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As a public speaker, Mr. Percewal certainly rose very much in reputation, and in excellence, after he became prime minister: as chancellor of the exchequer, and consequently the leading man in the house of commons it was necessary that he should be ready and able to explain and defend all his measures; and this duty, arduous under all circumstances, was particularly so in his case, as there was scarcely any other member of administration in that house, competent to the task of relieving or supporting him. He soon, however, proved that he needed no assistance; he had made himself so completely acquainted with every topic that was likely to be regularly and fully discussed, or even to be incidentally touched upon, that he was never taken unawares, or found at a loss. In the statement of his measures he was remarkably methodical and perspicuous: in the arguments he adduced to defend them, he was sometimes minutely particular, and by no means so luminous as in the statement of his measures. By many he was deemed particularly to excel in his replies; in rebutting any severe remark that came unexpectedly upon him, and in turning the fact adduced, or the argument used, against his opponent. In short, his speeches, if carefully examined, will let us completely into the nature and extent of his talents: they display no large or comprehensive views the arguments and illustrations that they contain, do not proceed on any philosophical and luminous principles; but they are distinguished by their detail, by taking up a detached argument, and grounding it on the particular circumstances of the case, rather than upon any general maxim. This species of public speaking,

however, was well adapted to his audience; for in a mixed and nu merous assembly, such as the house of commons, there will always be found many more who can comprehend particular arguments than general reasoning, and who will deem the special pleader a man of much greater abilities than a comprehensive and philosophical statesman.

As Mr. Perceval had undoubtedly fallen a victim to the faithful and conscientious discharge of his public duty, parliament provided for his wife and numerous family in a liberal and handsome manner: to them his death was a most griev ous loss; for, in domestic life, few men were more amiable and more respected than Mr. Perceval: this part of his character is thus most justly described in the following passage, extracted from a "Funeral discourse" which appeared soon after his burial, with which we shall conclude this brief, but we trust impartial, attempt to appreci ate his talents, and display his political principles and views.

"It would be unpardonable not to dwell upon the simplicity in which he lived in the midst of his numerous family. Many of those who shall read this, are, no doubt, good huşbands and affectionate fathers; yet none of them, though they may be in private life, can pass a greater portion of their time with their family than did this first minister of the first kingdom in the world. If any of his brother-ministers made him an ordinary visit, they found him at a simple family meal, or, perhaps, writing in the midst of his children playing round him.

"No one, indeed, dispatched the most important public business with more ease, more simplicity, and less ostentation. One of his young

boys

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boys accompanied him to the house
of commons on the fatal day which
proved his last; and his final meet-
ing of his children was at a simple
family dinner, taken in the midst of
them, about half-past two o'clock in
the afternoon on that ever-to-be
lamented day.

"Mr. Perceval was not much giv-
en either to public amusements or
fashionable visiting; and when he
did frequent them, he was usually
accompanied by the greater part of
his children. No man, indeed,
passed so much of his time in this
endearing society. If, in any un-
expected emergency in public busi-
ness, there was a sudden call for him,
no one had any difficulty in finding
him; every one knew where to seek
him; it was not in the midnight
rout, the gaming-house, or in the
revels of the tavern, but in the so-
ciety of his own hearth and family.

"It now only remains that we fol low Mr. Perceval to the last affecting incident of his life. As a public office invests the individual with some part of the reverence and sacredness which belong to the state in its collective character, it is natural that the death of an officer of eminence, putting aside every other consideration, when that death is dealt by the blow of an assassin and overtakes him in the discharge of his public functions, should excite an universal regret in the hearts of a grateful people. It gives occasion, moreover, to a feeling of sacrilegious horror, when the individual so eminent in his office, so loved and honoured for his virtues, falls within the very verge of the sanctuary, and is slain as it were upon the very altar of the constitu

tion."

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CHAPTER IX.

