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362 the starving millions which he (Sir R. Peel) and others had repeatedly and well applauded, and on which they were still vainly calculating, was all but exhausted. Should that delegation break up, and should he cause the prorogation of Parliament without affording efficient relief, or giving them one glimpse of hope, the consequences, ere months passed, would be fearful and tremendous. They believed, and the country too, that he had the power—he could almost say the omnipotent power—to remedy the evils, and prevent the ruin which was at hand; and if he refused or delayed to employ that power, which his place and his position gave him, fearful would be his responsibility, and tremendous his guilt at the bar of Almighty God, at which he and they must soon appear.

The Chairman briefly added some statements relative to the distress in London, which, although not so great as in other places, was still becoming progressively more severe. The number of casual cases relieved by the City of London Union, from the 25th of December, 1838, to June 24th, 1839, was 888, at an expense of 628 6s., and the number of cases from December 25th, 1841, to June 24th, 1842, was 29,648, at an expense of £4,231 3s. Sir R. Peel made the following reply:—"You will be aware, gentlemen, that as these subjects are being debated almost nightly in the House of Commons, I cannot be expected to communicate anything now. I shall, however, take care that the facts and statements you have laid before me are brought before her Majesty's government. I have nothing further to communicate"—then, after a pause, Sir Robert Peel added,—"except to express my deep sympathy in the distresses of the country, and to thank you for the testimony you have borne, which I fear is incontestible."

Sir Robert Peel then withdrew.

On retiring to Herbert's Hotel, Palace Yard, an unanimous vote of thanks was passed to the chairman, for the impressive and yet dignified