "who on all occasions exerted themselves for the preservation of the peace", the people were persuaded to disband without any attack on property.
In reply, the Home Secretary, Sir James Graham, says no official account has yet been received of any death from destitution.
Perhaps he is not aware of the letter which the Relief Commissioners in Dublin received from John Smith, of Clifden, Co Galway, on March 23rd. Smith said it was his melancholy task to relate that the first victim that has fallen a sacrifice [sic] for want is the father of five children and probably some of them and his wife may follow. The government are awfully responsible The Home Secretary claims the government - unlike O'Brien's fellow landlords - is doing its utmost. An Irish parliament could not have dealt with the crisis more generously than the British parliament has done.
Mrs Smith, the Scottish diarist living in Wicklow, records that as yet O'Brien is only laughed at. "Legislate for Ireland, a nation of lunatics. Reason with Irishmen! Everyone of them stark staring mad from the peer to the peasant."