eepers' societies (for the marketing of eggs), flax societies,
industries societies, as well as other societies of a miscellaneous
character.

In 1892 the Liberal Party came into power. During their three years'
tenure of office a Home Rule Bill was introduced and passed through the
House of Commons, but little or nothing was attempted by the Government
for the economic regeneration of the country.

The Unionist Party came back with a large majority in 1896, and the
attention of the new Irish Government, in which the post of Lord
Lieutenant was held by Lord Cadogan and that of Chief Secretary by the
present writer, was from the first directed to the condition of the
Irish farmer. The session of 1896 was largely devoted to the passing of
a Bill for amending the Land Acts, and for further facilitating the
conversion of occupying tenants into owners of their holdings. Time,
however, was also found for a new Light Railways Act, under the
provision of which railway communication has been opened up at the
expense of the State in the poorest parts of North-West Ireland.

It was in the following year that the first attempt was made to
establish an Irish Department of Agriculture. The Bill was not carried
beyond a first reading, because it was ultimately decided that a Local
Government Act should have precedence of it. But the project was only
put aside for a time, and it was always looked upon by me as an integral
part of our legislative programme. In framing the Bill of 1897, and also
the later Bill of 1899, which passed into law, we received the greatest
assistance from the labours of a body known as the Recess Committee,
concerning which a few words must now be said.

THE RECESS COMMITTEE.

To be the founder of agricultural co-operation in Ireland was Sir Horace
Plunkett's first great achievement; the bringing together of the Recess
Committee was his second. He conceived the idea of inviting a number of
the most prominent men in Ireland, irrespective of religious or
political differences, to join in an inquiry into the means by which the
Government could best promote the development of the agricultural and
industrial resources of Ireland. This idea he propounded in an open
letter published in August, 1895. The proposal was a bold one--how bold
no one unacquainted with Ireland will easily realise. Amongst
Nationalist politicians the majority fought shy of it. Mr. Justin
McCarthy, the leader of the party, could only see