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diff --git a/20007.txt b/20007.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..748d450 --- /dev/null +++ b/20007.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4741 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Lord George Bentinck, by Benjamin Disraeli + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Lord George Bentinck + A Political Biography + +Author: Benjamin Disraeli + +Release Date: December 3, 2006 [EBook #20007] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LORD GEORGE BENTINCK *** + + + + +Produced by David Widger + + + + + + + + + +LORD GEORGE BENTINCK + +A POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY + +By Benjamin Disraeli + + + +'He left us the legacy of heroes: the memory of his great name and the +inspiration of his great example.' + + + + +TO + +LORD HENRY BENTINCK, + +IS INSCRIBED + +This Political Biography + +ONE FOR WHOM HE ENTERTAINED A DEEP AFFECTION, + +AND WHOSE TALENTS AND VIRTUES + +HE SHARES. + + + +LORD GEORGE BENTINCK + +A POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY + +[Illustration: bentink-page009] + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + _The Man_ + +THE political career of Lord George Bentinck was peculiar. He had, to +use his own expression, 'sate in eight Parliaments without having taken +part in any great debate,' when remarkable events suddenly impelled him +to advance and occupy not only a considerable but a leading position +in our public affairs. During three years, under circumstances of great +difficulty, he displayed some of the highest qualities of political +life: courage and a lofty spirit; a mastery of details which experience +usually alone confers; a quick apprehension and a clear intelligence; +indomitable firmness; promptness, punctuality, and perseverance which +never failed; an energy seldom surpassed; and a capacity for labour +which was perhaps never equalled. At the very moment when he had +overcome many contrarieties and prejudices; when he had been most +successful in the House of Commons, and, sustained only by his own +resources, had considerably modified the legislation of the government +which he opposed on a measure of paramount importance; when the nation, +which had long watched him with interest, began to congratulate itself +on the devotion of such a man to the business of the country, he was in +an instant taken from us. Then it was that, the memory of the past and +the hope of the future blending together, all men seemed to mourn over +this untimely end, and there was that pang in the public heart which +accompanies the unexpected disappearance of a strong character. + +What manner of man this was, who thus on a sudden in the middle term of +life relinquished all the ease and pleasure of a patrician existence to +work often eighteen hours daily, not for a vain and brilliant notoriety, +which was foreign alike both to his tastes and his turn of mind, but for +the advancement of principles, the advocacy of which in the chief scene +of his efforts was sure to obtain for him only contention and unkindly +feelings; what were his motives, purposes and opinions; how and why +did he labour; what were the whole scope and tendency of this original, +vigorous, and self-schooled intelligence; these would appear to be +subjects not unworthy of contemplation, and especially not uninteresting +to a free and political community. + +The difficulty of treating cotemporary characters and events has been +ever acknowledged; but it may be doubted whether the difficulty is +diminished when we would commemorate the men and things that have +preceded us. The cloud of passion in the first instance, or in the +other the mist of time, may render it equally hard and perplexing to +discriminate. + +It should not be forgotten that the most authentic and interesting +histories are those which have been composed by actors in the +transactions which they record. The cotemporary writer who is personally +familiar with his theme has unquestionably a great advantage; but it is +assumed that his pen can scarcely escape the bias of private friendship +or political connection. Yet truth, after all, is the sovereign passion +of mankind; nor is the writer of these pages prepared to relinquish his +conviction that it is possible to combine the accuracy of the present +with the impartiality of the future. + +Lord George Bentinck had sat for eighteen years in Parliament, and, +before he entered it, had been for three years private secretary to Mr. +Canning, who had married the sister of the Duchess of Portland. Such a +post would seem a happy commencement of a public career; but whether +it were the untimely death of his distinguished relative, or a natural +indisposition, Lord George--though he retained the seat for King's +Lynn, in which he had succeeded his uncle, the late governor-general of +India--directed his energies to other than parliamentary pursuits. For +some time he had followed his profession, which was that of arms, but +of late years he had become absorbed in the pastime and fortunes of the +turf, in which his whole being seemed engrossed, and which he pursued on +a scale that perhaps has never been equalled. + +Lord George had withdrawn his support from the government of the Duke of +Wellington, when the friends of Mr. Canning quitted that administration; +and when in time they formed not the least considerable portion of the +cabinet of Lord Grey, he resumed his seat on the ministerial benches. On +that occasion an administrative post was offered him and declined; and +on subsequent occasions similar requests to him to take office were +equally in vain. Lord George, therefore, was an original and hearty +supporter of the Reform Bill, and he continued to uphold the Whigs in +all their policy until the secession of Lord Stanley, between whom and +himself there subsisted warm personal as well as political sympathies. +Although he was not only a friend to religious liberty, as we shall have +occasion afterwards to remark, but always viewed with great sympathy +the condition of the Roman Catholic portion of the Irish population, he +shrank from the taint of the ultra-montane intrigue. Accompanying +Lord Stanley, he became in due time a member of the great Conservative +opposition, and, as he never did anything by halves, became one of +the most earnest, as he certainly was one of the most enlightened, +supporters of Sir Robert Peel. His trust in that minister was indeed +absolute, and he has subsequently stated in conversation that when, +towards the end of the session of '45, a member of the Tory party +ventured to predict and denounce the impending defection of the +minister, there was no member of the Conservative party who more +violently condemned the unfounded attack, or more readily impugned the +motives of the assailant. + +He was not a very frequent attendant in the House. He might be counted +on for a party division, and when, towards the termination of the +Melbourne ministry, the forces were very nearly balanced, and the +struggle became very close, he might have been observed, on more +than one occasion, entering the House at a late hour, clad in a +white great-coat, which softened, but did not conceal, the scarlet +hunting-coat. + +Although he took no part in debate, and attended the House rather as a +club than as a senate, he possessed a great and peculiar influence in +it. He was viewed with interest, and often with extraordinary regard, +by every sporting man in the House. With almost all of these he was +acquainted; some of them, on either side, were his intimate companions +and confederates. + +His eager and energetic disposition; his quick perception, clear +judgment, and prompt decision; the tenacity with which he clung to his +opinions; his frankness and love of truth; his daring and speculative +spirit; his lofty bearing, blended as it was with a simplicity of manner +very remarkable; the ardour of his friendships, even the fierceness +of his hates and prejudices--all combined to form one of those strong +characters who, whatever may be their pursuit, must always direct and +lead. + +Nature had clothed this vehement spirit with a material form which was +in perfect harmony with its noble and commanding character. He was tall +and remarkable for his presence; his countenance almost a model of manly +beauty; the face oval, the complexion clear and mantling; the forehead +lofty and white; the nose aquiline and delicately moulded; the upper +lip short. But it was in the dark-brown eye, which flashed with piercing +scrutiny, that all the character of the man came forth: a brilliant +glance, not soft, but ardent, acute, imperious, incapable of deception +or of being deceived. + +Although he had not much sustained his literary culture, and of late +years, at any rate, had not given his mind to political study, he had +in the course of his life seen and heard a great deal, and with profit. +Nothing escaped his observation; he forgot nothing and always thought. +So it was that on all the great political questions of the day he had +arrived at conclusions which guided him. He always took large views +and had no prejudices about things, whatever he might indulge in as +to persons. He was always singularly anxious to acquire the truth, and +would spare no pains for that purpose; but when once his mind was made +up, it was impossible to influence him. + +In politics, he was a Whig of 1688, which became him, modified, however, +by all the experience of the present age. He wished to see our society +founded on a broad basis of civil and religious liberty. He retained +much of the old jealousy of the court, but had none of popular +franchises. He was for the Established Church, but for nothing more, +and was very repugnant to priestly domination. As for the industrial +question, he was sincerely opposed to the Manchester scheme, because +he thought that its full development would impair and might subvert our +territorial constitution, which he held to be the real security of our +freedom, and because he believed that it would greatly injure Ireland, +and certainly dissolve our colonial empire. + +He had a great respect for merchants, though he looked with some +degree of jealousy on the development of our merely foreign trade. His +knowledge of character qualified him in a great degree to govern men. +and if some drawbacks from this influence might be experienced in his +too rigid tenacity of opinion, and in some quickness of temper, which, +however, always sprang from a too sensitive heart, great compensation +might be found in the fact that there probably never was a human being +so entirely devoid of conceit and so completely exempt from selfishness. +Nothing delighted him more than to assist and advance others. All the +fruits of his laborious investigations were always at the service of +his friends without reserve or self-consideration. He encouraged them +by making occasions for their exertions, and would relinquish his own +opportunity without a moment's hesitation, if he thought the abandonment +might aid a better man. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + + _The Protection Problem_ + +THERE was at this time a metropolitan society for the protection of +agriculture, of which the Duke of Richmond was chairman, and which +had been established to counteract the proceedings of the Manchester +confederation. It was in communication with the local Protection +societies throughout the country; and although the adhesion to its +service by the parliamentary members of the old Conservative party had +been more limited than might have been expected, nevertheless many +county members were enrolled in its ranks, and a few of the most eminent +were actively engaged in its management. In this they were assisted by +an equal number of the most considerable tenant-farmers. In the present +state of affairs, the council of the Protection Society afforded the +earliest and readiest means to collect opinion and methodize action; and +it was therefore resolved among its managers to invite all members of +Parliament who sympathized with their purpose, though they might not be +members of their society, to attend their meeting and aid them at the +present crisis with their counsel. + +A compliance with this request occasioned the first public appearance +of Lord George Bentinck, as one of the organizers of a political +party,--for he aspired to no more. The question was, whether a third +political party could be created and sustained,--a result at all times +and under any circumstances difficult to achieve, and which had failed +even under the auspices of accomplished and experienced statesmen. In +the present emergency, was there that degree of outraged public feeling +in the country, which would overcome all obstacles and submit to any +inconveniences, in order to ensure its representation in the House of +Commons? It was the opinion of Lord George Bentinck that such was the +case; that if for the moment that feeling was inert and latent, it was +an apathy which arose from the sudden shock of public confidence, and +the despair which under such circumstances takes possession of men; +that if it could be shown to the country, that the great bulk of the +Conservative party were true to their faith, and were not afraid, even +against the fearful odds which they would have to encounter, to proclaim +it, the confidence and the courage of the country would rally, and the +party in the House of Commons would find external sympathy and support. + +With these views it became of paramount importance that the discussion +on the government measure should be sustained on the part of the +Protectionists with their utmost powers. They must prove to the country, +that they could represent their cause in debate, and to this end all +their energies must be directed. It would be fatal to them if the +discussion were confined to one or two nights, and they overborne by +the leading and habitual speakers. They must bring forward new men; they +must encourage the efforts of those now unrecognized and comparatively +unknown; they must overcome all reserve and false shame, and act as +became men called upon to a critical and leading part, not by their +arrogance or ambition, but by the desertion and treachery of those to +whose abilities they had bowed without impatience and reluctance. There +was a probability of several vacancies immediately taking place in +counties where the seats were filled by converts, but men of too +scrupulous an honour to retain the charge which they had sought and +accepted as the professors of opinions contrary to those which now +received their mournful adhesion. The result of these elections would +greatly depend upon the spirit and figure of the party in the House of +Commons, in their first encounter with the enemy. + +These views, so just and so spirited, advanced with high-bred +earnestness by one rarely met in political turmoils, and enforced with a +freshness and an affable simplicity which were very winning, wonderfully +encouraged those to whom they were addressed. All seemed touched by the +flame which burned in the breast of that man, so lofty in his thoughts +but so humble in his ambition, who counselled ever the highest deeds, +and was himself ever prepared to undertake the humblest duties. + +The business of this day was notable. Calculations were made of those +who might be fairly counted on to take a part in debate; some discussion +even ensued as to who should venture to reply late at night to the +minister; a committee was appointed to communicate with all members on +either side supposed to be favourable to the principle of Protection to +the labour of the country; a parliamentary staff was organized, not only +to secure the attendance of members, but to guard over the elections; +finally, the form of the amendment to the government measure was +discussed and settled, and it was agreed that, if possible, it should be +moved by Mr. Philip Miles, the member for the city of Bristol, and +who had the ear of the House not merely from the importance of his +constituency, and seconded by Sir William Heathcote, the member for the +county of Hampshire, a country gentleman of great accomplishments, and +so highly considered by both sides that he was very generally spoken of +as a probable successor to the chair. + +All was furnished by this lately forlorn party except a leader, and even +then many eyes were turned and some hopeful murmurs addressed towards +Lord George Bentinck, who in the course of this morning had given such +various proofs of his fitness and such evidence of his resource. But he +shook his head with a sort of suppressed smile, a faint blush, and an +air of proud humility that was natural to him: 'I think,' he said, 'we +have had enough of leaders; it is not in my way; I shall remain the last +of the rank and file.' + +So little desirous, originally, was Lord George Bentinck to interfere +actively in that great controversy in which ultimately he took so +leading a part, that before the meeting of Parliament in 1846 he begged +a gentleman whom he greatly esteemed, a member of the legal profession, +and since raised to its highest honours, to call upon him at Harcourt +House, when he said that he had taken great pains to master the case +of the protective system; that he was convinced its abrogation would +ultimately be very injurious to this country; but although, both +in point of argument and materials, he feared no opponent, he felt +constitutionally so incapable of ever making a speech, that he wished +to induce some eminent lawyer to enter the House of Commons, and avail +himself of his views and materials, which he had, with that object, +reduced to writing. He begged, therefore, that his friend, although a +free-trader, would assist him, by suggesting a fitting person for this +office. + +Accordingly, the name of a distinguished member of the bar, who had +already published a work of merit, impugning the principles of the new +commercial system, was mentioned, and this learned gentleman was applied +to, and was not indisposed to accept the task. A mere accident prevented +this arrangement being accomplished. Lord George then requested his +friend to make some other selection; but his adviser very sensibly +replied, that although the House of Commons would have listened with +respect to a gentleman who had given evidence of the sincerity of his +convictions by the publication of a work which had no reference to +Parliament, they would not endure the instance of a lawyer brought into +the House merely to speak from his brief; and that the attempt would be +utterly fruitless. He earnestly counselled Lord George himself to make +the effort; but Lord George, with characteristic tenacity, clung for +some time to his project, though his efforts to accomplish it were +fortunately not successful. + +Some of the friends of Lord George Bentinck, remembering his +inexperience in debate, aware of the great length at which he must +necessarily treat the theme, and mindful that he was not physically +well-qualified for controlling popular assemblies, not having a strong +voice, or, naturally, a very fluent manner, were anxious that he should +not postpone his speech until an hour so late; that an audience, jaded +by twelve nights' discussion, would be ill-attuned to statistical +arguments and economical details. But still clinging to the hope +that some accident might yet again postpone the division, so that +the Protectionists might gain the vote of Mr. Hildyard, who had been +returned that day for South Notts, having defeated a cabinet minister, +Lord George remained motionless until long past midnight. Mr. Cobden +having spoken on the part of the confederation, the closing of the +debate was felt to be inevitable. Even then, by inducing a Protectionist +to solicit the Speaker's eye, Lord George attempted to avert the +division; but no supporter of the government measure, of any colour, +advancing to reply to this volunteer, Bentinck was obliged to rise. +He came out like a lion forced from his lair. And so it happened, that +after all his labours of body and mind, after all his research and +unwearied application and singular vigilance, after having been at his +post for a month, never leaving the House, even for refreshment, he +had to undertake the most difficult enterprise in which a man can well +embark, with a concurrence of every disadvantage which could ensure +failure and defeat. It would seem that the audience, the subject, and +the orator, must be equally exhausted; for the assembly had listened for +twelve nights to the controversy, and he who was about to address them +had, according to his strange habit, taken no sustenance the whole day; +it being his custom to dine after the House was up, which was very +often long after midnight, and this, with the exception of a slender +breakfast, rigidly restricted to dry toast, was his only meal in the +four-and-twenty hours. + +He had been forced to this regimen, from food exercising a lethargic +influence over him; so that, in addition to some constitutional weakness +in his organ, he usually laboured, when he addressed the House, under +the disadvantage of general exhaustion. And this was, no doubt, a +principal cause of that over-excitement and apparently unnecessary +energy in his manner of speaking, of which he was himself perfectly, +and even painfully, conscious. He was wont to say, that before he could +speak he had to make a voice, and, as it were, to pump it from the very +core of his frame. One who took a great interest in his success once +impressed on him the expediency of trusting entirely to his natural +voice and the interest and gravity of his matter, which, combined +with his position as the recognized leader of a great party, would be +adequate to command the attention of his audience; and he subsequently +endeavoured very often to comply with this suggestion. He endeavoured +also very much to control his redundancy of action and gesture, when +that peculiarity was pointed out to him with the delicacy, but the +sincerity, of friendship. He entirely freed himself from a very awkward +feature of his first style of speaking, namely, the frequent repetition +of a sentence, which seemed at first a habit inveterate with him; but +such was his force of will, that when the necessity of ridding himself +of this drawback was properly pointed out to him, he achieved the +desired result. No one bore criticism more gently and kindly, so long as +it was confined to his personal and intellectual characteristics, for he +was a man absolutely without vanity or conceit, who thought very humbly +of himself, in respect of abilities, and deemed no labour too great to +achieve even a slight improvement. But though in these respects the very +child of simplicity, he was a man of almost unexampled pride, and chafed +under criticism, when his convictions or his conduct were questioned. He +was very tenacious of his opinion, almost inexorable; and it required +a courage nearly equal to his own, combined with a serene temper, +successfully to impugn his conclusions. + +Not, therefore, excited by vanity, but sustained by self-respect, by +an overpowering feeling that he owed it to himself and the opinions he +held, to show to the world that they had not been lightly adopted and +should not be lightly laid aside, Bentinck rose, long past the noon of +night, at the end of this memorable debate, to undertake an office +from which the most successful and most experienced rhetoricians of +Parliament would have shrunk with intuitive discretion. But duty scorns +prudence, and criticism has few terrors for a man with a great purpose. +Unshaken by the adverse hour and circumstances, he proceeded to +accomplish the object which he had long meditated, and for which he was +fully prepared. + +Reminding the House, while he appealed to their indulgence, that, though +he had had the honour of a seat for eight parliaments, he had never once +ventured to trespass on its time on any subject of great debate, he +at once took a clear and comprehensive ground of objection to the +government scheme. He opposed it not only because he objected to the +great change contemplated with respect to the agricultural interest, +but, on principle, to the entire measure, 'a great commercial +revolution, which we are of opinion that the circumstances of the +country do not by any means require.' + +Noticing the observation of the Secretary at War, that the agricultural +interest, in submitting to this great change, might now accept it with +honour, instead of its being eventually extorted by force, he happily +retorted, that vicious as he thought the measure, he should feel it +deprived of half its vice if it could be carried without loss of honour, +damage to reputation, and forfeiture of public character to a vast +number of gentlemen now present. And he proceeded to show among other +testimonies, by an appeal to the distinct language of the speech from +the throne on the dissolution of 1841, that 'every member who occupied a +seat in this House was returned pledged either to oppose or maintain the +principle of protection to national industry.' + +Adverting to the new position, that the experience of the last +three years justified the reversal of the system which the existing +administration had been summoned to office to uphold, he wisely +remarked, that 'the country will not be satisfied with three years' +experience of any system. Three years' experience is not sufficiently +extensive to afford a proper criterion by which we may decide the +failure or success of any description of policy whatsoever.' + +Noticing that the minister had more especially founded 'his present +belief in doctrines contrary to those which he had heretofore uniformly +maintained,' by the assumption that the price of corn would not be more +reduced than the price of cattle and other commodities affected by the +tariff of 1842, and also by the results of previous experiments in the +instances of silk and wool, Lord George 'accepted his challenge' +on these grounds, and proceeded in great detail to investigate these +examples. + +The House listened with great attention for full two hours, during +which he treated these subjects. This attention no doubt was generally +accorded because it was felt due to the occasion, and, under the +circumstances, to the speaker; but those who, however contrary might +be the results at which they had arrived, had themselves deeply entered +into these investigations, recognized very soon that Bentinck was +master of his subject. Sir Robert Peel looked round very often with that +expression of appreciation which it was impossible for his nature to +refuse to parliamentary success, even when the ability displayed was +hostile to his projects. The minister, with reference to the wool trade, +had dwelt on the year 1842, when prices were much depressed, while they +had greatly rallied in 1844, when the importation of foreign wool had +risen from forty-five to sixty-five millions of pounds; and he had drawn +a triumphant inference that the increase of importation and the increase +of price were in consequence of the reduction of the duty. This instance +had produced a great effect; but Lord George showed the House, by a +reference to the tables of 1836, that the importation of foreign wool +had then risen to sixty-five millions of pounds, and that large foreign +importation was consistent with high prices to the domestic grower. Nor +was he less successful about the foreign cattle. He reminded his friends +on the Treasury bench how strenuously, previously to the introduction of +the tariff of 1842, they had urged upon their agricultural friends that +no foreign cattle could enter under their regulations, and that +the whole object of the change was to strengthen the hands of the +agricultural interest, as regarded more essential protection, by +removing the odium of a nominal protection: 'Convinced by my right +honourable friends, in 1842, that their tariff would be as inoperative +as it has proved, I gave my cordial support to the measure.' + +Perceiving that the House began to be wearied with the details of +the silk trade, which he had investigated with extraordinary zeal, he +postponed until the specific vote in committee his objections to the +reduction of the timber duties. The fact is, he had so thoroughly +mastered all these topics, that his observations on each of them would +have themselves formed a speech of sufficient length and interest. But +he successfully checked any interruption by what may be fairly styled +his dignified diffidence. + +'I trust the House will recollect that I am fighting the battle of a +party whose leaders have deserted them; and though I cannot wield my +weapons with the skill of the right honourable gentleman on the Treasury +bench, I trust the House will remember the emergency which has dragged +me out to intrude upon their indulgence.' + +And again, when he announced that he was now about to investigate the +pretext of 'famine in the land,' and some impatience was exhibited, he +drew up and said, 'I think, having sat eighteen years in this house, and +never once having trespassed on its time before in any one single +great debate, I may appeal to the past as a proof that I duly weigh the +measure of my abilities, and that I am painfully conscious of my proper +place in this house.' + +It was impossible to resist such appeals from such a person, even at +three o'clock in the morning; and diffident, but determined, he then +entered into what was, perhaps, the most remarkable portion of his +speech--an investigation of what was the real position of the country +with respect to the supply of food in the past autumn and at the present +moment. Having shown from the trade circulars that, far from there being +at present 'a wheat famine,' the stocks in the granaries in bond were +more than double in amount to what they were in the year 1845, 'a year +admitted by all to be a year of extraordinary abundance,' he proceeded +to the Irish part of the question: 'I beg leave to say, that though this +debate has now continued for three weeks, I am the first gentleman +who has at all entered into the real state of the case as regards the +allegation of a potato famine in Ireland, upon which, be it remembered, +is founded the sole case of her Majesty's ministers for a repeal of the +corn laws.' + +And this was very true. The fact is, though the Protectionist party had +made a most unexpected and gallant defence, no one was really prepared +for the contest except Bentinck. Between the end of November and the +meeting of Parliament, he had thrown all the energies of his passionate +mind into this question. He had sought information on all points +and always at the fountain-head. He had placed himself in immediate +communication with the ablest representatives of every considerable +interest attacked, and being ardent and indefatigable, gifted with +a tenacious memory and a very clear and searching spirit, there was +scarcely a detail or an argument connected with his subject which was +not immediately at his command. No speeches in favour of the protective +system have ever been made in the House of Commons compared with his in +depth and range of knowledge; and had there been any member not +connected with the government, who had been able to vindicate the merits +of British agriculture as he did when the final struggle occurred, the +impression which was made by the too-often unanswered speeches of the +Manchester confederation would never have been effected. But the great +Conservative party, exhausted by the labours of ten years of opposition, +thought that after the triumph of '41 it might claim a furlough. The +defence of their cause was left entirely to the ministers of their +choice; and ministers, distracted with detail and wearied with official +labour, are not always the most willing or the most efficient champions +of the organic principles of a party. + +Sir Robert Peel, with respect to the disease in the Irish potato, had +largely referred to the statements of the inspectors of police. Lord +George wanted to know why the reports of the lieutenants of the Irish +counties were not given. Being well-informed upon this head, he asked +the government to produce the report of Lord Duncannon, the lord +lieutenant of Carlow; especially that of his noble father, the earl of +Bes-borough, lord lieutenant of Kilkenny. 