Negotiations for a new-Ministry—Lord Liverpool applies to the Marquis of Wellesley and Mr. Canning-his Overtures rejected by them The Regent seems disposed to retain the Earl of Liverpool and his Colleagues-Motion of Mr. Wortley-Address to the Prince-his Reply-Lord Wellesley attempts to form e Ministry-applies to Lords Grey and Grenville-Difficulties and Objections with them-applies to Lord Liverpool-positively refused-Lord Wellesley gives up his Commission-The Earl of Moira authorized to form a Ministry -Proceedings between him and Lords Grey and Grenville-Difficulty started respecting the Household-Lord Moira's strange Conduct in this Affair Remarks on the Objections urged by Lords Grey and Grenville on the Subject of the Household-The Earl of Liverpool appointed Minister-The Sincerity of the Negotiation questionable-Evidence on the Orders of Council-Abstract of the Points proved-Distress-Causes-Want of American Trade-Probabi lity of regaining it-Curious Repeal of the Berlin and Milan Decrees-Orders in Council repealed-Ministers yield on other Points-Barracks-CatholicsDissolution of Parliament-Elections in London and Liverpool

BY

BY

Y the death of Mr. Perceval, the ministry was supposed to be deprived of such a very large proportion of its strength and talent, and consequently had lost so very much of its hold on the confidence and good opinion of the nation, that no expectation was formed, even by their own partisans, by those who rated their abilities and qualifications most highly, that they would be able, without assistance, to carry on the affairs of the nation. They themselves soon proved by their conduct, that they were conscious of their own incapacity, and that they had been held together, and preserved in the high situation which they had so long filled under the most arduous and perilous circumstances of the country, solely by the superior abilities of Mr. Perceval. As however the prince was resolved, if possible, to retain them in power, it became necessary to look round for support, if not for a head, to their administration. The connexion which had for some time subsisted between them, the marquis of Wellesley and Mr. Canning; the general coincidence of their political views and principles; the known partiality of the regent for the marquis Wellesley, and his equally well known dislike for his old friends, which it was believed was now entertained on political as well as personal grounds; all these circumstances naturally induced the remains of Mr. Perceval's administration (for though he was but one, yet he was so important a member, that the others, deprived of him, may justly be called the remains,) to turn their attention to tl:e marquis of Wellesley and Mr. Canning. They entertained some hopes that they might succeed: one cause of the marquis's separation was undoubtedly removed by the death of

Mr. Perceval; and this circumstance not only removed a personal cause of separation, but, as the decided opposition to catholic emancipation, which Mr. Perceval enter. tained, was not supposed to actuate the other members of that party, it was considered extremely probable that on this point there would not be a very wide or irreconcileabledifference of opinion.

On the part of Mr. Canning, however, there was a personal difficulty rather delicate than formidable: it was understood that the regent did not intend to remove lord Castlereagh from the situation which he held; and that he not only was to continue to fill that situation, but also to preserve the situation in which he stood in the house of commons; or, in other words, he was to have the management of the house of commons. To this it was supposed Mr. Canning would object. He certainly, to be consistent, must have objected to lord Castlereagh remaining in that situation, for which at the period of the expedition to Walcheren Mr. Canning had declared him incompetent; and by coming into power on the condition that lord Castlereagh was to preserve the management of the house of commons, Mr. Canning would in fact acknowledge that he came into power under lord Castlereagh, under one on whose incompetency he had decided, and who had, when they acted together before, yielded the precedency in the house of commons to Mr. Canning.

As however lord Liverpool and his friends could not expect to complete or form any administration without the aid of lord Wellesley and Mr. Canning, it was necessary to compromise where they could not actually reconcile differences of opinion, whether they arose from

personal

personal or political considerations. Accordingly lord Liverpool fad a long conversation with the marquis of Wellesley and Mr. Canning on the 17th of May; and afterwards he submitted to them in writing the proposals which he was directed and authorized to make, by the prince regent: his proposal was, not to admit lord Wellesley and Mr. Canning on equal terms into office; they, and the friends whom by subsequent regulations they might introduce into government, were to be subordinate,-subordinate, not merely in general, but minutely and in all their situations: so that, in fact, lord Wellesley and Mr. Canning were only invited to strengthen the administration of lord Liverpool, not to supply the place of Mr. Perceval. It was expressly stated by lord Liverpool, that he was to take the lead in the house of lords, and lord Castlereagh in the house of commons. It was hardly to be supposed that lord Wellesley, who had refused to serve his country under Mr. Perceval, would submit to hold a situation under lord Liverpool, who, as Mr. Perceval had predominated over him, must have been considered as inferior to Mr. Perceval.

