12


DiScOvErInG HiStOrY


many could not read them. The Indian corn was unpopular and gave people bad stomach problems. For this reason, and because of its yellow colour, the corn was nicknamed Peel’s brimstone.


In 1846 Robert Peel was replaced as British prime minister by John Russell. He did not believe the government should interfere in economic matters. This policy is called laissez-faire. Therefore, Russell stopped the importation and distribution of cheap Indian corn.


Instead, he thought that people should work their way out of starvation and that the Irish were too reliant on charity.


2. Public works schemes


Half of the cost of Peel’s public works schemes had been paid for by the British government. The new prime minister, Russell, however, did not believe that the British government should have to pay for these works. The British government supported the view that ‘Irish property must support Irish poverty’. It stopped direct assistance therefore, and would only offer loans with an interest rate of 3.5 per cent to fund the works. Furthermore, to ensure value for money, Russell and Charles Edward Trevelyan (the British Finance Secretary responsible for Ireland) introduced task-work so that pay would be connected to each individual’s work. Despite low pay, the distances people had to travel during the winter and the physically weak condition of most of the population, by March 1847 there were 714,000 people employed in the public works schemes. Unfortunately, the food dealers were able to increase their prices and the poor were still not able to buy enough food.


12.4%


Fig 12.9 John Russell believed that Irish people relied on charity too much.


7.2% 1.2% 5.4% 14.0% 16.7% 10.0% 16.1% 21.9% 3.3% 13.6% 12.2% 7.1% 10.4% 0.2% 8.7% 10.2% 13.7% 6.5% 8.5% 5.6% 6.1% 5.3% 9.0% 0.3% 12.6% 10.0% 2.9% 3.8% 5.5% 0.2%


1.1%


0.1%


Fig 12.10 This map shows the percentage of people employed by public works schemes between 1846 and 1847.


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