projects of the designing knaves and mischievous enthusiasts,—who mix themselves up with every important movement but on what principle could Lord Mornington defend the system that gave to Beeralston -the population of which "borough" had arrived at the vanishing point in 1832-the power of sending members to Parliament, while Manchester, with all its wealth, population, and energetic industry-with its 100,000 souls-had not the power of electing a member?* The fallacy of his Lordship's argument consisted in this, that the adoption of Mr. Grey's proposal * The following is a list of the great towns which were unrepresented in Parliament when Lord Mornington a opposed Mr. Grey's motion, and which were empowered by 2 and 3 Wm. IV. c. 45, to return Members :— a The population of Saltash, for which Lord Mornington had been returned, was three thousand and twenty-nine: Beeralston, for which his Lordship previously sat, was, according to the parliamentary returns, a perfect blank. The whole of the fifty-six disfranchised boroughs were decayed, insignificant places; the right to nominate members for which was considered the private property of certain great individuals! Yet it was the theory of the constitution "that all elections of Members of Parliament ought to be free-to be made with an entire liberty-without any sort of force, OR THE REQUIRING THE ELECTORS TO CHOOSE SUCH PER SONS AS SHALL BE NAMED TO THEM. for a constitutional reform in Parliament-or a restitution of rights recognized in the ancient laws of the country-involved the reception of the wild theories and profligate maxims of J. J. Rousseau, and the virtual establishment of the ultra-democratic doctrines and godless system of Thomas Paine. It must be admitted, that the political changes in progress in Europe when his Lordship came forward as the opponent of Mr. Grey's measure of Reform were calculated to excite alarm, even in the breast of the most enthusiastic reformer; but the evils which had fallen on neighbouring nations ought to have served as a warning to the British Legislature, to apply a timely remedy to notorious evils, and not to trifle with popular discontent till it had been inflamed into settled rancour, eager for an opportunity of vengeance and deliverance! The Earl of Mornington lived to see the groundlessness of the apprehensions which he entertained in 1793; and by a singular coincidence was, as Marquess Wellesley, a member of the Government which, in 1832, under the guidance of his old opponent, then Earl Grey, carried the Reform Bill.* His Lordship's speech, however, to which we have referred, was calculated to exalt him in the estimation of both the King and his Lordship's colleagues; and accordingly we find that soon afterwards, 21st June 1793, he was sworn a member of the English Privy Council; and was appointed a Commissioner for the affairs of India,—an office which was peculiarly adapted to prepare him for the efficient discharge of the high duties which afterwards devolved upon him as Governor General of India. Mr. Pitt's Bill of 1784 appointed six Privy Councillors to be Commissioners for the affairs of India; of whom, one of the Secretaries of State for the time being was President. These Commissioners, who were appointed by his Majesty, and removable at his pleasure, were vested with a control and superintendence over all civil, military, and revenue officers of the East India Company; and the Directors of that corporation were obliged to lay before them all papers relative to the management of their possessions; and to obey all orders which they received from them, on points connected with their civil or military government, or the revenues of their territories. The Commissioners were obliged to return the copies of papers which they received from the Directors in fourteen days, with their approbation, or to state at large their reasons for disapproving of them; and their dispatches, so approved or amended, were to be sent to India, unless the Commissioners should attend to any represen * The Marquess Wellesley was Lord Steward in Earl Grey's Ministry, 22nd Nov. 1830. tations of the Court of Directors, respecting further alterations in them. Lord Mornington applied himself with his characteristic diligence to a thorough study of the various interests of our Indian empire; and obtained a masterly and comprehensive knowledge of the relations of the several states to the British Government, as well as the power, resources, and position of the several parties in the Peninsula. He acquainted himself, as far as possible, with the details of every fact bearing upon the commerce, the government, and the laws of the country; and with the instinctive sagacity of great genius, pondered upon the future destiny and the possible exigencies of Hindostan. It has been already mentioned, that the first subject on which Lord Mornington spoke in the British House of Commons was that of India. He appears to have directed his attention to it from the beginning of his career in the English Parliament; and very probably regarded the post of Commissioner for the affairs of India as a stepping-stone to the splendid appointment of Governor-General. The nomination of Lord Mornington to the Board of Control at this period when the public mind was so much excited by the discussions in Parliament on the India Bills, shows the confidence which Mr. Pitt and the Government reposed in the judgment and discretion of that nobleman, then in the thirty-fourth year of his age. CHAPTER IV. The War with France.- Difficulty of deciding whether War might honourably have been avoided, or not.-The right of the French to depose the Power that violated their fundamental Laws and the Principles of Natural Justice.-The French originally justified in their Proceedings.-Events become complicated, and the question in relation to Great Britain altered.-Palliating circumstances of the French Revolution considered. Publications of Burke, Macintosh, and Erskine Death of Louis XVI.-The French Ambassador required to quit the Kingdom.-Message from the King to Parliament to augment the Forces. In ten days afterwards the fact of War communicated to both Houses.-Opening of Parliament, January 1794.—Address to the Crown on the War.-Lord Mornington's great Speech, reviewing the Revolution, exhibiting its progress, and tracing the Revolutionary Government step by step, holding up to reprobation all the atrocities, blasphemies, violence, perfidy, and cruelty that were enacted in France; pointing out the spirit of aggression and wanton violation of the Laws of Nations that animated the French, and urging upon the Parliament, by every consideration that could be supposed to influence Englishmen, to support the Crown in carrying on with becoming energy this just and necessary War.-Effect of the Speech on the House.-Mr. Sheridan's brilliant reply to Lord Mornington. Mr. Wyndham and Mr. Dundas defend Lord Mornington.Mr. Fox criticises his Lordship's Speech.-Mr. Pitt warmly eulogises it. The effects of the French Revolution on the mind of Europe considered. - THAT the war with France in 1793 might have been delayed, or in some way avoided, few will now be disposed to question; but whether, under all the circumstances, it could have been evaded without compromising the monarchical principle in Europe, without |