'Is there any man in England +or in Ireland whose opinion, from his business-like habits, his great +practical knowledge, and the warm and affectionate interest which for +a long period of years he has taken in everything which concerns the +interests of Ireland, especially of the Irish peasantry--is there +any man whose opinion would have greater weight? The opinion of Lord +Bes-borough on an Irish subject, the lieutenant of an Irish county, and +himself long a cabinet minister? Well, sir, I am assured that, having +taken the utmost pains to investigate this matter, Lord Besborough has +made an elaborate report to the Irish government. Well, then, I +desire to know why Lord Besborough's report to the Irish government +is suppressed? Is it because that report would not assist the present +policy of her Majesty's government?' + +He alleged the names of many other individuals of high station who +had officially reported on the subject to the government: of Lord +Castlereagh, the lieutenant of Down, a member of the House; of Lord +de Vesci, whose son was sitting for the Queen's County, over which his +father presided in the name of the queen. A murmur ran round the House, +that it would have been as well if these reports had been produced. + +The last portion of this argumentative harangue referred to the most +important division of the subject. Bentinck met it boldly, without +evasion; nor was there any portion of his address more interesting, more +satisfactory, and more successful. 'I now come,' he said, 'to the great +challenge, which is ever and anon put forth by the Anti-Corn Law League, +and now by their disciples, her Majesty's ministers. How are we, they +ask, with our limited extent of territory, to feed a population annually +and rapidly increasing at the rate of three hundred thousand a-year, +as generally stated by the member for Stockport--a rate increased by my +noble friend, the member for the West Riding, to a thousand a day, or +three hundred and sixty-five thousand a year?' + +He first proved in a complete manner that, from the year 1821 to the +year 1844, the population of the country had increased at the rate of +less than thirty-two per cent., while the growth of wheat during the +same period had increased no less than sixty-four per cent. He then +proceeded to inquire why, with such an increased produce, we were still, +as regards bread corn, to a certain extent, an importing nation? This he +accounted for by the universally improved condition of the people, and +the enlarged command of food by the working classes. He drew an animated +picture, founded entirely on the representations of writers and public +men adverse to the Protective System, of the superior condition of the +people of 'England, happy England,' to that of other countries: how they +consumed much more of the best food, and lived much longer. This was +under Protection, which Lord John Russell had stigmatized, in his +letter, 'the bane of agriculture.' 'In the history of my noble friend's +illustrious family,' he continued, 'I should have thought that he would +have found a remarkable refutation of such a notion.' And then he drew a +lively sketch of the colossal and patriotic works of the Earls and +Dukes of Bedford, 'whereby they had drained and reclaimed three +hundred thousand acres of land drowned in water, and brought them +into cultivation, and thus converted into fertile fields a vast morass +extending over seven counties in England.' Could the system which had +inspired such enterprise be justly denounced as baneful? + +To show the means of the country to sustain even a much-increasing +population, and that those means were in operation, he entered into one +of the most original and interesting calculations that was perhaps +ever offered to the House of Commons. Reminding the House that in the +preceding year (1845) the farmers of England, at a cost of two millions +sterling, had imported two hundred and eighty thousand tons of guano, he +proceeded to estimate what would be the effect on the productive powers +of the land of that novel application. Two hundred thousand tons, or, in +other words, four million hundred-weight, were expended on the land +in 1845. Half of these, he assumed, would be applied to the growth of +wheat, and the other half to the growth of turnips preparatory to the +wheat crop of the ensuing year. According to the experiments tried and +recorded in the Royal Agricultural Journal, it would seem that by the +application of two hundred-weight of guano to an acre of wheat land, the +produce would be increased by one quarter per acre. At this rate, one +hundred thousand tons, or two million hundred-weight of guano would add +one million quarters of wheat to the crop, or bread for one year for +one million of people. But as he was very careful never to over-state +a case, Lord George assumed, that it would require three hundred +hundredweight of guano to an acre to produce an extra quarter of wheat. +According to this estimate, one hundred thousand tons of guano, applied +to the land in 1845, must have added six hundred and sixty-six thousand +six hundred and sixty-six quarters of grain to the wheat crop, or, in +other words, bread for six hundred and sixty-six thousand six hundred +and sixty-six additional mouths. 'And now for turnips,' he continued. +The Norfolk authorities whom he quoted have in like manner proved that +two hundred-weight of guano will add ten tons per acre to the turnip +crop. But again, for fear of exaggeration, he supposed that three +hundred-weight would be requisite to create such increased fertility. In +this case, two million hundredweight of guano would add six million six +hundred and sixty-six thousand six hundred and sixty tons to the natural +unmanured produce of the crop. Now it is generally considered that one +ton of Swedes would last twenty sheep three weeks, and that each sheep +should gain half a pound of meat per week, or one pound and a half in +three weeks; thus twenty sheep feeding on one ton of turnips in three +weeks should in the aggregate make, as the graziers say, thirty pounds +of mutton. But to be safe in his estimate, he would assume that one ton +of turnips makes only half this quantity. 'Multiply, then,' exclaimed +Bentinck with the earnest air of a crusader, 'six million six hundred +and sixty-six thousand six hundred and sixty by fifteen, and you have no +less than ninety-nine million nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand and +nine hundred pounds of mutton as the fruits of one hundred thousand tons +of guano; which, at ninety-two pounds per man--the average Englishman's +allowance--affords meat for one million eight hundred and sixty thousand +nine hundred and fifty-five--nearly two million of her Majesty's +subjects.' + +This is a specimen of those original and startling calculations to +which the House was soon to become accustomed from his lips. They were +received at first with astonishment and incredulity; but they were never +impugned. The fact is, he was extremely cautious in his data, and no +man was more accustomed ever to impress upon his friends the extreme +expediency of not over-stating a case. It should also be remarked of +Lord George Bentinck, that in his most complicated calculations he never +sought aid from notes. + +We have necessarily only noticed a few of the traits of this remarkable +performance. Its termination was impressive. + +'We have heard in the course of these discussions a good deal about an +ancient monarchy, a reformed House of Commons, and a proud aristocracy. +Sir, with regard to our ancient monarchy, I have no observation to make; +but, if so humble an individual as myself might be permitted to whisper, +a word in the ear of that illustrious and royal personage who, as +he stands nearest, so is he justly dearest, to her who sits upon the +throne, I would take leave to say, that I cannot but think he listened +to ill advice, when, on the first night of this great discussion, he +allowed himself to be seduced by the first minister of the crown to +come down to this House to usher in, to give _eclat_, and as it were +by reflection from the queen, to give the semblance of the personal +sanction of her Majesty to a measure which, be it for good or for evil, +a great majority at least of the landed aristocracy of England, of +Scotland, and of Ireland, imagine fraught with deep injury, if not ruin, +to them + +--a measure which, not confined in its operation to this great class, +is calculated to grind down countless smaller interests engaged in the +domestic trades and, interests of the empire, transferring the profits +of all these interests--English, Scotch, Irish, and Colonial + +--great and small alike, from Englishmen, from Scotchmen, and from +Irishmen, to Americans, to Frenchmen, to Russians, to Poles, to +Prussians, and to Germans. Sir, I come now to the reformed House of +Commons; and as one who was a party to that great measure, I cannot but +feel a deep interest in its success, and more especially in that +portion of it which extended the franchise to the largest and the most +respectable body in the kingdom--I mean the landed tenantry of England; +and deeply should I regret should any large proportion of those members +who have been sent to Parliament to represent them in this House, +prove to be the men to bring lasting dishonour upon themselves, their +constituencies, and this House, by an act of tergiversation so gross +as to be altogether unprecedented in the annals of any reformed +or unreformed House of Commons. Sir, lastly, I come to the "proud +aristocracy." We are a proud aristocracy, but if we are proud, it is +that we are proud in the chastity of our honour. If we assisted in '41 +in turning the Whigs out of office, because we did not consider a +fixed duty of eight shillings a quarter on foreign corn a sufficient +protection, it was with honesty of purpose and in single-mindedness we +did so; and as we were not before the fact, we will not be accomplices +after the fact in the fraud by which the Whig ministers were expelled +from power. If we are a proud aristocracy, we are proud of our honour, +inasmuch as we never have been guilty, and never can be guilty, of +double-dealing with the farmers of England--of swindling our opponents, +deceiving our friends, or betraying our constituents.' + +The division was called. The West-India interest, notwithstanding +the amendment was moved by the member for Bristol, deserted the +Protectionists. Deaf to the appeals, and the remonstrances, and the +warnings of Lord George, one of their leading members replied, with +a smile of triumphant content, that 'they had made a satisfactory +arrangement for themselves.' How satisfactory did the West-Indians find +it four months subsequently? All the shipping interest deserted the +land. They were for everything free, except navigation; there was no +danger of that being interfered with; 'it rested on quite distinct +grounds--national grounds.' They were warned, but they smiled in +derisive self-complacency. Lord George Bentinck lived to have the +West-India interest and the shipping interest on their knees to him, +to defend their perilled or to restore their ruined fortunes; and with +characteristic generosity and proud consistency, he undertook the task, +and sacrificed his life in the attempt. + +Notwithstanding these terrible defalcations, when the numbers were +announced, at nearly four o'clock in the morning, the majority had +not reached those three magical figures supposed necessary, under the +circumstances, to success. In a house of five hundred and eighty-one +members present, the amendment of the Protectionists was defeated only +by ninety-seven; and two hundred and forty-two gentlemen, in spite of +desertion, difficulty, and defeat, still maintained the 'chastity of +their honour.' + + + + +CHAPTER III. + + _The Irish Question_ + +IN THE meantime, besides the prolonged and unforeseen resistance of the +Protectionists, there were other and unexpected causes at work which +equally, or perhaps even more powerfully tended to the fulfilment of the +scheme of delay, which Lord George Bentinck had recommended his friends +to adopt and encourage. + +In the latter months of the year 1845, there broke out in some of the +counties of Ireland one of those series of outrages which have hitherto +periodically occurred in districts of that country. Assassination and +crimes of violence were rife: men on the queen's highway were shot from +behind hedges, or suddenly torn from their horses and beaten to death +with clubs; houses were visited in the night by bodies of men, masked +and armed--their owners dragged from their beds, and, in the presence +of their wives and children, maimed and mutilated; the administration of +unlawful oaths, with circumstances of terror, indicated the existence of +secret confederations, whose fell intents, profusely and ostentatiously +announced by threatening letters, were frequently and savagely +perpetrated. + +These barbarous distempers had their origin in the tenure of land in +Ireland, and in the modes of its occupation. A combination of causes, +political, social, and economical, had for more than a century unduly +stimulated the population of a country which had no considerable +resources except in the soil. That soil had become divided into minute +allotments, held by a pauper tenantry, at exorbitant rents, of a class +of middlemen, themselves necessitous, and who were mere traders in land. +A fierce competition raged amid the squalid multitude for these strips +of earth which were their sole means of existence. To regulate this +fatal rivalry, and restrain this emulation of despair, the peasantry, +enrolled in secret societies, found refuge in an inexorable code. He who +supplanted another in the occupation of the soil was doomed by an occult +tribunal, from which there was no appeal, to a terrible retribution. His +house was visited in the night by whitefeet and ribbonmen--his doom was +communicated to him, by the post, in letters, signed by Terry Alt, or +Molly M'Guire, or he was suddenly shot, like a dog, by the orders of +Captain Rock. Yet even these violent inflictions rather punished than +prevented the conduct against which they were directed. The Irish +peasant had to choose between starving and assassination. If, in +deference to an anonymous mandate, he relinquished his holding, he and +those who depended on him were outcasts and wanderers; if he retained or +accepted it, his life might be the forfeit, but subsistence was secured; +and in poor and lawless countries, the means of living are more valued +than life. Those who have treated of the agrarian crimes of Ireland +have remarked, that the facility with which these outrages have been +committed has only been equalled by the difficulty of punishing them. A +murder, perpetrated at noonday, in the sight of many persons, cannot be +proved in a court of justice. The spectators are never witnesses; and it +has been inferred from this, that the outrage is national, and that the +heart of the populace is with the criminal. But though a chief landlord, +or a stipendiary magistrate, may occasionally be sacrificed, the great +majority of victims are furnished by the humblest class. Not sympathy, +but terror, seals the lip and clouds the eye of the bystander. And this +is proved by the fact that while those who have suffered have almost +always publicly declared that they were unable to recognize their +assailants, and believed them to be strangers, they have frequently, in +confidence, furnished the police with the names of the guilty. + +Thus, there is this remarkable characteristic of the agrarian anarchy +of Ireland which marks it out from all similar conditions of other +countries: it is a war of the poor against the poor. + +Before the rapid increase of population had forced governments to study +political economy and to investigate the means of subsisting a people, +statesmen had contented themselves by attributing to political causes +these predial disturbances, and by recommending for them political +remedies. The course of time, which had aggravated the condition of the +Irish peasantry, had increased the numbers, the wealth, and the general +importance of those of the middle classes of Ireland who professed the +Roman Catholic faith. Shut out from the political privileges of the +constitution, these formed a party of discontent that was a valuable +ally to the modern Whigs, too long excluded from that periodical share +of power which is the life-blood of a parliamentary government and the +safeguard of a constitutional monarchy. The misgovernment of Ireland +became therefore a stock topic of the earlier Opposition of the present +century; and advocating the cause of their clients, who wished to become +mayors, and magistrates, and members of the legislature, they argued +that in the concession of those powers and dignities, and perhaps in +the discreet confiscation of the property of the Church, the only cures +could be found for threatening notices, robbery of arms, administering +of unlawful oaths, burglary, murder, and arson. + +Yet if these acts of violence were attributable to defective political +institutions, why, as was usually the case, were they partial in their +occurrence? Why were they limited to particular districts? If political +grievances were the cause, the injustice would be as sharp in tranquil +Wexford as in turbulent Tipperary. Yet out of the thirty-two counties +of Ireland, the outrages prevailed usually in less than a third. These +outrages were never insurrectionary: they were not directed against +existing authorities; they were stimulated by no public cause or +clamour; it was the private individual who was attacked, and for a +private reason. This was their characteristic. + +But as time elapsed, two considerable events occurred: the Roman +Catholic restrictions were repealed, and the Whigs became ministers. +Notwithstanding these great changes, the condition of the Irish +peasantry remained the same; the tenure of land was unchanged, the modes +of its occupation were unaltered, its possession was equally necessary +and equally perilous. The same circumstances produced the same +consequences. Notwithstanding even that the Irish Church had been +remodelled, and its revenues not only commuted but curtailed; +notwithstanding that Roman Catholics had not only become members of +Parliament but even Parliament had been reformed; Irish outrage became +more flagrant and more extensive than at any previous epoch--and the +Whigs were ministers. + +Placed in this responsible position, forced to repress the evil, the +causes of which they had so often explained, and which with their +cooperation had apparently been so effectually removed, the Whig +government were obliged to have recourse to the very means which they +had so frequently denounced when recommended by their rivals, and that, +too, on a scale of unusual magnitude and severity. They proposed for +the adoption of Parliament one of those measures which would suspend the +constitution of Ireland, and which are generally known by the name of +Coercion Acts. + +The main and customary provisions of these Coercion Acts were of +severe restraint, and scarcely less violent than the conduct they were +constructed to repress. They invested the lord lieutenant with power +to proclaim a district as disturbed, and then to place its inhabitants +without the pale of the established law; persons out of their dwellings +between sunset and sunrise were liable to transportation; and to secure +the due execution of the law, prisoners were tried before military +tribunals, and not by their peers, whose verdicts, from sympathy or +terror, were usually found to baffle justice. + +These Coercion Acts were effectual; they invariably obtained their end, +and the proclaimed districts became tranquil. But they were an affair +of police, not of government; essentially temporary, their effect was +almost as transient as their sway, and as they were never accompanied +with any deep and sincere attempt to cope with the social circumstances +which produced disorder, the recurrence of the chronic anarchy was +merely an affair of time. Whether it were that they did not sufficiently +apprehend the causes, or that they shrank from a solution which must +bring them in contact with the millions of a surplus population, there +seems always to have been an understanding between the public men +of both parties, that the Irish difficulty should be deemed a purely +political, or at the utmost a religious one. And even so late as 1846, +no less a personage than the present chief secretary, put forward by +his party to oppose an Irish Coercion Bill which themselves had loudly +called for, declared that he could not sanction its penal enactments +unless they were accompanied by the remedial measures that were +necessary, to wit, an Irish Franchise Bill, and a Bill for the amendment +of municipal corporations! + +When Sir Robert Peel, in 1841, after a memorable opposition of ten +years, acceded to office, sustained by all the sympathies of the +country, his Irish policy, not sufficiently noticed amid the vast and +urgent questions with which he had immediately to deal, was, however, to +the political observer significant and interesting. As a mere matter of +party tactics, it was not for him too much to impute Irish disturbances +to political and religious causes, even if the accumulated experience +of the last ten years were not developing a conviction in his mind, that +the methods hitherto adopted to ensure the tranquillity of that country +were superficial and fallacious. His cabinet immediately recognized +a distinction between political and predial sources of disorder. +The first, they resolved into a mere system of agitation, no longer +justifiable by the circumstances, and this they determined to put down. +The second, they sought in the conditions under which land was occupied, +and these they determined to investigate. Hence, on the one hand, the +O'Connell prosecution: on the other, the Devon commission. + +This was the bold and prudent policy of a minister who felt he had +the confidence of the country and was sustained by great parliamentary +majorities; and when the summoner of monster meetings was convicted, and +the efficient though impartial manner in which the labours of the land +commission were simultaneously conducted came to be bruited about, there +seemed at last some prospect of the system of political quackery of +which Ireland had been so long the victim being at last subverted. But +there is nothing in which the power of circumstances is more evident +than in politics. They baffle the forethought of statesmen, and control +even the apparently inflexible laws of national development and decay. + +Had the government of 1841 succeeded in its justifiable expectation of +terminating the trade of political agitation in Ireland, armed with all +the authority and all the information with which the labours of the land +commission would have furnished them, they would in all probability have +successfully grappled with the real causes of Irish misery and misrule. +They might have thoroughly reformed the modes by which land is holden +and occupied; have anticipated the spontaneous emigration that now rages +by an administrative enterprise scarcely more costly than the barren +loan of '47, and which would have wafted native energies to imperial +shores; have limited under these circumstances the evil of the potato +famine, even if the improved culture of the interval might not have +altogether prevented that visitation; while the laws which regulated the +competition between home and foreign industry in agricultural produce +might have been modified with so much prudence, or, if necessary, +ultimately repealed with so much precaution, that those rapid and +startling vicissitudes that have so shattered the social fabric of +Ireland might altogether have been avoided. + +But it was decreed that it should be otherwise. Having achieved the +incredible conviction of O'Connell, by an Irish jury, the great culprit +baffled the vengeance of the law by a quirk which a lawyer only could +have devised. As regards his Irish policy, Sir Robert Peel never +recovered this blow, the severity of which was proportionably increased +by its occurrence at a moment of unprecedented success. Resolute not to +recur to his ancient Orangeism, yet desperate after his discomfiture of +rallying a moderate party around his ministry, his practical mind, +more clear-sighted than foreseeing, was alarmed at the absence of all +influences for the government of Ireland. The tranquillity which might +result from a reformed tenure of the soil, must, if attainable, be +a distant blessing, and at present he saw only the obstacles to its +fulfilment--prejudiced landlords, and the claims and necessities of +pauper millions. He shrank from a theory which might be an illusion. He +required a policy for the next post and the next division. There was +in his view only one course to take, to outbid his predecessors as +successfully in Irish politics as he was doing in taxes and tariffs. He +resolved to appropriate the liberal party of Ireland, and merge it into +the great Conservative confederation which was destined to destroy so +many things. He acted with promptitude and energy, for Sir Robert Peel +never hesitated when he had made up his mind. His real character was +very different from his public reputation. Far from being timid +and wary, he was audacious and even headstrong. It was his cold and +constrained demeanour that misled the public. There never was a man who +did such rash things in so circumspect a manner. He had been fortunate +in early disembarrassing himself of the Orange counsellors who had +conducted his Irish questions when in opposition; vacant judgeships +had opportunely satisfied the recognized and respectable claims of +Mr. Serjeant Jackson and Mr. Lefroy; and so Sir Robert Peel, without +a qualm, suddenly began to govern Ireland by sending it 'messages of +peace.' + +They took various forms; sometimes a Charitable Bequests Act virtually +placed the Roman Catholic hierarchy in friendly equality with the +prelates of the Established Church; sometimes a 'godless college' +called forth a moan from alarmed and irritated Oxford; the endowment +of Maynooth struck wider and deeper, and the middle-classes of England, +roused from their religious lethargy, called in vain to the rescue of +a Protestantism betrayed. But the minister was unshaken. Successful +and self-sufficient, impressed with a conviction that his government +in duration would rival that of a Walpole or a Pitt, and exceed both +in lustre, he treated every remonstrance with imperious disdain. He had +even accustomed his mind to contemplate an ecclesiastical adjustment +of Ireland which would have allied in that country the Papacy with the +State, and have terminated the constitutional supremacy of the Anglican +Church, when suddenly, in the very heat of all this arrogant fortune, +the mighty fabric of delusion shivered and fell to the ground. + +An abused and indignant soil repudiated the ungrateful race that had +exhausted and degraded its once exuberant bosom. The land refused +to hold those who would not hold the land on terms of justice and of +science. All the economical palliatives and political pretences of +long years seemed only to aggravate the suffering and confusion. The +poor-rate was levied upon a community of paupers, and the 'godless +colleges' were denounced by Rome as well as Oxford. + +After a wild dream of famine and fever, imperial loans, rates in +aid, jobbing public works, confiscated estates, constituencies +self-disfranchised, and St. Peter's bearding St. James's in a spirit +becoming Christendom rather than Europe, time topped the climax of Irish +misgovernment; and by the publication of the census of 1851, proved that +the millions with whose evils no statesmen would sincerely deal, +but whose condition had been the pretext for so much empiricism, had +disappeared, and nature, more powerful than politicians, had settled the +'great difficulty.' + +Ere the publication of that document, the mortal career of Sir Robert +Peel had closed, and indeed several of the circumstances to which we +have just alluded did not occur in his administration; but the contrast +between his policy and its results was nevertheless scarcely less +striking. It was in '45 that he transmitted his most important 'message +of peace' to Ireland, to be followed by an autumnal visit of her Majesty +to that kingdom, painted in complacent and prophetic colours by her +prime minister. The visit was not made. In the course of that autumn, +ten counties of Ireland were in a state of anarchy; and, mainly in +that period, there were 136 homicides committed, 138 houses burned, 483 +houses attacked, and 138 fired into; there were 544 cases of aggravated +assault, and 551 of robbery of arms; there were 89 cases of bands +appearing in arms; there were more than 200 cases of administering +unlawful oaths; and there were 1,944 cases of sending threatening +letters. By the end of the year, the general crime of Ireland had +doubled in amount and enormity compared with the preceding year. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + _The Cure for Irish Ills_ + +LORD GEORGE BENTINCK had large but defined views as to the policy which +should be pursued with respect to Ireland. He was a firm supporter of +the constitutional preponderance allotted to the land in our scheme of +government, not from any jealousy or depreciation of the other great +sources of public wealth, for his sympathy with the trading classes +was genuine, but because he believed that constitutional preponderance, +while not inconsistent with great commercial prosperity, to be the best +security for public liberty and the surest foundation of enduring power. +But as reality was the characteristic of his vigorous and sagacious +nature, he felt that a merely formal preponderance, one not sustained +and authorized by an equivalent material superiority, was a position not +calculated to endure in the present age, and one especially difficult to +maintain with our rapidly increasing population. For this reason he was +always very anxious to identify the policy of Great Britain with that +of Ireland, the latter being a country essentially agricultural; and he +always shrank from any proposition which admitted a difference in the +interests of the two kingdoms. + +Liberal politicians, who some years ago were very loud for justice to +Ireland, and would maintain at all hazards the identity of the interests +of the two countries, have of late frequently found it convenient +to omit that kingdom from their statistical bulletins of national +prosperity. Lord George Bentinck, on the contrary, would impress on his +friends, that if they wished to maintain the territorial constitution of +their country, they must allow no sectarian considerations to narrow the +basis of sympathy on which it should rest; and in the acres and millions +of Ireland, in its soil and its people, equally neglected, he would have +sought the natural auxiliaries of our institutions. To secure for our +Irish fellow-subjects a regular market for their produce; to develop +the resources of their country by public works on a great scale; and +to obtain a decent provision for the Roman Catholic priesthood from the +land and not from the consolidated fund, were three measures which he +looked upon as in the highest degree conservative. + +When the project of the cabinet of 1846 had transpired, Lord George at +once declared, and was in the habit of reiterating his opinion, that 'it +would ruin the 500,000 small farmers of Ireland,' and he watched with +great interest and anxiety the conduct of their representatives in +the House of Commons. It was with great difficulty that he could bring +himself to believe, that political liberalism would induce the members +for the south and west of Ireland to support a policy in his opinion so +fatal to their countrymen as the unconditional repeal of the corn laws; +and, indeed, before they took that step, which almost all of them +have since publicly regretted and attempted to compensate for by their +subsequent votes in the House of Commons, the prospect of their conduct +frequently and considerably varied. + +The Earl of St. Germans, the chief secretary of the Lord Lieutenant, +introduced the Coercion Bill to the House of Lords on the 24th of +February, and, considering the exigency, and the important reference +to it in the speech from the throne, this step on the part of the +government was certainly not precipitate. It was observed that the +strongest supporters of the measure in the House of Lords on this +occasion were the leaders of the Whig party. Lord Lansdowne, 'so far +from complaining of the Government for bringing forward the measure at +so early a period of the session, was ready to admit, that after the +declaration of her Majesty, a declaration unhappily warranted by +facts known to many of their lordships, every day was lost in which an +effectual remedy was not at least attempted to put an end to a state +of society so horrible.' Lord Clanricarde 'gave his ready assent to the +bill;' and even Lord Grey, 'though he regretted the necessity for this +measure, was of opinion that the chief secretary had established a +sufficient case for arming the executive government with some additional +powers.' When, therefore, at the end of the month of March, Lord George +Bentinck was invited to attend a meeting of his friends, held at the +house of Mr. Bankes, to consider the course which should be adopted +by the Protectionist party with respect to the Coercion Bill, it was +assumed, as a matter of course, that the coalition of the government +and the Whigs must secure the passing of the measure, even if the +Protectionists were disposed, for the chance of embarrassing the +ministry, to resist it; and of course there was no great tendency in +that direction. Men are apt to believe that crime and coercion are +inevitably associated. There was abundance of precedent for the course, +which seemed also a natural one. + +In less than a century there had been seventeen coercive acts for +Ireland, a circumstance which might make some ponder whether +such legislation were as efficacious as it was violent. However, +assassination rife, Captain Rock and Molly M'Guire out at night, Whigs +and Tories all agreed, it was easy to catch at a glance the foregone +conclusion of the meeting. One advantage of having a recognized organ of +a political party is, that its members do not decide too precipitately. +They listen before they determine, and if they have a doubt, they +will grant the benefit of it to him whose general ability they have +acknowledged, and to whom they willingly give credit for having viewed +the question at issue in a more laborious and painful manner than +themselves. Without a leader, they commit themselves to opinions +carelessly and hastily adopted. This is fatal to a party in debate; but +it often entails very serious consequences when the mistakes have been +committed in a less public and responsible scene than the House of +Commons. + +In the present case, there was only one individual who took any +considerable lead in the management of the party who ventured to suggest +the expediency of pausing before they pledged themselves to support an +unconstitutional measure, proposed by a government against which they +were arrayed under circumstances of urgent and unusual opposition. The +support of an unconstitutional measure may be expedient, but it cannot +be denied that it is the most indubitable evidence of confidence. This +suggestion, though received with kindness, elicited little sympathy, and +Lord George Bentinck, who had not yet spoken, and who always refrained +at these meetings from taking that directing part which he never wished +to assume, marking the general feeling of those present, and wishing to +guide it to a practical result advantageous to their policy, observed +that the support of the Coercion Bill by the Protectionists, ought to be +made conditional on the government proving the sincerity of their policy +by immediately proceeding with their measure; that if life were in +such danger in Ireland as was officially stated, and as he was bound +to believe, no Corn or Customs' Bill could compete in urgency with the +necessity of pressing forward a bill, the object of which was to arrest +wholesale assassination. He was, therefore, for giving the government +a hearty support, provided they proved they were in earnest in their +determination to put down murder and outrage in Ireland, by giving a +priority in the conduct of public business to the measure in question. + +This view of the situation, which was certainly adroit, for it combined +the vindication of order with an indefinite delay of the measures for +the repeal of the protective system, seemed to please every one; there +was a murmur of approbation, and when one of the most considerable of +the country gentlemen expressed the prevalent feeling, and added that +all that was now to be desired was that Lord George Bentinck would +kindly consent to be the organ of the party on the occasion, and state +their view to the House, the cheering was very hearty. It came from the +hearts of more than two hundred gentlemen, scarcely one of whom had a +personal object in this almost hopeless struggle beyond the maintenance +of a system which he deemed advantageous to his country; but they wished +to show their generous admiration of the man who, in the dark hour of +difficulty and desertion, had proved his courage and resource, had +saved them from public contempt, and taught them to have confidence in +themselves. And after all, there are few rewards in life which equal +such sympathy from such men. The favour of courts and the applause +of senates may have their moments of excitement and delight, but the +incident of deepest and most enduring gratification in public life is to +possess the cordial confidence of a high-spirited party, for it touches +the heart as well as the intellect, and combines all the softer feelings +of private life with the ennobling consciousness of public duty. + +Lord George Bentinck, deeply moved, consented to become the organ of the +Protectionists in this matter; but he repeated in a marked manner his +previous declaration, that his duty must be limited to the occasion: he +would serve with them, but he could not pretend to be the leader of a +party. In that capacity, however, the government chose to recognize him, +and there occurred in consequence, very shortly after this meeting, a +scene in the House of Commons, which occasioned at the time a great deal +of surprise and scandal. The Secretary of the Treasury, in pursuance +of one of his principal duties, which is to facilitate by mutual +understanding the conduct of public business in the House of Commons, +applied to Lord George Bentinck, confessedly at the request of Sir +Robert Peel, to 'enter into some arrangement' as to the conduct of +public business before Easter. The arrangement suggested was, that if +the Protectionists supported the Coercion Bill, which it was the wish +of Sir Robert Peel should be read a first time before Easter, the third +reading of the Bill for the Repeal of the Corn Laws should be postponed +until after Easter. The interview by appointment took place in the Vote +Office, where the Secretary of the Treasury 'called Lord George aside' +and made this proposition. Lord George stated in reply, 'what he +believed to be the views of the party with whom he served,' and they +were those we have already intimated. The 'arrangement' was concluded, +and it was at the same time agreed that certain questions, of which +notice had been given by Lord John Russell, relative to the progress +of these very measures, should be allowed by the Protectionists to pass +_sub silentio_. This 'pledge,' made by the noble lord for himself and +his friends, was 'scrupulously observed.' Nevertheless, after all this, +a letter arrived from the Secretary of the Treasury, addressed to the +noble lord, stating that the secretary 'had not been authorized in +saying as much as he had said,' and requesting that the conversation +which had taken place might be considered private. Upon this, Lord +George Bentinck drew up a statement, 'setting forth all that had +passed,' and forwarded it to the secretary as his reply. Subsequently, +he met that gentleman, who admitted that 'every word in that statement, +as respected the conversation which had passed, was perfectly correct.' + +This being the state of the case, on the second night of the debate +on Mr. Eliot Yorke's amendment, which we have noticed, and after the +adjournment had been moved and carried, the government proceeded with +some motions of form, which indicated their intention to secure, if +possible, the third reading of the Corn Bill before Easter. Upon +this, Lord George Bentinck, after a hurried and apparently agitated +conversation with the Secretary of the Treasury and others connected +with the government, rose to move the adjournment of the House. He then +gave as his reason the circumstances which we have briefly conveyed. A +scene of considerable confusion occurred; the Secretary of the Treasury +admitted the correctness of the statement; the First Lord of the +Treasury rejected the alleged authority of the secretary. Mr. Tuffnell, +on the part of the Whigs, intimated that public business could not be +carried on if the recognized organs were repudiated by their chief. The +feeling of all parties coincided with Mr. Tuffnell; finally, an Irish +repealer rose and announced that the government were bartering their +Corn Bill to secure coercion to Ireland. Lord George Bentinck said the +Coercion Bill was 'a second Curfew Act,' that nothing but necessity +could justify it, and if it were necessary it must be immediate. Sir +Robert remained irritated and obstinate. He would not give up a stage +either of the Corn Bill or the Coercion Bill; he wanted to advance both +before Easter. The mere division of the House between Free-traders and +Protectionists had already ceased; there were breakers ahead, and it +was not difficult from this night to perceive that the course of the +government would not be so summary as they had once expected. + +This strange interlude occurred after midnight on the 26th of March. On +Friday, the 27th, the House divided on the amendment of Mr. Eliot Yorke, +and the Corn Bill was read for the second time. On the reassembling of +the House on Monday, the 30th, an extraordinary scene took place. + +It appears that the cabinet, after painful deliberation, had arrived at +the conclusion that, notwithstanding the importance of sending up +the Corn Bill to the House of Lords before Easter, it was absolutely +necessary to proceed at once with the Coercion Bill; and it was resolved +that the Secretary of State should on this evening lay before the House +the facts and reasons which 'induce the Government to believe in the +necessity of the measure.' Mr. O'Connell and his followers had already +announced their intention of opposing the first reading of the bill, +an allowable but very unusual course. It is competent to the House of +Commons to refuse a first reading to any bill sent down to it; but the +journals afford few examples of the exercise of such a privilege. A +member of the House of Lords may lay on the table, as a matter of pure +right, any bill which he thinks proper to introduce, and it is read a +first time as a matter of course; the orders of the House of Commons are +different, and a member must obtain permission before he introduces a +bill. This permission is occasionally refused; but when a bill comes +from the House of Lords, the almost invariable custom is to read it +for the first time without discussion. There are, however, as we have +observed, instances to the contrary, and the Irish Coercion Bill of '33 +was one of them. So pregnant a precedent could not be forgotten on +the present occasion. The government therefore were prepared for an +opposition to the first reading of their bill; but trusting to the +strength of their case and the assumed support of the Whig party, they +believed that this opposition would not be stubborn, more especially +as there were numerous stages of the measure on which the views of its +opponents might be subsequently expressed, and as they themselves were +prepared to engage that they would not proceed further than this +first reading until the Corn Bill had passed the House of Commons. The +consternation, therefore, of the government could scarcely be +concealed, when they found on Monday night that they had to encounter a +well-organized party opposition, headed by Sir William Somerville, and +sanctioned and supported in debate by Lord John Russell and Sir George +Grey. + +It would seem indeed a difficult and somewhat graceless office for the +Whigs to oppose the first reading of a government bill, concerning, +too, the highest duties of administration, which had received such +unqualified approval from all the leading members of their party in the +House of Lords, who had competed in declarations of its necessity and +acknowledgments of its moderation, while they only regretted the too +tardy progress of a measure so indispensable to the safety of +the country and the security of her Majesty's subjects. A curious +circumstance, however, saved them from this dilemma, which yet in +the strange history of faction they had nevertheless in due time to +encounter. + +As the Coercion Bill coming from the Lords appeared on the paper of +the day in the form of a notice of motion, the Secretary of State, +this being a day on which orders have precedence, had to move that such +orders of the day should be postponed, so that he might proceed with +the motion on the state of Ireland, of which notice had been given. The +strict rule of the House is, that on Mondays and Fridays, orders of +the day should have precedence of notices of motion, so that it was +impossible for the Secretary of State to make his motion, that a certain +bill (the Protection of Life--Ireland--Bill) should be read a first time +without permission of the House, a permission always granted as a matter +of course on such nights to the government, since the business which can +be brought forward, whether in the shape of orders or motions, is +purely government business, and thus the interests and privilege of no +independent member of Parliament can be affected by a relaxation of +the rules which the convenience of a ministry and the conduct of public +business occasionally require. However, on this night, no sooner had +the Secretary of State made, in a few formal words, this formal request, +than up sprang Sir William Somerville to move an amendment, that the +orders of the day should not be postponed, which he supported in a +spirited address, mainly on the ground of the great inconvenience that +must be suffered from the postponement of the Corn Bill. The motion of +the Secretary of State would produce a long, exciting, and exasperating +debate. Time would be lost--for what? To advance one stage of a measure +which it was avowedly not the intention of the government to press at +the present moment. Sir William concluded with a very earnest appeal +to Lord George Bentinck and his friends, who might at no very distant +period have the government of Ireland entrusted to them, not, for the +sake of a momentary postponement of the Corn Bill, to place themselves, +by voting for this measure of coercion, in collision with the Irish +nation.' He called upon Lord George Bentinck to weigh the position in +which he was placed. + +This amendment was seconded by Mr. Smith O'Brien, the member for the +county of Limerick, who warned the government that they 'were entering +on a contest which would continue for months.' He taunted the minister +with governing the country without a party. What chance was there of +reconciliation with his estranged friends? After the treatment of that +'disavowed plenipotentiary,' the Secretary of the Treasury, who would be +again found willing to undertake the mission of patching up a truce? +He was not present when the terms of the treaty were exposed: but he +understood, that if the government introduced this Coercion Bill before +Easter, then that Lord George Bentinck would deem it wise, proper, and +expedient; but if after Easter, then the complexion and character of the +bill were, in the noble lord's judgment, utterly transformed, and it was +declared to be quite untenable and unconstitutional. Was that the kind +of support on which the government calculated for passing this measure? + +The Secretary of State made a dexterous, conciliatory, almost humble +address, in reply to the taunts of Mr. Smith O'Brien. He said that he +was well aware of the fact of which he had been just reminded, that, in +the present state of parties, the declared adherents of the government +were a small minority; he even, while excusing the delay in the progress +of the Irish measure, reminded the House of the curious fact, that since +the meeting of Parliament, two successive Irish secretaries had lost +their seats in the House of Commons in consequence of supporting the +administration of which they were members. + +The case of the government was really so good and clear, that for a +moment it seemed the opposition could hardly persist in their unusual +proceeding: but this was a night of misfortunes. + +There had been for some time a smouldering feud between the secretary +and the Recorder of Dublin. The learned gentleman had seized the +occasion which the present state of parties afforded, and in the +course of the recent debate on the second reading of the Corn Bill, had +declared that the asserted famine in Ireland was, on the part of the +government, 'a great exaggeration.' The secretary had addressed himself +particularly to this observation in his speech on the 27th, the night +of the division, and had noticed it in a tone of acerbity. He had even +intimated that it might have been used by one who was a disappointed +solicitor for high office, and whom the government had declined to +assist in an unwarrantable arrangement of the duties and salary of +the judicial post he at present occupied. The learned Recorder, justly +indignant at this depreciating innuendo, resolved to make an opportunity +on the following Monday for his vindication and retort. He rose, +therefore, immediately after the skilful and winning appeal of the +secretary, and pronounced an invective against the right honourable +gentleman which was neither ill-conceived nor ill-delivered. It +revived the passions that for a moment seemed inclined to lull, and +the Protectionists, who on this occasion were going to support the +government, forgot the common point of union, while the secretary was +described as 'the evil genius of the cabinet.' + +After this, it was impossible to arrest the course of debate. Mr. +O'Connell, who appeared to be in a state of great debility, made one +of those acute points for which he was distinguished. He said the +government complained of the threat held out by those who opposed the +bill, that they would avail themselves of the forms of the House to +give it every opposition in their power. But what did the government do +themselves? Why, they were trying to trample upon one of the sessional +orders and to abrogate the forms of the House in order to coerce the +Irish people. Lord George Bentinck said, that 'the chief minister had +told them, that this was a bill to put down murder and assassination; in +that case, if this bill were delayed, the blood of every man murdered +in Ireland was on the head of her Majesty's ministers.' Sir George Grey +followed, and avoiding any discussion of the state of Ireland, in +which Lord George had entered, supported the amendment of Sir William +Somerville, on the broad ground that the bill for the repeal of the corn +laws ought not to be for a moment delayed. 'The debates on that +measure had continued several weeks; and all who had any lengthened +parliamentary experience must be convinced, that if the further progress +of the Corn Bill was postponed until after Easter, they would have much +longer and protracted debates in its future stages, than if the bill +were pushed _de die in diem_. As he had understood, the government had +intended that this bill should have gone up to the House of Lords before +Easter, when it would have been printed, and the second reading could +have taken place at an early day after the holidays; but if it were put +off until after Easter, he would defy any man to show any reasonable +expectation of its getting to a second reading in the other House before +June, or July, or even August.' This was encouraging, and the plot +seemed to thicken. The Secretary at War was put up by the government to +neutralize the effect of the speech of Sir George Grey, and he said, 'I +speak not only as a cabinet minister, but also as a considerable +Irish proprietor.' He said, 'that anything so horrible as the state of +demoralization and crime in which many parts of Ireland were plunged, +anything so perfect as the suspension of the law in those parts of the +country, anything, in short, so complete as the abrogation of liberty +that obtained there, was, perhaps never known.' He thought that, 'no man +and no minister could, under these circumstances, decline to admit that +every and any measure ought to be postponed until a division had been +taken, at least upon the principle of a measure which had for its object +the suppression of these horrors.' After such a declaration it was clear +the government were in a false position when by the same organ it had to +state, 'that in asking to read this bill to-night, they only intended to +postpone the Corn Bill for one night.' + +Lord John Russell following, admitted, that 'in voting for the motion of +Sir William Somerville it was not to be supposed, that if the Secretary +of State made out a case, he would not support the government bill;' +yet how the secretary was ever to find an opportunity of making out his +case, if the amendment of Sir William Somerville was carried, was +not very apparent. Sir Robert Peel, who was disquieted by the whole +proceedings connected with the Coercion Bill, irritated by the episode +of 'the disavowed plenipotentiary,' from which he did not for some +time recover, and really alarmed at the indefinite prospect of delay in +passing his all-important measures which now began to open, could not +conceal his vexation in the remarks which he offered, and speaking of +the amendment as one 'of a frivolous character,' indignant cries of 'No, +no,' from his usual admirers, obliged him to withdraw the expression. +His feelings were not soothed when, later in the evening, even Mr. +Cobden rose to deplore the conduct of that minister whom he otherwise so +much admired. 