Huskisson's abilities, and his knowledge of all the intricacies of the subject, were too conspicuous not to ensure his name being included in the list; and it has been supposed, that the influence which his great talents and intimate acquaintance with finance secured to him, proved of the utmost importance to Ministers in surmounting the difficulties which opposed them. The masterly Exposition which he made, when the Chancellor of the Exchequer the present Lord Bexley-brought forward his string of Resolutions, relating to public Income and Expenditure, as founded upon the Report of that Committee, probably saved the Government on that occasion; or, should this be thought too bold an assertion, certainly contributed very essentially to mitigate the opposition which they encountered. It has been said, that Mr. Huskisson gave a financial view of each European Exchequer, and detailed the various measures then in progress among the different Continental States, with an ease and fidelity which excited general surprise and admiration. Without disguising the difficulties of our situation, or attempting to mystify or delude the country with vague calculations, he drew from our very embarrassments fresh arguments for that economy and exertion, which alone could ultimately enable us to weather them. The whole of this convincing address* is worthy the deepest attention, not only See vol. ii. p. 28.

for the valuable information and sound doctrines with which it abounds, but for the consummate skill with which, while defending the general policy of the Committee, he prudently disarmed his opponents, by conceding to them as much as possible, and admitted that the measure in consideration could only be justified upon the principle of necessity. It is much to be regretted that this Speech was never revised by Mr. Huskisson, and that no notes of it are in existence; for the report of it can convey only a very feeble idea of the impression which it caused on its delivery.

The death of George the Third having rendered it necessary to summon a new Parliament, Mr. Huskisson was again returned for Chichester, with the same marks of attachment and approbation which had been bestowed upon him on the three preceding occasions. The Session opened in April, and early in May, Mr. Baring, on presenting a Petition from the Merchants of London, respecting the Restrictions which impeded commercial enterprize, made that celebrated speech, to which Mr. Huskisson so successfully referred, when he vindicated the measures of Government on a subsequent occasion.

In the course of this year, Agricultural Distress again occupied much of the attention of the House, and a Committee was appointed, on the motion of Mr. Holme Sumner, to consider the various Petitions connected with this subject; but an

Mr. Robinson,

instruction was afterwards moved and carried by confining the inquiry to the mode of ascertaining, returning, and calculating the average prices of corn in the twelve maritime districts, under the provisions of the existing Corn Laws, and to any frauds which might be committed, in violation of any of the provisions of the said Laws;" which restriction, of course, rendered the labours of this Committee of comparatively little importance. In the following year, Ministers having withdrawn their opposition to such a measure, a Committee was appointed, on the motion of Mr. Gooch, for a more extended inquiry. Of this Committee, Mr. Huskisson was the most active ministerial member; and the long and elaborate Report, which was the result of their labours, has been understood to have emanated principally from him. It has been often supposed, too, that in the prominent part which he took in this Committee, and in the steadiness with which he urged and defended a more liberal system in respect to the Corn Laws, may be discovered the explanation of that mingled feeling of suspicion and fear, with which that party, which denominates itself the Landed Interest, subsequently appears to have watched all his measures.

When towards the end of this year, Mr. Canning, from circumstances and considerations wholly distinct from general policy, and indeed purely personal, retired from the administration, Mr. Hus

kisson did not follow his example; not from any attachment to his own office, but because he saw that to resign at that moment would have been to act most unfairly by Mr. Canning, in giving to his retirement a character which did not belong to it, and might prove embarrassing to the Government.

Although not a member of the Cabinet, and consequently, not involved in whatever responsibility attached to the proceedings of the ministers against the Queen, Mr. Huskisson did not fear to incur his share of the unpopularity which those proceedings had entailed upon them; nor did he shrink from their defence, when, early in the session of 1821, Lord Tavistock moved a resolution strongly condemnatory of their conduct : he, however, declared that he had deprecated the inquiry from the outset, feeling that the result of it must be to lower the general tone of moral and religious feeling in the country, but that to assent now to the motion of the noble Lord would be to declare that, in the eyes of the Commons of England, her Majesty's conduct had been, if not praiseworthy, at least blameless. Upon this occasion, he prefaced his speech by stating his reasons for breaking through the practice, which he had observed during a long parliamentary life, of declining questions of this general nature, and commented largely upon this difficult and delicate subject.

In the progress of the session, the Government encountered much opposition, and was exposed to

several severe shocks, from the united attacks of the old Whig party, strengthened by the Country interest. Several proposals were made to repeal various taxes which pressed heavily upon the country, and the House and Window Duties were the first selected. Their repeal was resisted by the Government; but Mr. Huskisson, while he argued against it, admitted, in pointed terms, the propriety of further economy in preparing the Estimates, if it could be shewn where further economy was practicable. Notwithstanding this conciliatory admission, and in spite of all the efforts of Government, the resolution was only lost by a majority of 26. Another and more successful attack was then made, and ministers were outvoted in an endeavour to continue the additional duties upon Malt;-a defeat which they retaliated a few nights after, when they succeeded in throwing out the Bill for their repeal by a large majority. But in June they were once more in a minority, respecting the duty on horses employed in husbandry, which was repealed by a Bill brought in by Mr. Curwen. On all these occasions, Mr. Huskisson spoke forcibly against these proposals; and as they were considered to be more especially calculated for the relief of the Agricultural Interest, and were introduced and advocated by those who regarded themselves as more peculiarly the representatives of that body, this active opposition, perhaps, may be thought