The Famine continued through the year 1741 and even deepened in
severity, provisions still keeping at starvation prices. The Duke of
Devonshire met the Parliament on the 6th of October, and in the course
of his address said: "The sickness which hath proved so mortal in
several parts of the kingdom, and is thought to have been principally
owing to the scarcity of wholesome food, must very sensibly affect His
Majesty, who hath a most tender concern for all his subjects, and cannot
but engage your serious attention to consider of proper measures to
prevent the like calamity for the future, and to this desirable end the
increase of tillage, which would at the same time usefully employ the
industrious poor, may greatly contribute." In answer to this portion of
the speech, they promise to "prepare such laws as, by encouraging
tillage, and employing the industrious poor, may be the means for the
future to prevent the like calamity." A Committee was appointed to
inquire into "the late great scarcity," and some matters connected with
tillage. They met many times; now and then reported to the House that
they had made some progress, and at last the heads of a bill were
presented by Mr. Le Hunte, the Chairman, which were ordered to be sent
to England. Nothing, as far as I can discover, resulted from this
proceeding, unless indeed it was a bill passed in 1743 "to prevent the
pernicious practice of burning land," which is probable enough, as the
heads of this bill were presented to the House by the same Mr. Le Hunte.
During the time this Committee was sitting and reporting, and sitting
again, Mr. Thos. Cuffe, seconded by Mr. George M'Cartney, presented the
heads of a bill "for the more effectual securing the payment of rents
and preventing the frauds of tenants," which was received and read and
committed by a Committee of the whole House on presentation, and was
hurried through its other stages, apparently without discussion, but
certainly without opposition; and this in the second year of a Famine,
now combined with pestilence, which slaughtered one-eighth of the whole