'He certainly regarded it as a great calamity. Something +had actuated the government which he could not understand. He had a +perfect belief in the sincerity of the prime minister, but in all human +probability the Corn Bill would not now enter the House of Lords before +the beginning or middle of May; and when it would come out again, heaven +only knew!' + +The House now divided, and being supported by all the Protectionists +present, the government had a majority of thirty-nine, so the standing +order was for that night rescinded; and, although the hour was late for +such a statement, the secretary proceeded with the official exposition. +Notwithstanding the depressing circumstances of the previous debate, +the speech of Sir James Graham was distinguished by all that lucid +arrangement of details and that comprehensive management of his subject +which distinguished him. The statement made a great impression upon the +House and the country; but, unfortunately for the government, the more +necessary they made the measure appear, the more unjustifiable was their +conduct in not immediately and vehemently pursuing it. They had, indeed, +in the speech from the throne at the commencement of this memorable +session, taken up a false position for their campaign; and we shall see, +as we pursue this narrative of these interesting events, that the fall +of Sir Robert Peel was perhaps occasioned not so much by his repeal +of the corn laws as by the mistake in tactics which this adroit and +experienced parliamentary commander so strangely committed. + +On this night of the 30th the government made no advance; immediately +after the secretary had finished, the followers of Mr. O'Connell moved +the adjournment of the House, and persisted in this line notwithstanding +the almost querulous appeal of the first minister. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + + _The Passing of O'Connell._ + +LORD GEORGE wrote the next morning (Tuesday, March 31st) to a friend, +who had not been able to attend the debate: 'I look upon last night as +the most awkward night the government have had yet; I believe they would +have given their ears to have been beaten. We have now fairly set +them and the tail at loggerheads, and I cannot see how they are to get +another stage of either the tariff or Corn Bill before next Tuesday at +any rate. I doubt if they will do anything before Easter.' + +It was understood that the House would adjourn for the Easter recess +on the 8th instant. There were therefore only two nights remaining for +government business before the holidays. On the first of these (Friday, +April the 3rd), Mr. O'Connell had announced that he should state his +views at length on the condition of Ireland, and the causes of these +agrarian outrages. Accordingly, when the order of the day for resuming +the adjourned debate was read, he rose at once to propose an amendment +to the motion. He sat in an unusual place--in that generally occupied by +the leader of the opposition--and spoke from the red box, convenient +to him from the number of documents to which he had to refer. His +appearance was of great debility, and the tones of his voice were very +still. His words, indeed, only reached those who were immediately around +him and the ministers sitting on the other side of the green table, who +listened with that interest and respectful attention which became the +occasion. + +It was a strange and touching spectacle to those who remembered the +form of colossal energy and the clear and thrilling tones that had once +startled, disturbed, and controlled senates. Mr. O'Connell was on his +legs for nearly two hours, assisted occasionally in the management of +his documents by some devoted aide-de-camp. To the House generally it +was a performance in dumb show, a feeble old man muttering before a +table; but respect for the great parliamentary personage kept all as +orderly as if the fortunes of a party hung upon his rhetoric; and though +not an accent reached the gallery, means were taken that next morning +the country should not lose the last and not the least interesting of +the speeches of one who had so long occupied and agitated the mind of +nations. + +This remarkable address was an abnegation of the whole policy of Mr. +O'Connell's career. It proved, by a mass of authentic evidence ranging +over a long term of years, that Irish outrage was the consequence of +physical misery, and that the social evils of that country could not be +successfully encountered by political remedies. To complete the picture, +it concluded with a panegyric of Ulster and a patriotic quotation from +Lord Clare. + +Lord John Russell, who, as an experienced parliamentary leader, had +already made more than one effort to extricate the Whigs from the +consequences of the hearty support given to the government measures in +the other House by Lords Lansdowne and Clanricarde, and even by Lord +Grey, ventured to-night even to say that if he should agree that the +House would do well to assent to the first reading of this bill, he +thought he was bound to state also that in the future stages of it, he +should have 'objections to offer, going to the foundations of some of +its principal provisions.' + +His speech was curious, as perhaps the last considerable manifesto of +Whig delusion respecting Ireland. Coercion Bills might be occasionally +necessary; no doubt of it; Lord Grey had once a Coercion Bill, and Lord +John Russell had voted for it; but then remedial measures ought to be +introduced with coercive ones: the evil should be repressed, but also +cured. Thus, Lord Althorp, when the government introduced their great +Coercion Bill, introduced also a measure which, besides making a great +reform in the Protestant Church of Ireland, exempted the whole Catholic +community of Ireland from the payment of church cess, which had +previously been felt as a very great grievance. On another day Lord +Althorp declared his intention of pressing through Parliament a Jury +Bill, which had been brought into the House the previous session, but +which was allowed to drop in the House of Lords. + +Again, there was another declaration which Lord Althorp had made, which, +somehow or other, seemed to have been forgotten; it was a declaration +with respect to the municipal corporations of Ireland. Lord Althorp said +it was exceedingly desirable that the institutions of the two countries +should be assimilated as much as possible; and that, as a general rule, +the corporate bodies of Ireland should be the same as England. Mr. +O'Connell had said on that occasion that there was no greater grievance +in Ireland than the existence of corporations in their then shape. Lord +John contrasted this language of Lord Althorp, 'simple, plain, emphatic, +and decided,' with the language of the government of Sir Robert Peel; +and held up to admiration the Whig policy of 1833, certainly coercive, +but with remedial measures--a measure for the abolition of church cess, +introduced ten days before the Coercion Bill, and a promise of municipal +reform made simultaneously with the proclamation of martial law. This +was real statesmanship and touching the root of the evil. Whereas +'Sir Robert Peel had only consented to passing the Municipal Bill in a +crippled state, and only now (in 1846) promised, that the corporations +of Ireland should be placed on the same footing as the corporations of +England.' Who could be surprised that such a policy-should end in famine +and pestilence? + +The followers of Mr. O'Connell again succeeded in adjourning the debate +until Monday the 6th. On that day Sir Robert Peel made 'an earnest +appeal' to extricate himself from the almost perilous position in which +he found his administration suddenly involved. In case the division on +the first reading of the Irish Bill should not take place that night, he +endeavoured to prevail on those members who had notices on the paper +for the following night (Tuesday the 7th), the last night before the +holidays, to relinquish their right and to permit the Irish debate +to proceed and conclude. 'He had no wish to interfere with the due +discussion of the measure; but he believed that the Irish members, if +they permitted the House to proceed with the Corn Bill, by concluding +the discussion on the Irish Bill, would be rendering an essential +service to their country.' + +But this earnest appeal only influenced still more the fiery resolves +of Mr. Smith O'Brien and his friends. They threw the responsibility for +delay of the Corn Bill on the government. The inconvenience which +the country suffered was occasioned by the minister, not by the Irish +members. He ought, on Friday last, to have adjourned the discussion on +the Coercion Bill until after Easter. He and other members who were +on the paper for to-morrow would willingly relinquish their right of +priority in favour of the Corn Bill, or of any measure of a remedial +kind, but not in favour of a Coercion Bill. He did not wish to have any +concealment with the minister as to the course which the Irish members +would pursue. It was their bounden duty to take care that _pari passu_ +with the discussion of the Coercion Bill there should be discussions +as to the misgovernment of Ireland; and that, in the absence of any +remedial measures of the government, they should have an opportunity of +suggesting such as they thought advisable for removing those evils which +they utterly denied that the measure now before the House would remove. + +In vain Sir Robert, in his blandest tones and with that remarkable +command of a temper not naturally serene which distinguished him, +acknowledged to a certain degree the propriety of the course intimated +by Mr. Smith O'Brien; but suggested at the same time that it was +compatible with allowing the Irish bill to be now read for a first time, +since on its subsequent stages Mr. O'Brien and his friends would have +the full opportunity which they desired, of laying before the House the +whole condition of the country. All was useless. No less a personage +than Mr. John O'Connell treated the appeal with contempt, and lectured +the first minister on the 'great mistake' which he had made. Little +traits like these revealed the true parliamentary position of the once +omnipotent leader of the great Conservative party. With the legions +of the Protectionists watching their prey in grim silence, while +the liberal sections were united in hostile manouvres against the +government, it was recognised at once that the great minister had a +staff without an army; not a reconnoitring could take place without the +whole cabinet being under orders, and scarcely a sharpshooter sallied +from the opposite ranks without the prime minister returning his fire in +person. + +Sir Robert Peel mournfully observed that he 'did not wish to provoke +a recriminatory discussion,' and he resigned himself to his fate. +Immediately the third night of the adjourned debate on the Irish bill +commenced, and was sustained principally by the Irish members until a +late hour. It had not been the intention of Lord George Bentinck to have +spoken on this occasion, though he had never been absent for a moment +from his seat, and watched all that occurred with that keen relish which +was usual with him when he thought things were going right; but having +been personally and not very courteously appealed to by the late Mr. +Dillon Browne, and deeming also the occasion, just before the holidays, +a not unhappy one, he rose and concluded the debate. His speech was not +long, it was not prepared, and it was very animated. + +Recapitulating himself the main features of the disturbed district, he +said: 'It is because of these things, sir, that I am prepared to support +at least the first reading of a bill, which I freely admit to be most +unconstitutional in itself.' + +Noticing a speech made in the course of the evening by Lord Morpeth, +who had himself once been chief secretary of the Lord Lieutenant, +Lord George thought it discreet to remind the House of the unequivocal +support given to this bill by the Whig leaders in another place: 'Sir, I +think when we see all the great leaders of the Whig party supporting the +measure elsewhere, we cannot be justly impugned for doing as they do.' +Lord Morpeth had referred to 'remedial measures which he thinks +should be introduced for Ireland: to measures for the extension of the +municipal, and also of the parliamentary, franchise of that country; and +he expressed his desire to see those franchises put on the same footing +as the franchises of England.' 'For the life of me,' exclaimed Lord +George, 'I confess, I cannot see in what way the extension of political +franchises of any description in Ireland would afford a remedy for +the evils which this measure aims to suppress. I think, sir, it is +impossible not to perceive that there is a connection between agrarian +outrage and the poverty of the people.' + +After noticing the inadequate poor-law which then existed in Ireland, +he added: 'There is also another point immediately connected with +this subject to which I must refer. I allude, sir, to the system of +absenteeism. I cannot disguise from myself the conviction, that many +of the evils of Ireland arise from the system of receiving rents by +absentee landlords who spend them in other countries. I am well aware +that, in holding this doctrine, I am not subscribing to the creed of +political economists. I am well aware that Messrs. Senior and M'Culloch +hold that it makes no difference whether the Irish landlord spends his +rents in Dublin, on his Irish estates, in London, in Bath, or elsewhere. +I profess, sir, I cannot understand that theory. I believe that the +first ingredient in the happiness of a people is, that the gentry should +reside on their native soil, and spend their rents among those from whom +they receive them. I cannot help expressing a wish that some arrangement +may be made connected with the levying of the poor-rate in Ireland, by +which absentee landlords may be made to contribute in something like a +fair proportion to the wants of the poor in the district in which they +ought to reside. There is an arrangement in the hop-growing districts in +England in respect to tithe, which might, I think, afford a very useful +suggestion. There are two tithes: the one, the ordinary tithe; the +other, extraordinary; which is levied only so long as the land is +cultivated in hops. I think if there were two poor-rates introduced into +Ireland, the one applying to all occupiers of land, and the other to all +those who did not spend a certain portion of the year on some portion of +their estates in Ireland, it would prove useful. I think, that by thus +appealing to their interests, it might induce absentee landlords to +reside much more in Ireland, than is now unfortunately the case. + +'But, sir, I think there are other remedial measures. Some days ago, the +Secretary of State told the member for Stroud (Mr. Poulett Scrope), +when he suggested some such measure, that he was treading on dangerous +ground, and that the doctrines he was advocating might be written in +letters of blood in Ireland; but, notwithstanding all this, I still say +that I think measures might be introduced for improving the relations +between landlord and tenant in Ireland. I do not think that some +guarantee might and ought to be given to the tenantry of Ireland for the +improvements they make upon their farms. + +'Sir, the Secretary of State, in introducing this measure, maintained +a doctrine which, I think, much more likely to be written in letters of +blood, for he bound up the question of the corn laws with the present +one. He said, that unless he could, have prevailed on his colleagues +to accede to his free-trade measures as regards corn, he would not have +introduced this bill. Why, sir, far from giving food to the people of +Ireland, in my opinion the measures of her Majesty's ministers will take +away from the people of Ireland their food, by destroying the profits +of their only manufacture--the manufacture of corn--and injuring their +agriculture; depriving them of employment; in fact, by taking away from +them the very means of procuring subsistence. Sir, I cannot see how the +repeal of those laws affecting corn can be In any way connected with the +suppression of outrage and the protection of life. What is this but to +say, that unless we have a free trade in corn, we must be prepared to +concede a free trade in agrarian outrage--a free trade in maiming and +houghing cattle--a free trade in incendiarism--a free trade in the +burning and sacking of houses--a free trade in midnight murder, and in +noon-day assassination? What is this but telling the people of +Ireland, that assassination, murder, incendiarism, are of such light +consideration in the eyes of the Secretary of State, that their sanction +or suppression by the minister of the crown hinges upon the condition of +the corn market and the difference in the price of potatoes? + +'Sir, what has the potato disease to do with the outrages in Ireland? +Some think a great deal. I have taken the trouble of looking into +the matter. I have examined into the state of crime in at least five +counties--Tipperary, Roscommon, Limerick, Leitrim, and Clare--and I +find, that during the three months prior to the first appearance of +the potato disease, and when in fact food was as cheap in Ireland as at +almost any former period--when plenty abounded in all quarters of the +empire, that the amount of crime exceeded that in the three months +immediately following. Now, those who doubt this statement will have an +opportunity of ascertaining the correctness of my figures, for I will +not deal in general assertions. Well then, sir, I find in the three +months, May, June, and July last, that the number of crimes committed in +the five counties I have mentioned amounted to no less than 1,180, while +in the three months immediately after the potato disease, or famine as +it is called, the amount of crime committed in the same three months was +not 1,180, but 870. I should like to know, therefore, what this agrarian +outrage has to do with the potato famine; and where is the justification +for a minister coming down to this House, and declaring that unless we +pass a free-trade measure, we are not to obey her Majesty's commands +by passing a measure for the protection of life in Ireland. Why, sir, I +think when this language reaches the people of Ireland--coming, too, as +it does from the Treasury, above all, from the Secretary of State for +the Home Department--there is indeed danger to be apprehended that such +a doctrine may be written in letters of blood in that country. Why, sir, +if we are to hear such language as this from that minister of the crown +charged with the peace of the country, we may just as well have Captain +Rock established as lord lieutenant in the castle of Dublin, a Whitefoot +for chief secretary, and Molly M'Guire installed at Whitehall with the +seals of the home department.' + +And afterwards he remarked, 'I have been taunted that when I may be +entrusted with the government of Ireland, I should perhaps then learn +that Tyrone was an Orange county. Sir, in answer to that taunt, I must +take leave to ask what expression of mine, either in this house or out +of it, justifies any such remark? When or where can it be said that I +have ever permitted myself to know any distinction between an Orangeman +and a Catholic; when, in the whole course of my parliamentary career, +have I ever given a vote or uttered a sentiment hostile or unfriendly to +the Roman Catholics, either of England or Ireland?' This speech, though +delivered generally in favour of the Irish bill, attracted very much +the attention, and, as it appeared afterwards, the approbation of those +Irish members, who, although sitting on the Liberal benches, did not +acknowledge the infallible authority of Mr. O'Connell, and was the +origin of a political connection between them and Lord George Bentinck, +which, on more than one subsequent occasion, promised to bring important +results. + +Two successive motions were now made for the adjournment of the debate, +and Sir Robert Peel at length said, that he 'saw it was useless to +persist.' He agreed to the adjournment until the next day, with the +understanding that if it did come on, he would name the time to which it +should be postponed after the holidays. + +Upon this, Sir William Somerville made one more appeal to the minister +to postpone the further discussion of the Irish bill altogether until +the Corn Bill had passed the Commons. He intimated that unless the +government at once adopted this resolution, they would find themselves +after Easter in the same perplexity which now paralyzed them. They would +not be permitted to bring on this measure except upon government nights, +and the discussion might then last weeks. + +The minister, exceedingly embarrassed, would not, however, relent. On +the following day, when he moved the adjournment of the House for the +holidays, he reduced the vacation three days, in order to obtain Friday, +a government night, which otherwise would have been absorbed in the +holidays, and he announced the determination of the government again +to proceed on that night with the Irish bill in preference to the Corn +Bill. The Irish members glanced defiance, and the Protectionists could +scarcely conceal their satisfaction. The reputation of Sir Robert +Peel for parliamentary management seemed to be vanishing; never was a +government in a more tottering state; and the Whigs especially began to +renew their laments that the Edinburgh letter and its consequences had +prevented the settlement of the corn question from devolving to the +natural arbitrator in the great controversy, their somewhat rash but +still unrivalled leader, Lord John Russell. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + _A Third Party_ + +THE members of the Protectionist opposition returned to their +constituents with the sanguine feelings which success naturally +inspires. Their efforts had surprised, not displeased, the country; +the elections were in their favour; the government business halted; the +delay in the calculated arrival of the famine had taken the edge off the +necessity which it was supposed would have already carried the Corn Bill +through the Commons; while the twin measure which the throes of Ireland +had engendered had developed elements of opposition which even the +calmest observer thought might possibly end in overthrow. Above all, +that seemed to have happened which the most experienced in parliamentary +life had always deemed to be impracticable; namely, the formation of a +third party in the House of Commons. + +How completely this latter and difficult result was owing to the +abilities and energies of one man, and how anomalous was the position +which he chose to occupy in not taking the formal lead of a party which +was entirely guided by his example, were convictions and considerations +that at this juncture much occupied men's minds. And it was resolved +among the most considerable of the country gentlemen to make some +earnest and well-combined effort, during the recess, to induce Lord +George Bentinck to waive the unwillingness he had so often expressed of +becoming their avowed and responsible leader. + +When Lord George Bentinck first threw himself into the breach, he was +influenced only by a feeling of indignation at the manner in which he +thought the Conservative party had been trifled with by the government +and Lord Stanley, his personal friend and political leader, deserted by +a majority of the cabinet. As affairs developed, and it became evident +that the bulk of the Conservative party throughout the country had +rallied round his standard, Lord George could not conceal from himself +the consequences of such an event, or believe that it was possible +that the party in the House of Commons, although Lord Stanley might +eventually think fit to guide it by his counsels, and become, if +necessary, personally responsible for its policy, could be long held +together unless it were conducted by a leader present in the same +assembly, and competent under all circumstances to represent its +opinions in debate. Lord George, although a very proud man, had no +vanity or self-conceit. He took a very humble view of his own powers, +and he had at the same time a very exalted one of those necessary to a +leader of the House of Commons. His illustrious connection, Mr. Canning, +was his standard. He had been the private secretary of that minister +in his youth, and the dazzling qualities of that eminent personage +had influenced the most susceptible time of life of one who was very +tenacious of his impressions. What Lord George Bentinck appreciated +most in a parliamentary speaker was brilliancy: quickness of perception, +promptness of repartee, clear and concise argument, a fresh and +felicitous quotation, wit and picture, and, if necessary, a passionate +appeal that should never pass the line of high-bred sentiment. Believing +himself not to be distinguished by these rhetorical qualities, he would +listen with no complacency to those who would urge in private that the +present period of parliamentary life was different from the days of Mr. +Canning, and that accumulated facts and well-digested reasoning on their +bearing, a command of all the materials of commercial controversy, and +a mastery of the laws that regulate the production and distribution of +public wealth, combined with habits of great diligence and application, +would ensure the attention of a popular assembly, especially when united +to a high character and great social position. This might be urged; +but he would only shake his head, with a ray of humour twinkling in his +piercing eyes, and say, in a half-drawling tone, 'If Mr. Canning were +alive, he could do all this better than any of them, and be not a whit +less brilliant.' + +There was also another reason why Lord George Bentinck was unwilling to +assume the post of leader of the Conservative party, and this very much +influenced him. Sprung from a great Whig house, and inheriting all the +principles and prejudices of that renowned political connection which +had expelled the Stuarts, he had accepted, in an unqualified sense, the +dogma of religious liberty. This principle was first introduced into +active politics in order to preserve the possessions of that portion +of the aristocracy which had established itself on the plunder of +the Church. It was to form the basis of a party which should prevent +reaction and restitution of church lands. Whether the principle be a +true one, and whether its unqualified application by any party in the +state be possible, are questions yet unsettled. It is not probable, for +example, that the worship of Juggernaut, which Lord Dalhousie permits +in Orissa, would be permitted even by Lord John Russell at Westminster. +Even a papist procession is forbidden, and wisely. The application of +the principle, however, in Lord George Bentinck's mind, was among other +things associated with the public recognition of the Roman Catholic +hierarchy by the state, and a provision for its maintenance in Ireland +in accordance with the plan of Mr. Pitt. What had happened, with respect +to the vote on the endowment of Maynooth in 1845, had convinced him that +his opinions on this subject presented an insuperable barrier to his +ever becoming the leader of a party which had contributed three-fourths +of the memorable minority on that occasion. It was in vain that it +was impressed upon him by those most renowned for their Protestant +principles, and who were at the same time most anxious to see Lord +George Bentinck in his right position, that the question of Maynooth was +settled, and there was now no prospect of future measures of a similar +character. This was not the opinion of Lord George Bentinck. He nursed +in his secret soul a great scheme for the regeneration and settlement +of Ireland, which he thought ought to be one of the mainstays of a +Conservative party; and it was his opinion that the condition of the +Roman Catholic priesthood must be considered. + +It was in vain, in order to assist in removing these scruples, that it +was represented to him by others that endowment of a priesthood by the +state was a notion somewhat old-fashioned, and opposed to the spirit +of the age which associated true religious freedom with the full +development of the voluntary principle. He listened to these suggestions +with distrust, and even with a little contempt. Mr. Canning had been in +favour of the endowment of the Irish priesthood--that was sufficient for +that particular; and as for the voluntary principle, he looked upon it +as priestcraft in disguise; his idea of religious liberty being that all +religions should be controlled by the state. + +Besides these two prominent objections to accepting the offered post, +namely, his unaffected distrust in his parliamentary abilities and his +assumed want of concordance with his followers on a great principle +of modern politics, we must also remember that his compliance with +the request involved no ordinary sacrifice of much which renders life +delightful. He was to relinquish pursuits of noble excitement to which +he was passionately attached, and to withdraw in a great degree from +a circle of high-spirited friends, many of them of different political +connection from himself, by whom he was adored. With all his unrivalled +powers of application when under the influence of a great impulse, he +was constitutionally indolent and even lethargic. There was nothing, +therefore, in his position or his temperature to prick him on in '46; +it was nothing but his strong will acting upon his indignation which +sustained him. It is not, therefore, marvellous that he exhibited great +reluctance to commit irretrievably his future life. At a subsequent +period, indignation had become ambition, and circumstances of various +kinds had made him resolve