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my character. As I have resisted, so will I continue to resist, these attacks, both from the hereditary line of Tories and the hereditary line of Whigs." Seeing Lord North rise from his seat, "The noble Lord," ejaculated Burke, " is about to call me to order. I have no doubt that before he sits down he will say something disorderly." The Minister said that Burke might explain, but not reply. "He rose," answered Dowdeswell, "to assert a right which every man has, to protect his character." Some members excused Conway, others supported Burke. Young Charles Fox, although his politics were then directly opposite to Burke's, nobly said that Conway's language had given him much pain, because it conveyed an imputation on his honourable friend; "as respectable a Member," added Fox, "as any in that House." Conway then fully disclaimed any intention of making a personal reflection, and the altercation was at an end. Not so the business of the night: it was not until 5 o'clock the next morning, and after many more divisions, four of the printers were at the feet of the Speaker.

It was, however, with the other two printers that the difficulty lay. Wilkes, as Alderman, had set a trap into which the majority at once fell. Miller, one of the two recusant printers, was apprehended by the messenger, but immediately sent for a constable, and had himself taken before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, who were then sitting at the Guildhall. They released the printer, denied the legality of the Speaker's warrant, and committed the messenger for an assault, when he was bailed by the Sergeant-at-Arms. The Lord Mayor and Alderman Oliver, both being Members of the House, were ordered to attend in their places; it was voted that the rescue of Miller was a breach of privilege; the record of the messenger's recognizances was arbitrarily expunged from the minute-book of the Mayor's Court; Oliver was speedily committed to the Tower; and the Mayor afterwards sent to share the same imprisonment. But Wilkes, the other sitting Alderman, escaped with impunity. He refused to appear unless his right to take his seat as Member for Middlesex

were acknowledged; and the house betrayed its fear by adjourning over the day fixed for his attendance. There were long debates and much excitement, but the small minority on the night of the 12th of March had achieved the liberation of the Press. "The great fact," says Macknight, “was, that even Colonel Onslow durst not venture to summon another covy of printers to the bar. The freedom of the Press, and the daily chronicle of public events, including the publication of the debates in Parliament, had been indirectly but effectually asserted."

On April 2, the Lord Mayor and Alderman Oliver received a formal visit from Burke, in company with the Dukes of Portland and Manchester, Marquis of Rockingham, Earl Fitzwilliam, Lord King, and others. The imprisonment continued until Parliament was prorogued on the 8th of May.

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BURKE MAKES A BULL,

In the debate on the Budget of 1772, "The Minister," said Burke, comes down in state, attended by his creatures of all denominations, beasts clean and unclean. With such, however, as they are, he comes down, opens his budget and edifies us all with his speech. What is the consequence ? One half of the House goes away. A gentleman on the opposite side gets up and harangues on the state of the nation; and in order to keep matters even, another half retires at the close of his speech. A third gentleman follows their example, and rids the House of another half! (A loud laugh through the House.) Sir," said Burke, turning the laugh with some address and humour, "I take the blunder to myself, and express my satisfaction at having said anything that can put the House in good humour."

BURKE'S INDEPENDENCE.

Burke's extensive acquaintance with the affairs of the East India Company, rendered it very desirable to secure his

assistance or his silence. But he stood firm. "I attest heaven and earth," said he, in debate, "that in all places, and at all times, I have steadfastly shoved aside the gilded hand of corruption, and endeavoured to stem the torrent which threatens to overwhelm this island." Adding, on another occasion: "I know the political map of England as well as the Noble Lord (North), or as any other person; and I know that the way I take is not the path to preferment." "I know, indeed," said he, in the first debate on the affairs of the Company, (Dec. 7, 1772,) "that the same qualifications now-a-days make a good Member of Parliament that formerly made a good monk. Speak well of the Minister-Read the lesson he sets you, taliter, qualiter, and let the State take care of itself-sinere res vadere et vadunt."

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AMERICAN TAXATION.

The great feature of the Session of 1774, and the greatest effort of oratory considered to have been hitherto made in the House of Commons, was Burke's speech, on April 19, on the repeal of the American Tea Duties. The murmurs of appro bation in the gallery, it is said, were only restrained from bursting out by the awe of the House. It was on this occasion, after the delivery of an intensely powerful passage, that Lord John Townshend, who had retired thither with some friends, exclaimed aloud: "Good. God! what a man is this! how could he acquire such transcendent powers ?"