But there were other obstacles in the way of this arrangement: those which we have mentioned, being of a private and personal nature, and consequently very delicate even to be hinted at, and much more so to be openly avowed and brought for ward, were kept in the back ground. Both lord Wellesley and Mr. Canning objected to coming into office with lord Liverpool and his colleagues on two considerations, principally: the difference of opinion between themselves and ministers on the catholic claims, and on the management of the war

in the peninsula. With respect to the first point, lord Wellesley and Mr. Canning declared, that they would not recommend a hasty and unconditional repeal of the disqualifications under which the Roman catholics in Ireland laboured; but they thought immediate and sincere attention ought to be paid by ministers to the subject, so as to convince the catholics that their griev ances would be considered, and that, if it were found practicable to remove them without endangering the established church, they would be removed. Lord Liverpool, on the other hand, contended that his sentiments on this subject had been much mistaken; he disclaimed the idea of placing the catholics under everlasting disqualifications, and wished to be understood as li miting his refusal of their demands to the present time only. But as he did not point out those circumstances in the present time which made it improper or unsafe immediately to take the catholic claims into consideration, or specify any possible future period when his presem objections and difficulties would cease to exist, lord Wellesley and Mr. Canning considered their difference of opinion on this subject as essential, and quite inconsistent with conscientious, cordial, and useful cooperation.

With respect to the conduct of the war in the peninsula, it will be recollected, that lord Wellesley, in the statement which he issued on separating from Mr. Perceval, de clared it to be his opinion, that it was perfectly practicable to extend the plan of it, and that it was neither safe nor honest to this country nor our allies to continue the present inadequate scheme. Mr. Per ceval, on the contrary, contended that the peninsular war had been

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conducted on as extensive a scale as the circumstances and the means of this country would allow or justify. Lord Liverpool, however, in his communication to lord Wellesley on the present occasion, al lowed, that since the resignation of the latter it had been found practicable to extend the system in the peninsula; but, while he allowed this, he still maintained that it was absolutely impossible to reduce to practice the wishes and plans of ford Wellesley on this head. The latter, in his reply to this part of lord Liverpool's communication, declared that he still entertained the same views and opinions, without diminution or alteration; and that he was convinced that a considerable extension of the scale of our operations in the peninsula, and also an effectual correction of many branches of our system in that operation, were objects of indispensa ble necessity and of easy attainment. On this point of difference it is impossible not to inquire, how it came to pass, if this extended system, and this proposed reformation of abuses in the conduct of the peninsular war, were of such easy attainment, that lord Wellesley could not state and explain it to the satisfaction and conviction of lord Liverpool. We have made this remark before: but the present correspondence between lord Wellesley and lord Liverpool again presses it forward; and we cannot help thinking that the nation would have given the former more credit for talents, if, instead of constantly repeating that the war in Spain was mismanaged-that it was starved for want of money and men-and that by a more correct, vigorous and extended system it might be gloriously and honourably terminated in a short time, he had con

descended to specify the instances of mismanagement; to explain the sources from which greater supplies of money and men might be drawn; and to prove, or at least render it probable, that the war, if thus conducted on an extended and improv ed system, would accomplish its object completely in a short period.

Lord Liverpool, in his communication with lord Wellesley and Mr. Canning, had carefully abstained from mentioning the opposition. Of this omission lord Wellesley takes express notice in a manner highly honourable to himself. He remarks, that the avowed object of the regent was to form a strong and efficient government-such a government as the situation of Great Britain and of Europe demanded: but in his opinion, and as far as his opportunities of observation reached, in the opinion of the public, no administration which did not comprise some of the opposition could prove advantageous to the prince regent, conciliatory towards Ireland, or equal to the conduct of the war on a scale of sufficient extent.

Lord Wellesley concluded his communication to lord Liverpool with stating the general result of the dispassionate consideration which he had taken of the subject: in his opinion," a cabinet might be formed on an intermediate principle respecting the Roman catholic claims, equally exempt from the dangers of instant unqualified concession, and from those of inconsiderate peremptory exclusion: the entire resources of the empire might be applied to the great objects of the war, with general consent, upon a full understanding of the real exigency of the present crisis; and concord and union at home might secure ultimate and permanent success abroad."

A strong

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