to succeed or die. + +On the adjournment, Lord George had gone down to Newmarket, which he +greatly enjoyed after his exhausting campaign. Here some letters on the +subject of the leadership passed, but nothing was definitely arranged +till some time after the re-assembling of Parliament. For convenience +we mention here the result. The wish of the party was repeatedly +and personally urged by the popular and much-esteemed member for +Dorsetshire, and at last Lord George consented to their wishes, on these +conditions: that he should relinquish his post the moment the right man +was discovered, who, according to his theory, would ultimately turn up; +and secondly, that his responsible post was not to restrict or embarrass +him on any questions in which a religious principle was involved. + +Before, however, this negotiation was concluded, and while yet at +Newmarket, he wrote to a friend, the day before the House met (April +16th). + +'I think there is no doubt, but that the Irish will take care of Friday +(to-morrow) night. I have not much hope of their keeping up the debate +beyond Friday. + +'It is quite clear from O'Connell's language at Dublin that we have no +hope from the Irish tail. + +'I still think myself, that delay affords a great chance of something +turning up in our favour; already the rejection of any reciprocity by +M. Guizot has provided us with a grand weapon, which, I trust, you drive +well home into * * * *'s vitals; a very short delay would probably bring +over similar intelligence from the United States and their Congress. +I trust we shall have an important deputation over from Canada, +representing that the inevitable results of these free-trade measures +in corn and timber will be to alienate the feelings of our Canadian +colonists, and to induce them to follow their sordid interests, which +will now, undoubtedly, be best consulted and most promoted by annexation +to the United States. + +'Lord------'s intended tergiversation has been, I believe, some time +known; he admits that all farmers without capital, in short, all little +men, must be sacrificed. What a barbarous and odious policy, that +goes upon the principle that none but capitalists are henceforth to +be allowed to live, as farmers at least. We must turn the tables upon +Lord------and all such heartless doctrinaires! + +'I fear the majority in the Lords will be greater than was expected; +I am told that we must endeavour to put ministers in a minority two or +three times before the bill gets to its second reading in the Lords, +no matter upon what question. I hear there are many peers whose votes +depend entirely upon their notions, whether or not Peel can, by hook or +by crook, carry on.' + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + _Railroads for Ireland_ + +IF WE take a general view of the career of Lord George Bentinck during +the last year--from the time indeed when he was trying to find a lawyer +to convey his convictions to the House of Commons until the moment when +her Majesty prorogued her Parliament, the results will be found to be +very remarkable. So much was never done so unexpectedly by any public +man in the same space of time. He had rallied a great party which seemed +hopelessly routed; he had established a parliamentary discipline, +in their ranks which old political connections, led by experienced +statesmen, have seldom surpassed; he had brought forward from those +ranks, entirely through his discrimination and by his personal +encouragement, considerable talents in debate; he had himself proved a +master in detail and in argument of all the great questions arising +out of the reconstruction of our commercial system; he had made a +vindication of the results of the Protective principle as applied to +agriculture, which certainly, so far as the materials are concerned, is +the most efficient plea that ever was urged in the House of Commons +in favour of the abrogated law; he had exhibited similar instances of +investigation in considerable statements with respect to the silk trade +and other branches of our industry; he had asserted the claims of the +productive classes in Ireland, and in our timber and sugar producing +colonies, with the effect which results from a thorough acquaintance +with a subject; he had promulgated distinct principles with regard to +our financial as well as to our commercial system; he had maintained +the expediency cf relieving the consumer by the repeal of excise in +preference to customs' duties, and of establishing fiscal reciprocity as +a condition of mercantile exchange. On subjects of a more occasional +but analogous nature he had shown promptitude and knowledge, as in the +instances of the urgent condition of Mexico and of our carrying trade +with the Spanish colonies, both of which he brought forward in the last +hours of the session, but the importance of which motions was recognized +by all parties. Finally, he had attracted the notice, and in many +instances obtained the confidence, of large bodies of men in the +country, who recognized in him a great capacity of labour combined with +firmness of character and honesty of purpose. + +At the close of the session (August 28), Cord George visited Norfolk, +where he received an entertainment from his constituents at King's Lynn, +proud of their member, and to whom he vindicated the course which he had +taken, and offered his views generally as to the relations which should +subsist between the legislation of the country and its industry. +From Norfolk he repaired to Belvoir Castle, on a visit to the Duke of +Rutland, and was present at a banquet given by the agriculturists of +Leicestershire to his friend and supporter the Marquis of Granby. After +this he returned to Welbeck, where he seems to have enjoyed a little +repose. Thus he writes to a friend from that place on the 22nd +September: + +'Thanks for your advice, which I am following, having got Lord +Malmesbury's Diary; but I am relapsing into my natural dawdling, lazy, +and somnolent habits, and can with difficulty get through the leaders +even of the "Times." + +* * * * 'The vehemence of the farmers is personal against Peel; it is +quite clear that the rising price of wheat has cured their alarm. The +railway expenditure must keep up prices and prosperity, both of which +would have been far greater without free trade; but in face of high +prices, railway prosperity, and potato famine, depend upon it we shall +have an uphill game to fight. + +'O'Connell talks of Parliament meeting in November, to mend the Irish +Labour-rate Act. Do you believe this?' + +The Labour-rate Act, passed at the end of the session ('46), was one by +which the Lord Lieutenant was enabled to require special barony +sessions to meet in order to make presentments for public works for the +employment of the people, the whole of the money requisite for their +construction to be supplied by the imperial treasury, though to +be afterwards repaid. The machinery of this act did not work +satisfactorily, but the government ultimately made the necessary +alterations on their own responsibility, and obtained an indemnity from +Parliament when it met in '47. The early session, therefore, talked +of by Mr. O'Connell, became unnecessary. As the only object of this +Labour-rate Act was to employ the people, and as it was supposed there +were no public works of a reproductive nature which could be undertaken +on a sufficient scale to ensure that employment, the Irish people were +occupied, towards the end of the autumn of '46, mainly in making roads, +which, as afterwards described by the first minister, 'were not wanted.' +In the month of September more than thirty thousand persons were thus +employed; but when the harvest was over, and it was ascertained that its +terrible deficiency had converted pauperism into famine, the numbers +on the public works became greatly increased, so that at the end of +November the amount of persons engaged was four hundred thousand, +receiving wages at the rate of nearly five millions sterling per annum. +These immense amounts went on increasing every week, and when Parliament +met in February, 1847, five hundred thousand persons were employed on +these public works, which could bring no possible public advantage, at +an expense to the country of between L700,000 and L800,000 per month. +No Board of Works could efficiently superintend such a multitude, or +prevent flagrant imposition, though the dimensions of that +department appeared almost proportionably to have expanded. What +with commissioners, chief clerks, check clerks, and pay clerks, the +establishment of the Board of Works in Ireland, at the end of '46, +consisted of more than eleven thousand persons. + +Always intent upon Ireland, this condition of affairs early and +earnestly attracted the attention of Lord George Bentinck. So vast an +expenditure in unproductive labour dismayed him. He would not +easily assent to the conclusion that profitable enterprise under the +circumstances was impossible. Such a conclusion seemed to him unnatural, +and that an occasion where we commenced with despair justified a bold +and venturesome course. The field is legitimately open to speculation +where all agree that all is hopeless. The construction of harbours, the +development of fisheries, the redemption of waste lands, were resources +which had been often canvassed, and whatever their recommendations, with +the exception of the last, they were necessarily very limited; and the +last, though it might afford prompt, could hardly secure profitable, +employment. Prompt and profitable employment was the object which Lord +George wished to accomplish. Where millions were to be expended by the +state, something more advantageous to the community should accrue than +the temporary subsistence of the multitude. + +Lord George had always been a great supporter of railway enterprise in +England, on the ground that, irrespective of all the peculiar advantages +of those undertakings, the money was spent in the country; and that if +our surplus capital were not directed to such channels, it would go, as +it had gone before, to foreign mines and foreign loans, from which in a +great degree no return would arrive. When millions were avowedly to be +laid out in useless and unprofitable undertakings, it became a question +whether it were not wiser even somewhat to anticipate the time when the +necessities of Ireland would require railways on a considerable scale; +and whether by embarking in such enterprises, we might not only find +prompt and profitable employment for the people, but by giving a new +character to the country and increasing its social relations and the +combinations of its industry, might not greatly advance the period when +such modes of communication would be absolutely requisite. + +Full of these views, Lord George, in the course of the autumn, consulted +in confidence some gentlemen very competent to assist him in such an +inquiry, and especially Mr. Robert Stephenson, Mr. Hudson, and Mr. +Laing. With their advice and at their suggestion, two engineers of +great ability, Mr. Bidder and Mr. Smith, were despatched to Ireland, +personally to investigate the whole question of railroads in that +country. + +Meditating over the condition of Ireland, a subject very frequently +in his thoughts, and of the means to combat its vast and inveterate +pauperism, Lord George was frequently in the habit of reverting to +the years '41-42 in England, when there were fifteen hundred thousand +persons on the parish rates; eighty-three thousand able-bodied men, +actually confined within the walls of the workhouse, and more than four +hundred thousand able-bodied men receiving out-door relief. What changed +all this and restored England in a very brief space to a condition +of affluence hardly before known in her annals? Not certainly the +alterations in the tariff which were made by Sir Robert Peel at the +commencement of his government, prudent and salutary as they were. No +one would pretend that the abolition of the slight duty (five-sixteenths +of a penny) on the raw material of the cotton manufacturer, or the free +introduction of some twenty-seven thousand head of foreign cattle, +or even the admission of foreign timber at reduced duties, could have +effected this. Unquestionably it was the railway enterprise which +then began to prevail that was the cause of this national renovation. +Suddenly, and for several years, an additional sum of thirteen millions +of pounds sterling a year was spent in the wages of our native industry; +two hundred thousand able-bodied labourers received each upon an average +twenty-two shillings a week, stimulating the revenue both in excise and +customs by their enormous consumption of malt and spirits, tobacco and +tea. This was the main cause of the contrast between the England of '41 +and the England of '45. + +Was there any reason why a proportionate application of the same remedy +to Ireland should not proportionately produce a similar result? Was +there anything wild or unauthorized in the suggestion? On the contrary: +ten years before (1836), the subject had engaged the attention of her +Majesty's government, and a royal commission had been issued to inquire +into the expediency of establishing railway communication in Ireland. +The commissioners, men of great eminence, recommended that a system +of railways should be established in Ireland, and by the pecuniary +assistance of government. They rested their recommendation mainly on the +abundant evidence existing of the vast benefits which easy communication +had accomplished in Ireland, and of the complete success which had +attended every Parliamentary grant for improving roads in that country. + +The weakness of the government, arising from the balanced state of +parties, rendered it impossible at that time for them to prosecute the +measures recommended by the royal commissioners, though they made an +ineffectual attempt in that direction. Could it be suspected that the +recommendation of the commissioners had been biassed by any political +consideration? Was it a Whig commission attempting to fulfil a Whig +object? Another commission, more memorable, at the head of which was the +Earl of Devon, was appointed by a Tory government some years afterwards, +virtually to consider the condition of the people of Ireland, and the +best means for their amelioration. The report of the Devon commission +confirmed all the recommendations of the railway commissioners of '36, +and pointed to these new methods of communication, by the assistance of +loans from the government, as the best means of providing employment for +the people. + +When Mr. Smith of Deanston was examined by a Parliamentary committee, +and asked what measure of all others would be the one most calculated to +improve the agriculture and condition of Ireland, he did not reply, as +some might have anticipated, that the most efficient measure would be +to drain the bogs; but his answer was, 'advance the construction of +railways, and then agricultural improvement will speedily follow.' + +To illustrate the value of railways to an agricultural population, Mr. +Smith, of Deanston, said, 'that the improvement of the land for one mile +only on each side of the railway so constructed would be so great, that +it would pay the cost of the whole construction.' He added, that there +were few districts' in Ireland, in which railway communication could +be introduced, where the value of the country through which the railway +passed would not be raised to an extent equal to the whole cost of the +railway. + +Arguing on an area of six hundred and forty acres for every square mile, +after deducting the land occupied by fences, roads, and buildings, Mr. +Smith, of Deanston, entered into a calculation of the gain deliverable +from the mere carriage of the produce of the land, and the back carriage +of manure, coals, tiles, bricks, and other materials, and estimated the +saving through those means on every square mile to more than L300, or +something above L600 on 1,280 acres abutting each mile of railway, +this being the difference of the cost of carriage under the old mode of +conveyance as compared with the new. Following up this calculation, +he showed that fifteen hundred miles of railway would improve the land +through which it passed to the extent of nearly two million acres at the +rate of a mile on each side; and, taken at twenty-five years' purchase, +would equal twenty-four millions sterling in the permanent improvement +of the land. + +The ground, therefore, was sound on which Lord George cautiously, and +after due reflection, ventured to place his foot. + +And now, after the reports of these two royal commissions, what was the +state of railway enterprise in Ireland in the autumn of '46, when a vast +multitude could only subsist by being employed by the government, and +when the government had avowedly no reproductive or even useful work +whereon to place them; but allotted them to operations which were +described by Colonel Douglas, the inspector of the government himself, +'as works which would answer no other purpose than that of obstructing +the public conveyances?' + +In '46, acts of Parliament were in existence authorizing the +construction of more than fifteen hundred miles of railway in Ireland, +and some of these acts had passed so long as eleven years previously, +yet at the end of '46 only one hundred and twenty-three miles of railway +had been completed, and only one hundred and sixty-four were in the +course of completion, though arrested in their progress from want of +funds. Almost in the same period, two thousand six hundred miles of +railway had been completed in England, and acts of Parliament had passed +for constructing five thousand four hundred miles in addition: in the +whole, eight thousand miles. + +What then was the reason of this debility in Ireland in prosecuting +these undertakings? Were they really not required; were the elements +of success wanting? The first element of success in railway enterprise, +according to the highest authorities, is population; property is only +the second consideration. Now, Ireland in '46 was more densely inhabited +than England. A want of population could not therefore be the cause. +But a population so impoverished as the Irish could not perhaps avail +themselves of the means of locomotion; and yet it appeared from research +that the rate of passengers on the two Irish railways that were open +greatly exceeded in number that of the passengers upon English and +Scotch railways. The average number of passengers on English and Scotch +railways was not twelve thousand per mile per annum, while on the Ulster +railway the number was nearly twenty-two thousand, and on the Dublin and +Drogheda line the number exceeded eighteen thousand. + +The cause of the weakness in Ireland to prosecute these undertakings +was the total want of domestic capital for the purpose, and the +unwillingness of English capitalists to embark their funds in a country +whose social and political condition they viewed with distrust, however +promising and even profitable the investment might otherwise appear. +This was remarkably illustrated by the instance of the Great Southern +and Western Railway of Ireland, one of the undertakings of which the +completion was arrested by want of funds, yet partially open. Compared +with a well-known railway in Great Britain, the Irish railway had cost +in its construction L15,000 per mile, and the British upwards of L26,000 +per mile; the weekly traffic on the two railways, allowing for some +difference in their extent, was about the same on both, in amount +varying from L1,000 to L1,300 per week; yet the unfinished British +railway was at L40 premium in the market, and the incomplete Irish +railway at L2 discount. It was clear, therefore, that the commercial +principle, omnipotent in England, was not competent to cope with the +peculiar circumstances of Ireland. + +Brooding over the suggestions afforded by the details which we have +slightly indicated, Lord George Bentinck, taking into consideration +not merely the advantage that would accrue to the country from the +establishment of a system of railroads, but also remembering the +peculiar circumstances of the times, the absolute necessity of employing +the people, and the inevitable advance of public money for that purpose, +framed a scheme with reference to all these considerations, and which +he believed would meet all the conditions of the case. He spared no +thought, or time, or labour, for his purpose. He availed himself of the +advice of the most experienced, and prosecuted his researches ardently +and thoroughly. When he had matured his scheme, he had it thrown into +the form of a parliamentary bill by the ablest hands, and then submitted +the whole to the judgment and criticism of those who shared his +confidence and counsels. Towards the end of November he was at Knowsley, +from whence he communicated with the writer of these pages. 'I am here +hatching secret plans for the next session; and now, if you have not +quite abjured politics, as you threatened for the next three months to +do, devoting yourself to poetry and romance, I think I ought to have a +quiet day with you, in order that we may hold council together and talk +over all our policy. I shall be at Harcourt House on the 30th. I shall +stay there till the 3rd of December, for a meeting on that day of the +Norfolk Estuary Company, of which I am chairman. Would that evening +suit you--or Friday--or Wednesday? I am not well acquainted with the +geography of Buckinghamshire, but presume you are accessible either by +rail or road in less than twelve hours. + +'The activity in the dockyard must be in preparation to interfere in +Portugal, to keep King Leopold upon the Portuguese throne: it cannot be +for Mexico, for our friend the "Times" formally abandoned Mexico in his +leader some days ago. + +'* * * * has been entertaining Lord * * * * in Ireland, and writes: "How +Peel must chuckle at the Whig difficulties." I dare say he does, but +in Ireland it seems to me Lord Besborough is putting the fate Irish +government to shame, whilst the rupture of the _entente cordiale_, the +conquest of California and New Mexico, and the complications in the +river Plata,--are complete inheritances from Lord Aberdeen. + +'Eaton has come to life again: else there was a prospect of George +Manners quietly succeeding him in Cambridgeshire. I fear we shall do no +good in Lincolnshire, notwithstanding the industry of our dear friend +the "Morning Post," in getting hold of Lord Ebrington's and Lord Rich's +letters to Lord Yarborough. I suppose there is no mistake in Lord +Dalhousie ("the large trout") going out to Bombay with the reversion of +Bengal. + +'The duchy of Lancaster is to be put in commission, Lord * * * * to +be one of the commissioners, _but unpaid_. He has begun, I presume, to +overcome the false delicacy which prevented his acceptance of office +under the Whigs in July. S * * * * thought G * * * * was to be another +of the Board, but that turns out a mistake, but Lord H * * * * is to be. + +'The manufacturers are working short time, and reducing wages in +all directions, John Bright and Sons at Rochdale among the rest. The +Zollverein increasing their import duties on cotton and linen yarn, and +putting export duties of 25 per cent. (some of the states at least) on +grain.' + +We must not omit to record, that in the autumn of this year, at Goodwood +races, the sporting world was astounded by hearing that Lord George +Bentinck had parted with his racing stud at an almost nominal price. +Lord George was present, as was his custom, at this meeting, held in the +demesne of one who was among his dearest friends. Lord George was not +only present but apparently absorbed in the sport, and his horses +were very successful. The world has hardly done justice to the great +sacrifice which he made on this occasion to a high sense of duty. He not +only parted with the finest racing stud in England, but he parted with +it at a moment when its prospects were never so brilliant; and he knew +this well. We may have hereafter to notice on this head an interesting +passage in his life. + +He could scarcely have quitted the turf that day without a pang. He had +become the lord paramount of that strange world, so difficult to sway, +and which requires for its government both a stern resolve and a courtly +breeding. He had them both; and though the blackleg might quail before +the awful scrutiny of his piercing eye, there never was a man so +scrupulously polite to his inferiors as Lord George Bentinck. The +turf, too, was not merely the scene of the triumphs of his stud and +his betting-book. He had purified its practice and had elevated its +character, and he was prouder of this achievement than of any other +connected with his sporting life. Notwithstanding his mighty stakes and +the keenness with which he backed his opinion, no one perhaps ever cared +less for money. His habits were severely simple, and he was the most +generous of men. He valued the acquisition of money on the turf, because +there it was the test of success. He counted his thousands after a great +race as a victorious general counts his cannon and his prisoners. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + _The Versatility of Lord George Bentinck_ + +THOSE who throw their eye over the debates of the session of '47, +cannot fail to be struck by the variety of important questions in the +discussion of which Lord George Bentinck took a leading or prominent +part. And it must be borne in mind that he never offered his opinion on +any subject which he had not diligently investigated and attempted +to comprehend in all its bearings. His opponents might object to his +principles or challenge his conclusions, but no one could deny that +his conclusions were drawn from extensive information and that his +principles were clear and distinct. He spared no pains to acquire by +reading, correspondence, and personal research, the most authentic +intelligence on every subject in debate. He never chattered. He never +uttered a sentence in the House of Commons which did not convey a +conviction or a fact. He was too profuse indeed with his facts: he had +not the art of condensation. But those who have occasion to refer to his +speeches and calmly to examine them, will be struck by the amplitude +and the freshness of his knowledge, the clearness of his views, the +coherence in all his efforts, and often--a point for which he never had +sufficient credit--by his graphic idiom. + +The best speech on the affairs of Cracow, for example, the most +vigorous and the best informed, touching all the points with a thorough +acquaintance, was that of Lord George Bentinck. The discussion on +Cracow, which lasted several nights and followed very shortly after +the defeat of his Irish bill, appeared to relate to a class of subjects +which would not have engaged his attention; but on the contrary, he had +given days and nights to this theme, had critically examined all the +documents, and conferred with those qualified to supply him with any +supplementary information requisite. He spoke several times this session +on questions connected with our foreign affairs, and always impressed +the House with a conviction that he was addressing it after a due study +of his subject: as for example, his speech against our interference in +Portugal, and the statement in which he brought forward the claims of +the holders of Spanish bonds on the government of Spain before the House +of Commons. In the instance of Portugal, a motion of censure on +the conduct of ministers had been introduced by Mr. Hume, and the +government were only saved from a minority by the friendly interposition +of Mr. Duncombe, who proposed an amendment to the motion of Mr. Hume +which broke the line of the liberal force. Lord George Bentinck in this +case followed Mr. Macaulay, whose speech, as was his wont, had been rich +in historical illustration. 'The right honourable and learned member for +Edinburgh,' Lord George replied, 'had entered into a very interesting +history of various interferences which had taken place in the affairs +of Portugal; but in making that statement he forgot to mention one +circumstance which had occurred in that history, and it was this + +--that when Philip II. of Spain sought to conquer Portugal, the method +he had recourse to for that purpose was one which he thought her +Majesty's ministers had successfully practised on the present occasion + +--he persuaded the leaders in Portugal to mix sand with the powder of +their troops. And so, on this occasion, her Majesty's ministers had +prevailed on the member for Finsbury, and those other members who were +so ready to profess a love of liberty, to mix sand with their powder.' + +In a previous chapter we have treated at some length of the means +proposed or adopted by the Parliament for the sustenance and relief +of the people of Ireland. The new poor law for that country also much +engaged the attention of both Houses this session. Lord George Bentinck +took a very active part in these transactions, and moved the most +important of all the amendments to the government measure, namely, an +attempt to assimilate the poor law of Ireland as much as possible to +that of England, and make the entire rates be paid by the occupying +tenant. His object, he said, was to 'prevent lavish expenditure and +encourage profitable employment to the people.' This amendment was only +lost by a majority of four. + +On the 26th of March, on the government bringing forward their bill on +the rum duties, Lord George Bentinck brought before the House the +case of the British and Irish distillers, not with any preference +or partiality towards English, Scotch, or Irish distillers over the +colonial producer. 