Moorhouse's journeys about the country had taught him how severely people suffered in times of drought. He became one of the pioneers of irrigation, and gave courses of lectures showing what had been done in other countries. When asked to issue a special form of prayer for rain he said people were quite at liberty to use the prayer in the prayer-book, but that they should remember that it was their own lack of foresight which allowed so much water to run to waste, and it was their duty to remedy their own neglect. The story that his reply was that "he would pray for rain if they would dam their rivers" is not correct. When asked of the truth of this in later years, Moorhouse said he regretted he had not had the wit at the moment to put it so crisply. His many activities were putting some strain on him when he received a cablegram offering him the see of Manchester. He accepted this offer and left Victoria to the regret of all who had been associated with him.