The plain, practical, common sense recommended in the speech drew from Mr. Sampson, an intelligent American, much in the confidence of Dr. Franklin, a loud exclamation to a friend, who sat at a little distance in the gallery: You have got a most wonderful man here; he understands more of America than all the rest of your House put together."

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This was the first speech which Burke's friends could persuade him to commit to the press; for which purpose he had the use of their notes. It made a great impression in the House, and upon the public. Lord North, though he nega

tived the motion, appeared so confounded or convinced by the reasoning of its supporter, that early in the next session, he offered to repeal the tax, if that would satisfy the Ameri cans-but the moment for concession had passed away.

*

BURKE AND HANNAH MORE.

Burke was introduced, in 1774, to Hannah More, by Miss Reynolds, at the house of her brother, Sir Joshua, in Leicestersquare. They subsequently met at her lodgings, at dinners, at routs, or at the theatre, where one evening Hannah found seated near the orchestra, Burke, Sheridan, Dr. Warton, and Richard Burke, who had come to see Garrick in Hamlet. One evening, at Mrs. Vesey's, Hannah was seated between Burke and the Bishop of Chester, when she asked the Bishop whether he thought he should carry his bill against Sunday amusements through both houses, Burke said he "believed it would go through their house, though his pious friend Wilkes opposed it with all his might." Ten years later, in 1784, at Mrs. Vesey's, politics ran high, and Hannah had a deal of chat with Mr. Burke; she writes: "So lively, so foolish, and so good-natured was he, and so like the agreeable Mr. Burke I once knew and admired, that I soon forgot his malefactions, and how often I had been in a passion with him for some of his speeches."

BURKE A LEADER.

When Dr. Priestley was struggling through the crowd, to obtain admission to the Privy Council Chamber at Whitehall, to hear the examination of Dr. Franklin-"We shall never get through," cried Priestley to Mr. Burke, who replied: "Give me your arm," and locking it fast in his, he soon made his way to the door of the Privy Council. Dr. Priestley then

* No. 47, on the west side of the Square. The house remains to this day. How many charming friendships date from this hospitable roof, where Sir Joshua lived thirty-one years. In 1859 there disappeared from Coventry-street the fishmonger's shop at which Reynolds bought fish for his dinner-parties,

said: “Mr. Burke, you are an excellent leader." He replied: "I wish other persons thought so too!"

During one of the debates on the affairs of India, in 1777, Burke had twice given way to other speakers, when observing the Chairman of the India Company proceeding to read a variety of well-known public papers, instead of adding any new arguments, he interrupted him by observing, "that if it were the object of the honourable member to tire and thin the House by reading all the heavy folios on the table, he supposed in courtesy he must submit; but to prepare for the task he begged leave to send for his nightcap,"—which producing general laughter, was followed by a shout to him of -"Go on! go on!"

BURKE'S FINEST SPEECH.

Feb. 6, 1778, (says Walpole,) was memorable for the chef d'œuvre of Burke's orations. He called Burgoyne's Talk with the Indians the "sublimity of bombast absurdity," in which he demanded the assistance of seventeen Indian nations, by considerations of our Holy Religion, by regard for our constitution; and though he enjoined them not to scalp men, women, or children alive, he promised to pay them for any scalps of the dead, and required them to repair to the King's standard, which-where was it? said Burke- -on board Lord Dunmore's ships, whose practices with the Indians he severely stigmatized. Seventeen interpreters from the several nations, said he, could not have given them any idea of his reasons→→ but, added Burke, the invitation was just as if, at a riot on Tower Hill, the keeper of the wild beasts had turned them loose, but adding: "My gentle lions, my sentimental wolves, my tender-hearted hyenas, go forth, but take care not to hurt men, women, or children." He then grew serious; and as the former part had excited the warmest and most continued bursts of laughter, even from Lord North, Rigby, and the ministers themselves, so he drew such a pathetic picture of the cruelties of the King's army, particularly in the alleged case of a young woman on whose ransom, not beauty, they

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