'I am no advocate of any monopoly whatever. I desire +only equal and exact justice between both parties; and the only way in +which that end can, in my opinion, be properly attained, is in a select +committee upstairs, consisting of impartial members of this house.' + +He often used to say that no subject ever gave him more trouble +thoroughly to master than the spirit duties; and he noticed the +character of the theme at the beginning of his speech. He said he +required, not only the most especial indulgence, but even the toleration +of the House, 'for of all the dry and dull subjects which could possibly +be introduced, the question which it is now my misfortune to bring under +the consideration of the House is the driest and the dullest. If this +question had been one merely of pounds, shillings, and pence, it would +have been dull and complicated enough; but this is a question in which +are concerned not pounds and shillings, but pence, and halfpence, and +farthings.' + +The Whitsuntide holidays occurred at the end of May. It had originally +been the intention of Lord George Bentinck, at the request of leading +merchants and manufacturers of all parties and opinions, to have brought +forward the question of the Bank Act after these holidays, and to move a +resolution that some discretionary power should be established as to the +issue of notes. He thus alludes to this point in a letter to Mr. Wright, +of the 24th of May:-- + +'I return you No. 1019, of the "Bankers' Circular," with many thanks. + +'This delightful and timely change in the weather will do wonders for +the country, and by producing an abundant and seasonable harvest, will +save the country, and _may save the Bank Charter Act_; but it is pretty +well settled that I am to give notice immediately after the holidays, +of a resolution very much in the spirit of the memorial contained in the +paper I am returning to you. + +'Things are better in the City and at Liverpool, and with this weather +will continue to improve; but it seems to me any reverse in the weather, +such as would occasion a late and deficient harvest, could not fail to +bring the commerce of the country to a dead lock. + +'The opinion is gaining ground, that in the present state not only +of Ireland, but of many districts in England, the government will not +venture upon a general election till after the harvest, and not then, +unless the harvest should prove favourable. + +'I am glad to read your opinion in opposition to Lord Ashburton's, that +railways keep the gold in the country, and do not send it out. Glyn gave +strong evidence last year to this effect before the railway committee.' + +Neither of the prospects in this letter was realised. The commercial and +manufacturing interest, after the Whitsun recess, thought it advisable +for reasons of great weight that Lord George Bentinck should postpone +for a month or six weeks his intended motion on the Bank Charter, and +the ministers resolved to dissolve Parliament before the harvest: thus +it happened that the merchants and manufacturers lost their chance of +relief from the yoke, and experienced the reign of terror in the autumn, +the terrible events of which ultimately occasioned the assembling of the +new Parliament in November. + +Anticipating the immediate dissolution of Parliament, Sir Robert Peel +had issued an address to the electors of Tamworth, justifying his +commercial policy. In the opinion of Lord George Bentinck it set forth +a statement as to the effect and operation of those financial measures +which had taken place in the course of the last six years, which, if +left altogether unrefuted, might have a dangerous tendency at the +coming elections. The general effect of that statement was, that by the +reduction of duties to a large extent, it was possible to relieve the +people of this country of burdens amounting to more than seven millions +and a half sterling with little or no loss whatever to the revenue. But +the truth was, Sir Robert Peel in his reductions had dealt only with +little more than ten millions sterling of the revenue of the country, +and had left the remaining thirty-seven millions untouched. Now on +that portion of the revenue with which alone he had dealt, there was +a deficiency, through his changes, to the amount of five millions +sterling, which loss was compensated by the increase on those very +articles which Sir Robert had left untouched. It was the opinion of Lord +George Bentinck that the conclusion which Sir Robert Peel had drawn +from the comparatively barren results of the increased duties on imports +carried by the Whigs in 1840, viz., that indirect taxation had reached +its limit, and which was indeed the basis of his new system, was a +fallacy, and that the anticipated increase of import duties had not +accrued in 1840 in consequence of our having had three successive bad +harvests, 'and a bad cotton crop to boot,' all of which had checked the +consuming power of the community. Sir Robert Peel had been favoured by +three successive good harvests and nearly L100,000,000 invested in six +years in domestic enterprise. 'The interposition of Providence,' said +Lord George, 'is never a part of our debates.' + +Under these circumstances, Lord George took occasion to review the +commercial policy of Sir Robert Peel, on the 20th July, in the House of +Commons, only three days before the prorogation, and in one of his most +successful speeches. He was much assisted by the fact that the exports +of all our staple manufactures had then greatly diminished, and of +course he urged this point triumphantly. 'If we had been indemnified for +the dead loss of L650,000 on cotton wool by any great impulse given +to our manufacturers, it would be a consolation which unfortunately we +could not enjoy.' He traced all the consumption to railway enterprise, +and showed that it alone had compensated for the fruitless loss of +revenue which we had incurred in vainly stimulating the exports of our +manufactures, which had actually diminished. He was so impressed with +the importance that, 'on the eve of a dissolution, such a statement +as that of Sir Robert Peel should not go forth to the country +uncontroverted, as in that case the necessary result would be that +the people would come to the opinion that they might abolish taxes +altogether and yet maintain the revenue,' that he sat up all night +writing an address to his constituents, the electors of King's Lynn, +which took up nearly two columns of the newspapers, in which he +presented his refutation to the public of the commercial manifesto of +Tamworth, illustrated by the necessary tables and documents. + +There is a sentence in this speech which, as a distinct expression of +policy, should perhaps be quoted: + +'Sir, I am one of those who seek for the repeal of the malt tax and the +hop duties. I am one of those who think that the excise duties ought to +be taken off. But, sir, I do not pretend that you can repeal the malt +tax or the hop duties, or remove the soap tax without commutation for +other taxes. I will not delude the people by pretending that I could +take off more than seven millions and a half of taxes without replacing +them by others, and not leave the nation bankrupt. But I think these +reforms of Sir Robert Peel have been in a mistaken direction; I think +that revenue duties on all foreign imports ought to be maintained, and +that a revenue equal to those excise duties which I have mentioned can +be levied upon the produce of foreign countries and foreign industry, +without imposing any greater tax than one which shall fall far short of +Mr. Walker's "perfect revenue standard of 20 per cent." I say that by +imposing a tax far less than 20 per cent. upon all articles of foreign +import, a revenue might be derived far less burdensome to this country +than that of excise, a revenue of which the burden would be largely +shared in by foreign countries, and in many cases paid altogether by +foreign countries.' + +Lord George at this time watched with great interest a novel feature +in our commercial transactions. He wrote on the 29th May (1847), to Mr. +Burn, the editor of the 'Commercial Glance,' and an individual of whose +intelligence, accuracy, and zeal he had a high and just opinion, 'Can +you inform me how the raw cotton purchased for exportation stands in +the first three weeks of the present month of May, as compared with the +corresponding periods of '46--5--4--3? + +'I observe from a cotton circular sent to me the other day, that seven +thousand five hundred bags of cotton had been purchased for exportation +between the 1st and 21st of May. If with reduced stocks of raw cotton +we are commencing a career of increased exportation, it appears to me to +involve very serious consequences for our cotton manufactures as growing +out of the existing monetary difficulties of the manufacturers. + +'If you could answer me these queries within the next three or four +days, I should feel greatly obliged to you.' + +Again, on the 22d of July, on the point of going down to his +constituents, he was still pursuing his inquiries in the same quarter.' +I want particularly to compare,' he says to Mr. Burn, 'the export of the +last ten weeks of raw cotton with the corresponding ten weeks of '46 +and '45, and at the same time to compare the importations and deliveries +into the hands of the manufacturers during these same periods. + +'Pray address me, Lynn, Norfolk, where I go on Saturday, and shall +remain till after my election on Thursday.' + +He writes again from Lynn, with great thanks for the information which +had been accordingly forwarded to him there. 'Might I ask you to give me +an account of the cotton wool imported weekly into Liverpool, and also +the quantity sold to dealers, exporters, and speculators, in the three +corresponding weeks of '45-46. + +'This information by return of post would greatly oblige me.' + +On the 23d of July, 1847, the last day of the second Parliament of Queen +Victoria, Lord George went down to the House of Commons early, and took +the opportunity of making a statement respecting the condition of our +sugar-producing colonies, which were now experiencing the consequences +of the unjustifiable legislation of the preceding year. He said there +were appearances in the political horizon which betokened that he should +not be able to obtain a select committee in the present session, and +therefore, if he had the honour of a seat in the next Parliament, he +begged to announce that he would take the earliest occasion to move for +a committee to inquire into the present power of our colonies to compete +with those countries which have still the advantage of the enforced +labour of slaves. The returns just laid upon the table of the House +could leave no doubt, he thought, on any man's mind on that point. Since +the emancipation, the produce of sugar by the colonies, from '31 to '46, +had been reduced one half, and of rum and coffee had been reduced to one +fourth. When the act of last year which admitted slave-grown sugar was +introduced, the allegation of the English colonies, that they could +not compete with the labour of slaves, was denied. The proof of that +allegation was, that they were already overwhelmed. + +When one recalls all to which this speech led, the most memorable effort +of that ardent, energetic life to which it was perhaps fatal, one can +scarcely observe the origin of such vast exertions without emotion. + +The Under Secretary of State replied to Lord George, making a cry of +cheap sugar for the hustings which were before everybody's eyes, but +making also this remarkable declaration, that 'the Island of Mauritius +was in a state of the greatest prosperity.' While Lord George was +speaking, the cannon were heard that announced the departure of her +majesty from the palace. + +Then followed a motion of Mr. Bankes about the sale of bread, which led +to some discussion. Mr. Bankes threatened a division. Lord Palmerston, +who on this occasion was leading the House, said it would be acting like +a set of schoolboys, if when Black Rod appeared they should be in the +lobby instead of attending the Speaker to the other House. But as the +members seemed very much inclined to act like schoolboys, the Secretary +of State had to speak against time on the subject of baking. He analyzed +the petition, which he said he would not read through, but the last +paragraph was of great importance. + +At these words, Black Rod knocked at the door, and duly making his +appearance, summoned the House to attend the Queen in the House of +Lords, and Mr. Speaker, followed by a crowd of members, duly obeyed the +summons. + +In about a quarter of an hour, Mr. Speaker returned without the mace, +and standing at the table read her Majesty's speech to the members +around, after which they retired, the Parliament being prorogued. In the +course of the afternoon, the Parliament was dissolved by proclamation. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + _The Great Panic_ + +THE general election of 1847 did not materially alter the position of +parties in the House of Commons. The high prices of agricultural produce +which then prevailed naturally rendered the agricultural interest +apathetic, and although the rural constituencies, from a feeling of +esteem, again returned those members who had been faithful to the +protective principle, the farmers did not exert themselves to increase +the number of their supporters. The necessity of doing so was earnestly +impressed upon them by Lord George Bentinck, who warned them then that +the pinching hour was inevitable; but the caution was disregarded, and +many of those individuals who are now the loudest in their imprecations +on the memory of Sir Robert Peel, and who are the least content with the +temperate course which is now recommended to them by those who have the +extremely difficult office of upholding their interests in the House of +Commons, entirely kept aloof, or would smile when they were asked for +their support with sarcastic self-complacency, saying, 'Well, Sir, do +you think after all that free trade has done us so much harm?' Perhaps +they think now, that if they had taken the advice of Lord George +Bentinck and exerted themselves to return a majority to the House of +Commons, it would have profited them more than useless execrations and +barren discontent. But it is observable, that no individuals now grumble +so much as the farmers who voted for free trader in 1847, unless indeed +it be the shipowners, every one of whom for years, both in and out of +Parliament, supported the repeal of the corn laws. + +The Protectionists maintained their numbers, though they did not +increase them, in the new Parliament. Lord George Bentinck however +gained an invaluable coadjutor by the re-appearance of Mr. Herries +in public life, a gentleman whose official as well as parliamentary +experience, fine judgment, and fertile resource, have been of +inestimable service to the Protectionist party. The political connection +which gained most were the Whigs; they were much more numerous and +compact, but it was in a great measure at the expense of the general +liberal element, and partly at the cost of the following of Sir Robert +Peel. The triumphant Conservative majority of 1841 had disappeared; +but the government, with all shades of supporters, had not an absolute +majority. + +Had the general election been postponed until the autumn, the results +might have been very different. That storm--which had been long +gathering in the commercial atmosphere--then burst like a typhoon. The +annals of our trade afford no parallel for the widespread disaster and +the terrible calamities. In the month of September, fifteen of the most +considerable houses in the city of London stopped payment for between +five and six millions sterling. The governor of the Bank of England +was himself a partner in one of these firms; a gentleman who had lately +filled that office, was another victim; two other Bank directors were +included in the list. The failures were not limited to the metropolis, +but were accompanied by others of great extent in the provinces. At +Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow large firms were obliged to suspend +payments. This shock of credit arrested all the usual accommodation, +and the pressure in the money-market, so terrible in the spring, was +revived. The excitement and the alarm in the city of London were so +great that when the Chancellor of the Exchequer hurried up to town on +the 1st of October, he found that the interest of money was at the rate +of 60 per cent. per annum. The Bank Charter produced the same injurious +effect as it had done in April; it aggravated the evil by forcing men +to hoard. In vain the commercial world deplored the refusal of the +government to comply with the suggestion made by Lord George Bentinck +and Mr. Thomas Baring in the spring; in vain they entreated them at +least now to adopt it, and to authorize the Bank of England to enlarge +the amount of their discounts and advances on approved security, without +reference to the stringent clause of the charter. The government, +acting, it is believed, with the encouragement and sanction of Sir +Robert Peel, were obstinate, and three weeks then occurred during +which the commercial credit of this country was threatened with total +destruction. Nine more considerable mercantile houses stopped payment +in the metropolis, the disasters in the provinces were still more +extensive. The Royal Bank of Liverpool failed; among several principal +establishments in that town, one alone stopped payment for upwards of a +million sterling. The havoc at Manchester was also great. The Newcastle +bank and the North and South Wales bank stopped. Consols fell to 79 1/4, +and exchequer bills were at last at 35 per cent, discount. The ordinary +rate of discount at the Bank of England was between 8 and 9 per cent., +but out of doors accommodation was not to be obtained. In such a state +of affairs, the small houses of course gave way. From their rising in +the morning until their hour of retirement at night, the First Lord of +the Treasury and the Chancellor of the Exchequer were employed in +seeing persons of all descriptions, who entreated them to interfere and +preserve the community from universal bankruptcy. 'Perish the world, +sooner than violate a principle,' was the philosophical exclamation of +her Majesty's ministers, sustained by the sympathy and the sanction of +Sir Robert Peel. At last, the governor and the deputy-governor of the +Bank of England waited on Downing Street, and said it could go on no +more. The Scotch banks had applied to them for assistance. The +whole demand for discount was thrown upon the Bank of England. Two +bill-brokers had stopped; two others were paralyzed. The Bank of England +could discount no longer. Thanks to the Bank Charter, they were safe and +their treasury full of bullion, but it appeared that everybody else +must fall, for in four-and-twenty hours the machinery of credit would +be entirely stopped. The position was frightful, and the government gave +way. They did that on the 25th of October, after houses had fallen to +the amount of fifteen millions sterling, which they had been counselled +to do by Lord George Bentinck on the 25th of April. It turned out +exactly as Mr. Thomas Baring had foretold. It was not want of capital or +deficiency of circulation which had occasioned these awful consequences. +It was sheer panic, occasioned by an unwisely stringent law. No sooner +had the government freed the Bank of England from that stringency, +than the panic ceased. The very morning the letter of license from +the government to the Bank of England appeared, thousands and tens of +thousands of pounds sterling were taken from the hoards, some from boxes +deposited with bankers, although the depositors would not leave the +notes in their bankers' hands. Large parcels of notes were returned to +the Bank of England cut into halves, as they had been sent down into the +country, and so small was the real demand for an additional quantity of +currency, that the whole amount taken from the Bank, when the unlimited +power of issue was given, was under L400,000, and the Bank consequently +never availed itself of the privilege which the government had accorded +it. The restoration of confidence produced an ample currency, and +that confidence had solely been withdrawn from the apprehension of the +stringent clauses of the Bank Charter Act of 1844. + +These extraordinary events had not occurred unnoticed by Lord George +Bentinck. The two subjects that mostly engaged his attention after the +general election were the action of the Bank Charter and the state of +our sugar colonies. Perhaps it would be best to give some extracts from +his correspondence at this period. He was a good letter-writer, easy and +clear. His characteristic love of details also rendered this style +of communication interesting. It is not possible to give more than +extracts, and it is necessary to omit all those circumstances which +generally in letter-reading are most acceptable. His comments on men and +things were naturally free and full, and he always endeavoured, for the +amusement of his correspondents, to communicate the social gossip of the +hour. But although all this must necessarily be omitted, his letters may +afford some illustrations of his earnestness and energy, the constancy +of his aim, and the untiring vigilance with which he pursued his +object--especially those which are addressed to gentlemen engaged in +commercial pursuits who cooperated with him in his investigations. + + +TO A FRIEND. + +Harcourt House, August 30, 1847. + +An answer is come out to my address to my constituents at King's Lynn, +and to my speech in answer to Peel's manifesto. Pray read it. At first +I thought I could swear to its being * * * *, I now think I can swear +to its being * * * *; the servility to Peel, and the official red-tape +style would equally do for either; but the no-popery page, I think, +fixes it on * * * *. + +I think it wretchedly weak, and have written some notes on the margin, +showing up the principal points. The nine months' famine of 1846-47, as +contrasted with Peel's famine, shows a difference of between L6,000,000 +and L7,000,000; that is to say, on the balance in the nine months +1845-46, Ireland exported about three millions' worth of breadstuffs, +and not a soul died of famine. In the nine months 1846-47, she imported +three millions' sterling worth of bread-stuffs, which insufficed to +prevent one million--or say half a million--of the people from dying of +starvation. + +At present I have seen no notice of the pamphlet in any of the +newspapers: if it is either * * * *'s, or * * * *'s, or * * * *'s we +shall see it reviewed in 'Times,' 'Chronicle,' and 'Spectator.' + +The Bank of England has raised the interest on * * * *'s mortgage +one-third per cent., making an additional annual charge of L1,500 a year +to him. I am very sorry for him, but I know nothing so likely to rouse +the landed aristocracy from their apathy, and to weaken their idolatry +of Peel so much as this warning note of the joint operation of his free +trade and restrictive currency laws. + + +TO A FRIEND. + +Harcourt House, September 2, 1847. + +I think it is * * * *. The trickster, I observe, has carefully reduced +the pounds of cotton to cwts., in the hopes of concealing a great fraud +to which he has condescended; taking, in the Whig year of 1841, the home +consumption of cotton, whilst in Peel's year he gives entire importation +as the home consumption, representing both as home consumption. + +In Peel's year, 1846, officially we have only the gross importation; but +in the Whig year, 1841, the entire importation and the home consumption +are given separately: the importation exceeding the home consumption by +fifty million pounds. Burn's 'Glance,' however, gives the importation +and home consumption for both years; unfortunately, however, not in +lbs. or cwts., but in bags. * * * *'s fraud, however, is not the less +apparent. + +He selects a Whig year when the home consumption was 220,-000 bags under +the importation, and a year for Peel when the importation exceeded the +home consumption by 280,000 bags, and claps down the figures as alike +describing the home consumption. + +None of the Peel papers have taken up the subject: if they should, the +'Morning Post' will answer the pamphlet; but I should like to have mine +back again, in order that I may furnish them with the notes. + +* * * * was with me this morning, and called my attention to the +circumstance that the author starts with 'We,' but drops into the +singular number; * * * * fancies it is Peel himself, but the page on +endowment fixes it on * * * *. + +Lord L * * * * means, I presume, that Peel's savage hatred is applied +to the Protectionist portion of his old party, not of course to the +janissaries and renegade portion. + + +The following letter was in reply to one of a friend who had sent him +information, several days before they occurred, of the great failures +that were about to happen in the city of London. The list was +unfortunately quite accurate, with the exception indeed of the +particular house respecting which Lord George quotes the opinion of +Baron Rothschild. + + +TO A FRIEND. + +Welbeck, September 17, 1847. + +A thousand thanks for your letter, the intelligence in which created a +great sensation at Doncaster. + +As yet none of the houses appear to have failed except S * * * *. Baron +Rothschild was at Doncaster. I talked with him on the subject; he seemed +not to doubt the probable failure of any of the houses you named, except +* * * *. He declared very emphatically 'that * * * * house was as sound +as any house in London.' + +Lord Fitzwilliam declares 'it is no free trade without free trade in +money.' + +Lord Clanricarde is here--laughs at the idea of Parliament meeting in +October; but talks much of the difficulties of Ireland--says he does not +see how the rates are to be paid. + +Messrs. Drummond are calling in their mortgages. I expect to hear that +this practice will be general; money dear, corn cheap, incumbrances +enhanced, and rents depressed. What will become of the apathetic country +gentlemen? I judge from * * * * 's language, that Lord John Russell +will stand or fall by the Bank Charter Act-but that he feels very +apprehensive of being unable to maintain it. + +I agree with Bonham, in thinking that the Protectionist party is +smashed for the present Parliament; but I must say I think Protectionist +principles and policy are likely to come into repute again far sooner +than was expected; and though Peel's party be a compact body, and +formidable in the House of Commons, I cannot think that there appears +that in the working of his measures to make it likely that he should be +soon again carried into power on the shoulders of the people. I think +his political reputation must ebb further before it can rise again, +if it should ever rise again. * * * * thought him 'broken and in low +spirits,' when he met him at Longshaw; but Lord * * * *, who was there +at the same time, came away more Peelite than ever, and told them at +Bretby that Sir Robert said, 'That he was quite surprised at the number +of letters he got every day from members returned to Parliament, saying +they meant to vote with him.' + +You may rely upon it the Peelites are very sanguine that they will be in +power again almost directly. We must keep them out. + + +TO MR. BURN, EDITOR OF THE 'COMMERCIAL GLANCE.' + +Welbeck, September 38, 1847. To the many courtesies you have already +bestowed upon me, I will sincerely thank you to add that of informing me +what have been the estimated cotton crops in the United States in +each of the last four years. I would also thank you to inform me the +comparative importation, home consumption, re-exportation, and stocks +on hand of cotton of the first seven months of the current and three +preceding years. + + +TO MR. BURN. + +Welbeck, October 4, 1847. + +Your statistics have reached me in the very nick of time, and are +invaluable. I care nothing about 'outsides,' it is 'insides' I look to; +give me a good 'heart,' and I don't care how rough the 'bark' is. + +Anything so good I fear to spoil by suggesting the most trivial +addition, else I should say it would be an interesting feature to +classify the exports of cotton goods, etc., etc., under three heads:-- + +1st. To the British colonies and British possessions abroad. + +2nd. To the northern states of Europe, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, +etc., etc., the United States of America, and other countries having +high tariffs. + +3rd. To China, Turkey, Africa, and the Southern States of America, and +countries with low tariffs. + +I fear these failures of East and West India houses must entail great +distress upon Manchester, and the manufacturing interests generally. You +have given an account of the bankruptcies in the cotton trade during a +long series of years till last year inclusive; are you able to say how +the first nine months of the current year stands in comparison with its +predecessors? + +I so highly prize your new work, that I must ask for a dozen copies to +distribute among my friends. + +P. S. I have already parted with the copy you sent me; may I, therefore, +beg another without waiting for any other binding? + + +TO A FRIEND. + +Welbeck, October 5, 1847. + +I shall go up to town on Friday evening, in my way to Newmarket, +and shall be at Harcourt House all Saturday and Sunday, and shall be +delighted to see you, and have a thorough good talk with you. Free trade +seems working mischief faster than the most fearful of us predicted, +and Manchester houses, as I am told, 'failing in rows,' ashamed to +do penance in public, are secretly weeping in sackcloth and ashes, and +heartily praying that Peel and Cobden had been hanged before they were +allowed to ruin the country. + +Money at Manchester is quoted one and a quarter per cent, for ten days: +L45 12s. 6d. per cent. per annum! + + +TO A FRIEND. + +Harcourt House, October 22, 1847. I have this moment got a note from +Stuart, telling me that 'the Chancellor has this afternoon sent out his +notice of the business to be taken in his own court during Michaelmas +term, that is, from the 2nd of November till the 26th, and below it +there is this notice--_except those days on which the Lord Chancellor +may sit in the House of Lords_!!!' + +Surely this must portend a November session. + + +TO A FRIEND. + +Harcourt House, October 23, 1847. The fat banker's gossip is all stuff. +Peel goes to Windsor today, I believe on an invitation of some standing. +* * * * who had been dining at Palmerston's last night, tells me that he +does not think that ministers mean calling Parliament together, and is +confident they mean to maintain the Bank Charter Act. There have been +some first-rate articles and letters in the 'Morning Chronicle' lately +on this subject. + + +TO A FRIEND. + +Harcourt House, November 6, 1847. + +I will stay over Tuesday, that I may have the pleasure of a thorough +talk with you. + +I am told things are gradually getting better. I expect, however, a +fresh reverse about six weeks or two months hence, when the returned +lists of the stoppages in the East and West Indies, consequent upon the +late failures here, come home. The Western Bank of Scotland is whispered +about. If that were to fail, it might bring the canny Scots to their +senses; but they are a headstrong race. + +A committee on commercial distress having been appointed, the principal +reason for the summoning of the new Parliament in the autumn had been +satisfied, and an adjournment until a month after Christmas was in +prospect. Before, however, this took place, a new and interesting +question arose, which led to considerable discussion, and which +ultimately influenced in no immaterial manner the parliamentary position +of Lord George Bentinck. + +The city of London at the general election had sent to the House of +Commons, as a colleague of the first minister, a member who found a +difficulty in taking one of the oaths appointed by the House to be +sworn preliminarily to any member exercising his right of voting. The +difficulty arose from this member being not only of the Jewish race, but +unfortunately believing only in the first part of the Jewish religion. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + + _The Jews_ + +THE relations that subsist between the Bedoueen race that, under the +name of Jews, is found in every country of Europe, and the Teutonic, +Sclavonian, and Celtic races which have appropriated that division of +the globe, will form hereafter one of the most remarkable chapters in +a philosophical history of man. The Saxon, the Sclav, and the Celt +have adopted most of the laws and many of the customs of these Arabian +tribes, all their literature and all their religion. They are therefore +indebted to them for much that regulates, much that charms, and much +that solaces existence. The toiling multitude rest every seventh day +by virtue of a Jewish law; they are perpetually reading, 'for their +example,' the records of Jewish history, and singing the odes and +elegies of Jewish poets; and they daily acknowledge on their knees, with +reverent gratitude, that the only medium of communication between the +Creator and themselves is the Jewish race. Yet they treat that race as +the vilest of generations; and instead of logically looking upon them +as the human family that has contributed most to human happiness, they +extend to them every term of obloquy and every form of persecution. + +Let us endeavour to penetrate this social anomaly that has harassed and +perplexed centuries. + +It is alleged that the dispersion of the Jewish race is a penalty +incurred for the commission of a great crime: namely, the crucifixion +of our blessed Lord in the form of a Jewish prince, by the Romans, at +Jerusalem, and at the instigation of some Jews, in the reign of Tiberius +Augustus Caesar. Upon this, it may be observed, that the allegation is +neither historically true nor dogmatically sound. + +I. _Not historically true_. It is not historically true, because at the +time of the advent of our Lord, the Jewish race was as much dispersed +throughout the world as at this present time, and had been so for many +centuries. Europe, with the exception of those shores which are bathed +by the midland sea, was then a primeval forest, but in every city of the +great Eastern monarchies and in every province of the Roman empire, the +Jews had been long settled. We have not precise authority for saying +that at the advent there were more Jews established in Egypt than in +Palestine, but it may unquestionably be asserted that at that period +there were more Jews living, and that too in great prosperity and +honour, at Alexandria than at Jerusalem. It is evident from various +Roman authors, that the Jewish race formed no inconsiderable portion +of the multitude that filled Rome itself, and that the Mosaic religion, +undisturbed by the state, even made proselytes. But it is unnecessary to +enter into any curious researches on this head, though the authorities +are neither scant nor uninteresting. We are furnished with evidence +the most complete and unanswerable of the pre-dispersion by the sacred +writings themselves. Not two months after the crucifixion, when the +Third Person of the Holy Trinity first descended on Jerusalem, it being +the time of the great festivals, when the Jews, according to the custom +of the Arabian tribes pursued to this day in the pilgrimage to Mecca, +repaired from all quarters to the central sacred place, the holy +writings inform us that there were gathered together in Jerusalem 'Jews, +devout men, out of every nation under heaven.' And that this expression, +so general but so precise, should not be mistaken, we are shortly +afterwards, though incidentally, informed, that there were Parthians, +Medes, and Persians at Jerusalem, professing the Mosaic faith; Jews from +Mesopotamia and Syria, from the countries of the lesser and the greater +Asia; Egyptian, Libyan, Greek, and Arabian Jews; and, especially, Jews +from Rome itself, some of which latter are particularly mentioned as +Roman proselytes. Nor is it indeed historically true that the small +section of the Jewish race which dwelt in Palestine rejected Christ. +The reverse is the truth. Had it not been for the Jews of Palestine, +the good tidings of our Lord would have been unknown for ever to the +northern and western races. The first preachers of the gospel were Jews, +and none else; the historians of the gospel were Jews, and none else. No +one has ever been permitted to write under the inspiration of the Holy +Spirit, except a Jew. For nearly a century no one believed in the good +tidings except Jews. They nursed the sacred flame of which they were the +consecrated and hereditary depositaries. And when the time was ripe to +diffuse the truth among the ethnics, it was not a senator of Rome or a +philosopher of Athens who was personally appointed by our Lord for that +office, but a Jew of Tarsus, who founded the seven churches of Asia. And +that greater church, great even amid its terrible corruptions, that has +avenged the victory of Titus by subjugating the capital of the Caesars, +and has changed every one of the Olympian temples into altars of the God +of Sinai and of Calvary, was founded by another Jew, a Jew of Galilee. + +From all which it appears that the dispersion of the Jewish race, +preceding as it did for countless ages the advent of our Lord, could not +be for conduct which occurred subsequently to the advent, and that they +are also guiltless of that subsequent conduct which has been imputed to +them as a crime, since for Him and His blessed name, they preached, and +wrote, and shed their blood 'as witnesses.' + +But, is it possible that that which is not historically true can be +dogmatically sound? Such a conclusion would impugn the foundations of +all faith. The followers of Jesus, of whatever race, need not however be +alarmed. The belief that the present condition of the Jewish race is a +penal infliction for the part which some Jews took at the crucifixion is +not dogmatically sound. + +2. _Not dogmatically sound_. There is no passage in the sacred writings +that in the slightest degree warrants the penal assumption. The +imprecation of the mob at the crucifixion is sometimes strangely quoted +as a divine decree. It is not a principle of jurisprudence, human or +inspired, to permit the criminal to ordain his own punishment. Why, too, +should they transfer any portion of the infliction to their posterity? +What evidence have we that the wild suggestion was sanctioned by +Omnipotence? On the contrary, amid the expiating agony, a Divine Voice +at the same time solicited and secured forgiveness. And if unforgiven, +could the cry of a rabble at such a scene bind a nation? + +But, dogmatically considered, the subject of the crucifixion must be +viewed in a deeper spirit. We must pause with awe to remember what was +the principal office to be fulfilled by the advent. When the ineffable +mystery of the Incarnation was consummated, a Divine Person moved on the +face of the earth in the shape of a child of Israel, not to teach but to +expiate. True it is that no word could fall from such lips, whether in +the form of profound parable, or witty retort, or preceptive lore, but +to guide and enlighten; but they who, in those somewhat lax effusions +which in these days are honoured with the holy name of theology, speak +of the morality of the Gospel as a thing apart and of novel revelation, +would do well to remember that in promulgating such doctrines they are +treading on very perilous ground. There cannot be two moralities; and to +hold that the Second Person of the Holy Trinity could teach a different +morality from that which had been already revealed by the First Person +of the Holy Trinity, is a dogma so full of terror that it may perhaps +be looked upon as the ineffable sin against the Holy Spirit. When the +lawyer tempted our Lord, and inquired how he was to inherit eternal +life, the great Master of Galilee referred him to the writings of Moses. +There he would find recorded 'the whole duty of man;' to love God with +all his heart, and soul, and strength, and mind, and his neighbour as +himself. These two principles are embalmed in the writings of Moses, and +are the essence of Christian morals.* + + * 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.' + --Leviticus xix. 18. + + +It was for something deeper than this, higher and holier than even Moses +could fulfil, that angels announced the Coming. It was to accomplish an +event pre-ordained by the Creator of the world for countless ages. +Born from the chosen house of the chosen people, yet blending in his +inexplicable nature the Divine essence with the human elements, a +sacrificial Mediator was to appear, appointed before all time, to purify +with his atoning blood the myriads that had preceded and the myriads +that will follow him. The doctrine embraces all space and time--nay, +chaos and eternity; Divine persons are the agents, and the redemption of +the whole family of man the result. If the Jews had not prevailed upon +the Romans to crucify our Lord, what would have become of the Atonement? +But the human mind cannot contemplate the idea that the most important +deed of time could depend upon human will. The immolators were +preordained like the victim, and the holy race supplied both. Could that +be a crime which secured for all mankind eternal joy--which vanquished +Satan, and opened the gates of Paradise? Such a tenet would sully and +impugn the doctrine that is the corner-stone of our faith and hope. Men +must not presume to sit in judgment on such an act. They must bow their +heads in awe and astonishment and trembling gratitude. + +But, though the opinion that the dispersion of the Jewish race must be +deemed a penalty incurred for their connection with the crucifixion +has neither historical nor doctrinal sanction, it is possible that its +degrading influence upon its victims may have been as efficacious as if +their present condition were indeed a judicial infliction. Persecution, +in a word, although unjust, may have reduced the modern Jews to a state +almost justifying malignant vengeance. They may have become so odious +and so hostile to mankind, as to merit for their present conduct, no +matter how occasioned, the obloquy and ill-treatment of the communities +in which they dwell and with which they are scarcely permitted to +mingle. + +Let us examine this branch of the subject, which, though of more limited +interest, is not without instruction. + +In all the great cities of Europe, and in some of the great cities of +Asia, among the infamous classes therein existing, there will always be +found Jews. They are not the only people who are usurers, gladiators, +and followers of mean and scandalous occupations, nor are they anywhere +a majority of such, but considering their general numbers, they +contribute perhaps more than their proportion to the aggregate of the +vile. In this they obey the law which regulates the destiny of all +persecuted races: the infamous is the business of the dishonoured; and +as infamous pursuits are generally illegal pursuits, the persecuted race +which has most ability will be most successful in combating the law. +The Jews have never been so degraded as the Greeks were throughout the +Levant before the emancipation, and the degradation of the Greeks was +produced by a period of persecution which, both in amount and suffering, +cannot compare with that which has been endured by the children of +Israel. This peculiarity, however, attends the Jews under the most +unfavourable circumstances; the other degraded races wear out and +disappear; the Jew remains, as determined, as expert, as persevering, +as full of resource and resolution as ever. Viewed in this light, the +degradation of the Jewish race is alone a striking evidence of its +excellence, for none but one of the great races could have survived the +trials which it has endured. + +But, though a material organization of the highest class may account for +so strange a consequence, the persecuted Hebrew is supported by other +means. He is sustained by a sublime religion. Obdurate, malignant, +odious, and revolting as the lowest Jew appears to us, he is rarely +demoralized. Beneath his own roof his heart opens to the influence of +his beautiful Arabian traditions. All his ceremonies, his customs, and +his festivals are still to celebrate the bounty of nature and the favour +of Jehovah. The patriarchal feeling lingers about his hearth. A man, +however fallen, who loves his home is not wholly lost. The trumpet of +Sinai still sounds in the Hebrew ear, and a Jew is never seen upon the +scaffold, unless it be at an _auto da fe_. + +But, having made this full admission of the partial degradation of the +Jewish race, we are not prepared to agree that this limited degeneracy +is any justification of the prejudices and persecution which originated +in barbarous or mediaeval superstitions. On the contrary, viewing the +influence of the Jewish race upon the modern communities, without +any reference to the past history or the future promises of Israel; +dismissing from our minds and memories, if indeed that be possible, all +that the Hebrews have done in the olden time for man and all which it +may be their destiny yet to fulfil, we hold that instead of being an +object of aversion, they should receive all that honour and favour from +the northern and western races, which, in civilized and refined nations, +should be the lot of those who charm the public taste and elevate the +public feeling. We hesitate not to say that there is no race at this +present, and following in this only the example of a long period, that +so much delights, and fascinates, and elevates, and ennobles Europe, as +the Jewish. + +We dwell not on the fact, that the most admirable artists of the drama +have been and still are of the Hebrew race: or, that the most entrancing +singers, graceful dancers, and exquisite musicians, are sons and +daughters of Israel: though this were much. But these brilliant +accessories are forgotten in the sublimer claim. + +It seems that the only means by which in these modern times we +are permitted to develop the beautiful is music. It would appear +definitively settled that excellence in the plastic arts is the +privilege of the earlier ages of the world. All that is now produced +in this respect is mimetic, and, at the best, the skilful adaptation +of traditional methods. The creative faculty of modern man seems by an +irresistible law at work on the virgin soil of science, daily increasing +by its inventions our command over nature, and multiplying the material +happiness of man. But the happiness of man is not merely material. Were +it not for music, we might in these days say, the beautiful is dead. +Music seems to be the only means of creating the beautiful, in which we +not only equal, but in all probability greatly excel, the ancients. The +music of modern Europe ranks with the transcendent creations of human +genius; the poetry, the statues, the temples, of Greece. It produces and +represents as they did whatever is most beautiful in the spirit of +man and often expresses what is most profound. And who are the great +composers, who hereafter will rank with Homer, with Sophocles, with +Praxiteles, or with Phidias? They are the descendants of those Arabian +tribes who conquered Canaan, and who by favour of the Most High have +done more with less means even than the Athenians. + +Forty years ago--not a longer period than the children of Israel were +wandering in the desert--the two most dishonoured races in Europe were +the Attic and the Hebrew, and they were the two races that had done most +for mankind. Their fortunes had some similarity: their countries were +the two smallest in the world, equally barren and equally famous; they +both divided themselves into tribes: both built a most famous temple on +an acropolis; and both produced a literature which all European nations +have accepted with reverence and admiration. Athens has been sacked +oftener than Jerusalem, and oftener razed to the ground; but the +Athenians have escaped expatriation, which is purely an Oriental custom. +The sufferings of the Jews, however, have been infinitely more prolonged +and varied than those of the Athenians. The Greek nevertheless appears +exhausted. The creative genius of Israel, on the contrary, never shone +so bright; and when the Russian, the Frenchman, and the Anglo-Saxon, +amid applauding theatres or the choral voices of solemn temples, yield +themselves to the full spell of a Mozart or a Mendelssohn, it seems +difficult to comprehend how these races can reconcile it to their hearts +to persecute a Jew. + +We have shown that the theological prejudice against the Jews has no +foundation, historical or doctrinal; we have shown that the social +prejudice, originating in the theological but sustained by superficial +observations, irrespective of religious prejudice, is still more +unjust, and that no existing race is so much entitled to the esteem +and gratitude of society as the Hebrew. It remains for us to notice the +injurious consequences to European society of the course pursued by +the communities to this race; and this view of the subject leads us to +considerations which it would become existing statesmen to ponder. + +The world has by this time discovered that it is impossible to destroy +the Jews. The attempt to extirpate them has been made under the most +favourable auspices and on the largest scale; the most considerable +means that man could command have been pertinaciously applied to this +object for the longest period of recorded time. Egyptian Pharaohs, +Assyrian kings, Roman emperors, Scandinavian crusaders, Gothic princes, +and holy inquisitors have alike devoted their energies to the fulfilment +of this common purpose. Expatriation, exile, captivity, confiscation, +torture on the most ingenious, and massacre on the most extensive, +scale, with a curious system of degrading customs and debasing laws +which would have broken the heart of any other people, have been tried, +and in vain. The Jews, after all this havoc, are probably more numerous +at this date than they were during the reign of Solomon the Wise, are +found in all lands, and, unfortunately, prospering in most. All of which +proves that it is in vain for man to attempt to battle the inexorable +law of nature, which has decreed that a superior race shall never be +destroyed or absorbed by an inferior. + +But the influence of a great race will be felt; its greatness does not +depend upon its numbers, otherwise the English would not have vanquished +the Chinese, nor would the Aztecs have been overthrown by Cortez and +a handful of Goths. That greatness results from its organization, the +consequences of which are shown in its energy and enterprise, in the +strength of its will and the fertility of its brain. Let us observe +what should be the influence of the Jews, and then ascertain how it +is exercised. The Jewish race connects the modern populations with the +early ages of the world, when the relations of the Creator with the +created were more intimate than in these days, when angels visited +the earth, and God himself even spoke with man. The Jews represent the +Semitic principle; all that is spiritual in our nature. They are the +trustees of tradition and the conservators of the religious element. +They are a living and the most striking evidence of the falsity of that +pernicious doctrine of modern times--the natural equality of man. +The political equality of a particular race is a matter of municipal +arrangement, and depends entirely on political considerations and +circumstances; but the natural equality of man now in vogue, and taking +the form of cosmopolitan fraternity, is a principle which, were it +possible to act on it, would deteriorate the great races and destroy +all the genius of the world. What would be the consequence on the great +Anglo-Saxon republic, for example, were its citizens to secede from +their sound principle of reserve, and mingle with their negro and +coloured populations? In the course of time they would become so +deteriorated that their states would probably be reconquered and +regained by the aborigines whom they have expelled, and who would then +be their superiors. But though nature will never ultimately permit this +theory of natural equality to be practised, the preaching of this dogma +has already caused much mischief, and may occasion much more. The native +tendency of the Jewish race, who are justly proud of their blood, is +against the doctrine of the equality of man. They have also another +characteristic, the faculty of acquisition. Although the European +laws have endeavoured to prevent their obtaining property, they have +nevertheless become remarkable for their accumulated wealth. Thus +it will be seen that all the tendencies of the Jewish race are +conservative. Their bias is to religion, property, and natural +aristocracy: and it should be the interest of statesmen that this bias +of a great race should be encouraged, and their energies and creative +powers enlisted in the cause of existing society. + +But existing society has chosen to persecute this race which should +furnish its choice allies, and what have been the consequences? + +They may be traced in the last outbreak of the destructive principle in +Europe. An insurrection takes place against tradition and aristocracy, +against religion and property. Destruction of the Semitic principle, +extirpation of the Jewish religion, whether in the Mosaic or in the +Christian form, the natural equality of man, and the abrogation of +property, are proclaimed by the secret societies who form provisional +governments, and men of Jewish race are found at the head of every one +of them. The people of God cooeperate with atheists; the most skilful +accumulators of property ally themselves with communists; the peculiar +and chosen race touch the hand of all the scum and low castes of Europe! +And all this because they wish to destroy that ungrateful Christendom +which owes to them even its name, and whose tyranny they can no longer +endure. + +When the secret societies, in February, 1848, surprised Europe, they +were themselves surprised by the unexpected opportunity, and so little +capable were they of seizing the occasion, that had it not been for the +Jews, who of late years unfortunately have been connecting themselves +with these unhallowed associations, imbecile as were the governments, +the uncalled-for outbreak would not have ravaged Europe. But the fiery +energy and the teeming resources of the children of Israel maintained +for a long time the unnecessary and useless struggle. If the reader +throw his eye over the provisional governments of Germany and Italy, and +even of France, formed at that period, he will recognize everywhere the +Jewish element. Even the insurrection, and defence, and administration +of Venice, which, from the resource and statesmanlike moderation +displayed, commanded almost the respect and sympathy of Europe, were +accomplished by a Jew--Manini--who, by the bye, is a Jew who professes +the whole of the Jewish religion, and believes in Calvary as well as +Sinai,--'a converted Jew,' as the Lombards styled him, quite forgetting, +in the confusion of their ideas, that it is the Lombards who are the +converts--not Manini. + +Thus it will be seen, that the persecution of the Jewish race has +deprived European society of an important conservative element, and +added to the destructive party an influential ally. Prince Metternich, +the most enlightened of modern statesmen, not to say the most +intellectual of men, was, though himself a victim of the secret +societies, fully aware of these premises. It was always his custom, +great as were the difficulties which in so doing he had to encounter, +to employ as much as possible the Hebrew race in the public service. He +could never forget that Napoleon, in his noontide hour, had been checked +by the pen of the greatest of political writers; he had found that +illustrious author as great in the cabinet as in the study; he knew that +no one had more contributed to the deliverance of Europe. It was not +as a patron, but as an appreciating and devoted friend, that the +High Chancellor of Austria appointed Frederick Gentz secretary to the +Congress of Vienna--and Frederick Gentz was a child of Israel. + +It is no doubt to be deplored that several millions of the Jewish race +should persist in believing in only a part of their religion; but this +is a circumstance which does not affect Europe, and time, with different +treatment, may remove the anomaly which perhaps may be accounted for. It +should be recollected, that the existing Jews are perhaps altogether the +descendants of those various colonies and emigrations which, voluntary +or forced, long preceded the advent. Between the vast carnage of the +Roman wars, from Titus to Hadrian, and the profession of Christ by his +countrymen, which must have been very prevalent, since the Christian +religion was solely sustained by the Jews of Palestine during the +greater part of its first century, it is improbable that any descendants +of the Jews of Palestine exist who disbelieve in Christ. After the fall +of Jerusalem and the failure of Barchochebas, no doubt some portion of +the Jews found refuge in the desert, returning to their original land +after such long and strange vicissitudes. This natural movement would +account for those Arabian tribes, of whose resistance to Mohammed we +have ample and authentic details, and who, if we are to credit the +accounts which perplex modern travellers, are to this day governed by +the Pentateuch instead of the Koran. + +When Christianity was presented to the ancestors of the present Jews, +it came from a very suspicious quarter, and was offered in a very +questionable shape. Centuries must have passed in many instances before +the Jewish colonies heard of the advent, the crucifixion, and the +atonement; the latter, however, a doctrine in perfect harmony with +Jewish ideas. When they first heard of Christianity, it appeared to be a +Gentile religion, accompanied by idolatrous practices, from which severe +monotheists, like the Arabians, always recoil, and holding the Jewish +race up to public scorn and hatred. This is not the way to make +converts. + +There have been two great colonies of the Jewish race in Europe; in +Spain and in Sarmatia. The origin of the Jews in Spain is lost in +the night of time. That it was of great antiquity we have proof. The +tradition, once derided, that the Iberian Jews were a Phoenician colony +has been favoured by the researches of modern antiquaries, who have +traced the Hebrew language in the ancient names of the localities. +It may be observed, however, that the languages of the Jews and the +Philistines, or Phoenicians, were probably too similar to sanction any +positive induction from such phenomena; while on the other hand, in +reply to those who have urged the improbability of the Jews, who had no +seaports, colonizing Spain, it may be remarked that the colony may +have been an expatriation by the Philistines in the course of the long +struggle which occurred between them and the invading tribes previous +to the foundation of the Hebrew monarchy. We know that in the time of +Cicero the Jews had been settled immemorially in Spain. When the Romans, +converted to Christianity and acted on by the priesthood, began to +trouble the Spanish Jews, it appears by a decree of Constantine that +they were owners and cultivators of the soil, a circumstance which +alone proves the antiquity and the nobility of their settlement, for +the possession of the land is never conceded to a degraded race. +The conquest of Spain by the Goths in the fifth and sixth centuries +threatened the Spanish Jews, however, with more serious adversaries than +the Romans. The Gothic tribes, very recently converted to their Syrian +faith, were full of barbaric zeal against those whom they looked upon as +the enemies of Jesus. But the Spanish Jews sought assistance from +their kinsmen the Saracens on the opposite coast; Spain was invaded and +subdued by the Moors, and for several centuries the Jew and the Saracen +lived under the same benignant laws and shared the same brilliant +prosperity. In the history of Spain during the Saracenic supremacy any +distinction of religion or race is no longer traced. And so it came +to pass that when at the end of the fourteenth century, after the fell +triumph of the Dominicans over the Albigenses, the holy inquisition was +introduced into Spain, it was reported to Torquemada that two-thirds of +the nobility of Arragon, that is to say of the proprietors of the land, +were Jews. + +All that these men knew of Christianity was, that it was a religion +of fire and sword, and that one of its first duties was to avenge some +mysterious and inexplicable crime which had been committed ages ago by +some unheard of ancestors of theirs in an unknown land. The inquisitors +addressed themselves to the Spanish Jews in the same abrupt and +ferocious manner in which the monks saluted the Mexicans and the +Peruvians. All those of the Spanish Jews, who did not conform after +the fall of the Mohammedan kingdoms, were expatriated by the victorious +Goths, and these refugees were the main source of the Italian Jews, and +of the most respectable portion of the Jews of Holland. These exiles +found refuge in two republics; Venice and the United Provinces. The +Portuguese Jews, it is well known, came from Spain, and their ultimate +expulsion from Portugal was attended by the same results as the Spanish +expatriation. + +The other great division of Jews in Europe are the Sarmatian Jews, and +they are very numerous. They amount to nearly three millions. These +unquestionably entered Europe with the other Sarmatian nations, +descending the Borysthenes and ascending the Danube, and are according +to all probability the progeny of the expatriations of the times of +Tiglath-Pileser and Nebuchadnezzar. They are the posterity of those +'devout men,' Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, who were attending the +festivals at Jerusalem at the time of the descent of the Holy Spirit. +Living among barbarous pagans, who never molested them, these people +went on very well, until suddenly the barbarous pagans, under the +influence of an Italian priesthood, were converted to the Jewish +religion, and then as a necessary consequence the converts began to +harass, persecute, and massacre the Jews. + +These people had never heard of Christ. Had the Romans not destroyed +Jerusalem, these Sarmatian Jews would have had a fair chance of +obtaining from civilized beings some clear and coherent account of the +great events which had occurred. They and their fathers before them +would have gone up in customary pilgrimage to the central sacred place, +both for purposes of devotion and purposes of trade, and they might have +heard from Semitic lips that there were good tidings for Israel. What +they heard from their savage companions, and the Italian priesthood +which acted on them, was, that there were good tidings for all the world +except Israel, and that Israel, for the commission of a great crime +of which they had never heard and could not comprehend, was to be +plundered, massacred, hewn to pieces, and burnt alive in the name of +Christ and for the sake of Christianity. + +The Eastern Jews, who are very numerous, are in general the descendants +of those who in the course of repeated captivities settled in the great +Eastern monarchies, and which they never quitted. They live in the same +cities and follow the same customs as they did in the days of Cyrus. +They are to be found in Persia, Mesopotamia, and Asia Minor; at Bagdad, +at Hamadan, at Smyrna. We know from the Jewish books how very scant was +the following which accompanied Esdras and Nehemiah back to Jerusalem. +A fortress city, built on a ravine, surrounded by stony mountains and +watered by a scanty stream, had no temptations after the gardens of +Babylon and the broad waters of the Euphrates. But Babylon has vanished +and Jerusalem remains, and what are the waters of Euphrates to the brook +of Kedron! It is another name than that of Jesus of Nazareth with which +these Jews have been placed in collision, and the Ishmaelites have not +forgotten the wrongs of Hagar in their conduct to the descendants of +Sarah. + +Is it therefore wonderful that a great portion of the Jewish race should +not believe in the most important portion of the Jewish religion? As, +however, the converted races become more humane in their behaviour to +the Jews, and the latter have opportunity fully to comprehend and deeply +to ponder over true Christianity, it is difficult to suppose that the +result will not be very different. Whether presented by a Roman or +Anglo-Catholic or Genevese divine, by pope, bishop, or presbyter, there +is nothing, one would suppose, very repugnant to the feelings of a Jew +when he learns that the redemption of the human race has been effected +by the mediatorial agency of a child of Israel: if the ineffable mystery +of the Incarnation be developed to him, he will remember that the +blood of Jacob is a chosen and peculiar blood; and if so transcendent a +consummation is to occur, he will scarcely deny that only one race could +be deemed worthy of accomplishing it. There may be points of doctrine +on which the northern and western races may perhaps never agree. The +Jew like them may follow that path in those respects which reason and +feeling alike dictate; but nevertheless it can hardly be maintained that +there is anything revolting to a Jew to learn that a Jewess is the queen +of heaven, or that the flower of the Jewish race are even now sitting on +the right hand of the Lord God of Sabaoth. + +Perhaps, too, in this enlightened age, as his mind expands, and he takes +a comprehensive view of this period of progress, the pupil of Moses may +ask himself, whether all the princes of the house of David have done so +much for the Jews as that prince who was crucified on Calvary. Had it +not been for Him, the Jews would have been comparatively unknown, or +known only as a high Oriental caste which had lost its country. Has not +He made their history the most famous in the world? Has not He hung up +their laws in every temple? Has not He vindicated all their wrongs? +Has not He avenged the victory of Titus and conquered the Caesars? What +successes did they anticipate from their Messiah? The wildest dreams of +their rabbis have been far exceeded. Has not Jesus conquered Europe and +changed its name into Christendom? All countries that refuse the cross +wither, while the whole of the new world is devoted to the Semitic +principle and its most glorious offspring the Jewish faith, and the time +will come when the vast communities and countless myriads of America +and Australia, looking upon Europe as Europe now looks upon Greece, and +wondering how so small a space could have achieved such great deeds, +will still find music in the songs of Sion and still seek solace in the +parables of Galilee. + +These may be dreams, but there is one fact which none can contest. +Christians may continue to persecute Jews, and Jews may persist in +disbelieving Christians, but who can deny that Jesus of Nazareth, the +Incarnate Son of the Most High God, is the eternal glory of the Jewish +race? + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + + _Jewish Disabilities_ + +IT WOULD seem to follow from the views expressed in the preceding +chaptet, that in communities professing a belief in our Lord, the +Jewish race ought not to be subject to any legislative dishonour or +disqualification. These views, however, were not those which influenced +Lord George Bentinck in forming his opinion that the civil disabilities +of those subjects of her Majesty who profess that limited belief in +divine revelation which is commonly called the Jewish religion should +be removed. He had supported a measure to this effect in the year +1833, guided in that conduct by his devoted attachment to the equivocal +principle of religious liberty, the unqualified application of which +principle seems hardly consistent with that recognition of religious +truth by the state to which we yet adhere, and without which it is +highly probable that the northern and western races, after a disturbing +and rapidly degrading period of atheistic anarchy, may fatally recur +to their old national idolatries, modified and mythically dressed up +according to the spirit of the age. It may be observed that the decline +and disasters of modern communities have generally been relative to +their degree of sedition against the Semitic principle. Since the great +revolt of the Celts against the first and second testament, at the close +of the last century, France has been alternately in a state of collapse +or convulsion. Throughout the awful trials of the last sixty years, +England, notwithstanding her deficient and meagre theology, has always +remembered Sion. The great Transatlantic republic is intensely +Semitic, and has prospered accordingly. This sacred principle alone has +consolidated the mighty empire of all the Russias. How omnipotent it +is cannot be more clearly shown than by the instance of Rome, where it +appears in its most corrupt form. An old man on a Semitic throne baffles +the modern Attilas, and the recent invasion of the barbarians, under the +form of red republicans, socialists, communists, all different phases +which describe the relapse of the once converted races into their +primitive condition of savagery. Austria would long ago have dissolved +but for the Semitic principle, and if the north of Germany has never +succeeded in attaining that imperial position which seemed its natural +destiny, it is that the north of Germany has never at any time been +thoroughly converted. Some perhaps may point to Spain as a remarkable +instance of decline in a country where the Semitic principle has +exercised great influence. But the fall of Spain was occasioned by the +expulsion of her Semitic population: a million families of Jews and +Saracens, the most distinguished of her citizens for their industry and +their intelligence, their learning and their wealth. + +It appears that Lord George Bentinck had offended some of his followers +by an opinion expressed in his address to his constituency in '47, that +in accordance with the suggestion of Mr. Pitt, some provision should +be made for the Roman Catholic priesthood of Ireland out of the land. +Although this opinion might offend the religious sentiments of some, +and might be justly looked upon by others as a scheme ill-suited to the +character of an age adverse to any further religious endowments, it must +be acknowledged that no member of the Protectionist party had any just +cause of complaint against Lord George for the expression of an opinion +which he had always upheld, and of his constancy to which he had fairly +given his friends notice. This was so generally felt that the repining +died away. The Jewish question, as it was called, revived these +religious emotions. These feelings, as springing from the highest +sentiment of our nature, and founded, however mistaken in their +application, on religious truth, are entitled to deep respect and +tenderness; but no one can indulge them by the compromise of the highest +principles, or by sanctioning a course which he really believes to be +destructive of the very object which their votaries wish to cherish. + +As there are very few Englishmen of what is commonly called the Jewish +faith, and as therefore it was supposed that political considerations +could not enter into the question, it was hoped by many of the followers +of Lord George Bentinck that he would not separate himself from his +party on this subject, and very earnest requests and representations +were made to him with that view. He was not insensible to them; he gave +them prolonged and painful consideration; they greatly disquieted him. +In his confidential correspondence he often recurs to the distress +and anxiety which this question and its consequences as regarded his +position with those friends to whom he was much attached occasioned him. +It must not, therefore, be supposed that, in the line he ultimately +took with reference to this question, he was influenced, as some have +unkindly and unwarrantably fancied, by a self-willed, inexorable, and +imperious spirit. He was no doubt, by nature, a proud man, inclined even +to arrogance, and naturally impatient of contradiction; but two +severe campaigns in the House of Commons had already mitigated these +characteristics: he understood human nature, he was fond of his party, +and, irrespective of other considerations, it pained his ardent and +generous heart to mortify his comrades. It was therefore not in any +degree from temper, but from principle,--from as pure, as high, and as +noble a sense of duty as ever actuated a man in public life,--that Lord +George Bentinck ultimately resolved that it was impossible for him +to refuse to vote for the removal of what are commonly called Jewish +disabilities. He had voted in this particular cause shortly after +his entrance into public life; it was in accordance with that general +principle of religious liberty to which he was an uncompromising +adherent; it was in complete agreement with the understanding which +subsisted between himself and the Protectionist party, when at their +urgent request he unwillingly assumed the helm. He was entreated not to +vote at all; to stay away, which the severe indisposition under which +he was then labouring warranted. He did not rudely repulse these latter +representations, as has been circulated. On the contrary, he listened +to them with kindness, and was not uninfluenced by them. Enfeebled by +illness, he had nearly brought himself to a compliance with a request +urged with affectionate importunity, but from which his reason and sense +of duty held him aloof. After long and deep and painful pondering, when +the hour arrived, he rose from his bed of sickness, walked into the +House of Commons, and not only voted, but spoke in favour of his +convictions. His speech remains, one of the best ever delivered on the +subject, not only full of weighty argument, but touched with a high and +even tender vein of sentiment. + +This vote and speech of Lord George Bentinck no doubt mortified at the +moment a considerable portion of his followers, and occasioned great +dissatisfaction among a very respectable though limited section of +them. This latter body must either have forgotten or they must have been +strangely unacquainted with the distinct understanding on which Lord +George had undertaken the lead of the party, or otherwise they could +not have felt authorized in conveying to him their keen sense of +disapprobation. Unfortunately he received this when the House had +adjourned for the holidays, and when Mr. Bankes, who had been the organ +of communication with him in '46, was in the country, and when the party +was of course generally dispersed. Lord George did not take any pains to +ascertain whether the representation which was made to him was that of +the general feeling of a large party, or that only of a sincere, highly +estimable, but limited section. He was enfeebled and exhausted by +indisposition; he often felt, even when in health, that the toil of his +life was beyond both his physical and moral energies; and though he was +of that ardent and tenacious nature that he never would have complained, +but have died at his post, the opportunity of release coming to him at +a moment when he was physically prostrate was rather eagerly seized, and +the world suddenly learnt at Christmas, with great astonishment, that +the renowned leader of the Protectionist party had relinquished his +trust. + +The numerous communications which he received must have convinced +him that the assumed circumstances under which he acted had not been +accurately appreciated by him. He was implored to reconsider his course, +as one very detrimental to the cause to which he was devoted, and +which would probably tend to the triumph of those whose policy he +had attempted to defeat, and whose personal conduct he had at least +succeeded in punishing. + +'The prophesied time has come,' he wrote to his friend Mr. Bankes, on +the 23rd of December, 1847, 'when I have ceased to be able to serve +the party, the great cause of Protection, or my country, by any longer +retaining the commission bestowed on me in the spring of 1846. You will +remember, however, that when unfeignedly and honestly, but in vain, +trying to escape from being raised to a position which I foresaw I must +fail to maintain with advantage to you or honour to myself, I at last +gave my consent, I only did so on the express understanding that my +advancement should be held to be merely a pro tempore appointment, +waiting till the country should have the opportunity of sending to +Parliament other men better fitted to lead the country gentlemen of +England. I have recalled these circumstances to your mind with no other +purpose than that the party may feel how entirely free they are, without +even the suspicion of doing an injustice to me or of showing me in +this any disrespect, to remodel their arrangements, and to supersede my +lieutenancy by the appointment of a superior and permanent commander.' + +And again on Christmas-day, to the same gentleman, in reply to an +acknowledgment of the preceding, he says, while thanking Mr. Bankes +'for his warm-hearted letter as very grateful to his feelings,'--' +Confidentially I tell you, that far from feeling in the least annoyed, +I shall feel greatly relieved by a restoration to privacy and freedom. I +worked upon my spirit in '46 and '47; but I have learnt now that I have +shaken my constitution to the foundation, and I seriously doubt my being +able to work on much longer.' + +He wrote on the 24th of December to one of his most intimate friends and +warmest supporters, Mr. Christopher, the member for Lincolnshire, who +had remonstrated with him as to his decision: 'It is not in my nature to +retain a station one moment after I get a hint even that any portion +of those who raised me to it are wearied of seeing me there. The old +members of the party will all recollect how clearly I foresaw and +foretold that I should be found a very inconvenient as well as a very +inefficient leader, so soon as the great Protection battle was brought +to a close. I predicted all that has since occurred; and no one more +cordially agrees than I do in the wisdom of the present decision, the +spirit I presume of which is that no great party or large body of men +can be successfully, or to any good purpose, led except by a man +who heart and soul sympathizes with them in all their feelings, +partialities, and prejudices. Cold reason has a poor chance against such +influences. There can be no _esprit de corps_ and no zeal where there +is not a union of prejudices as well as of commercial opinions. The +election of a leader united with the great body of the party in these +respects, will tend greatly to reunite its scattered particles, even on +those questions where I shall be able to give my aid with all my wonted +zeal, which will not be the less spirited because it will be free and +independent.' + +At a later period, acknowledging an address signed by the great body +of the Protectionist party, and presented to him by the present Earl +Talbot, then a member of the House of Commons, Lord George wrote, 'The +considerations which obliged me to surrender a post of honour which +every independent and high-minded English gentleman has at all times +prized above the highest rewards in the gift of the crown, "the +leadership of the country gentlemen of England," will never influence +me to swerve from any endeavours of which my poor abilities and bodily +energies are capable in the promotion of the prosperity of all classes +in the British empire at home and in the colonies, any more than +they can ever make me forget the attachment, the friendship, and the +enthusiastic support of those who stood by me to the end of the death +struggle for British interests and for English good faith and political +honour, and to whose continued friendship and constancy I know I am +indebted for this graceful and grateful compliment.' + +If Lord George Bentinck was inexorable to the entreaties of his friends, +it must not be supposed that he was influenced in the course which he +pursued, as was presumed by many at the time not acquainted with the +circumstances, by any feeling of pique or brooding sullenness. No +high-spirited man under vexatious and distressing circumstances ever +behaved with more magnanimity. In this he was actuated in a great degree +by a sense of duty, but still more by that peculiar want of selfishness +which was one of the most beautiful traits of his character. The moment +he had at all recovered from the severe attack by which, to use his own +language, he had been 'struck down in the first week of the session,' +and from the effects of which it may be doubted whether he ever entirely +recovered, he laboured zealously to induce some competent person to +undertake the office which he had thought it expedient to resign, +offering in several instances to serve in the ranks, and to assist with +his utmost energies, both in and out of the House, the individual who +would undertake the responsible direction in the Commons. + +These efforts, though indefatigable, were not successful, for those who +were competent to the office cared not to serve under any one except +himself. About this time, a personage of great station, and who very +much admired Lord George Bentinck, wrote to him, and recommended him +not to trouble himself about the general discipline of the party, but +to follow his own course, and lead that body of friends who under all +circumstances would adhere to him, instancing the case of Mr. Canning, +under circumstances not altogether dissimilar. Lord George replied: 'As +for my rallying a personal party round myself, as Mr. Canning did, I +have no pretension to anything of the kind; when Mr. Canning did that, +the House of Commons, and England too, acknowledged him to be the +greatest orator who had survived Pitt and Fox; he had been Secretary of +State for foreign affairs, and had taken a conspicuous part in rousing +the country to carry on the war against France.' + +The nature of the subject, dealing as it necessarily does with so +many personal details, renders it impossible to make public the +correspondence in which Lord George Bentinck was engaged at this time in +his attempts to place the Protectionist party under the guidance of one +who would unite all sympathies; but were that publication possible, it +would place Lord George Bentinck in a very noble and amiable light, and +prove a gentleness and softness in his nature for which those who were +not very intimate with him did not give him credit. Not that it must be +for a moment supposed that he was insensible to what was occurring. He +was the most sensitive as well as the proudest of men. When the writer +called at Harcourt House, to bid him farewell, before the Christmas +holidays, and, conversing very frankly on the course which he was then +pursuing, inquired as to his future proceedings, Lord George said with +emotion: 'In this cause I have shaken my constitution and shortened +my days, and I will succeed or die.' In the course of the year 1848, +walking home, talking together, from the House of Commons, he twice +recurred to this terrible alternative. + +But all considerations were merged at this moment in the predominant one +which was to keep the party together. He wrote to a friend at the end of +January, who urged him, as the hour of work approached and the injurious +inconveniences of his abdication would be more felt, to confer with his +former followers and reconsider his position, that no personal feeling +prevented his taking that course, but that he felt any resumption of +responsibility on his part would not be pleasing to a section of those +who formerly served with him, and that there would be a 'split' in the +ranks. 'As far as I am personally concerned,' he added, 'I could submit +to anything short of having my ears cut off and appearing as a "Croppy," +to be free again. My pride cannot stand leading an unwilling party; I +would just as soon thrust myself into a dinner-room where I was at once +an uninvited and an unwelcome guest.' + +In the meantime, according to his custom, the moment that he had +sufficiently recovered from his illness, he prepared with the utmost +zeal for the coming struggle respecting the fate of our sugar colonies, +in which subject he was soon absorbed. + +Parliament reassembled on the 3rd of February, and on that night Lord +George Bentinck brought forward his motion for 'a select committee +to inquire into the present condition and prospects of the interests +connected with and dependent on sugar and coffee planting in her +Majesty's East and West Indian possessions and the Mauritius, and to +consider whether any and what measures can be adopted by Parliament for +their relief.' When he entered the House, Lord George walked up to the +head of the second bench below the gangway, on the opposition side, +and thus significantly announced that he was no longer the responsible +leader of the Protectionist party. It was the wish of the writer of +these pages, who had resolved to stand or fall by him, to have followed +his example and to have abdicated the prominent seat in which the writer +had been unwillingly and fortuitously placed; but by the advice, or +rather at the earnest request, of Lord George Bentinck, this course was +relinquished as indicative of schism, which he wished to discourage; and +the circumstance is only mentioned as showing that Lord George was not +less considerate at this moment of the interests of the Protectionist +party than when he led them with so much confidence and authority. +The session, however, was to commence without a leader, without any +recognized organ of communication between parties, or any responsible +representative of opinion in debate. All again was chaos. There is, +however, something so vital in the Conservative party that it seems +always to rally under every disadvantage. + +Lord George spoke well to his resolution: the House soon recognized +he was master of his case, and though few foresaw at the moment the +important consequences to which this motion would lead, the House was +interested from the first; and though there was no division, the debate +lasted two days, and was sustained on both sides with great animation. + +The mover vindicated himself very successfully for only proposing a +committee of inquiry. 'It has been represented to me,' he said, 'by the +colonies and by persons in this country who are interested in them, that +the course which I am proposing is not consistent with the necessities +of the case; that there is something pusillanimous in the motion which +I am going to make; that in point of fact the interests connected with +sugar and coffee planting are in extremis; and that while the question +of their redress is being discussed in a committee above-stairs, these +great interests will perish. They say to me that a committee of inquiry +will be to them of the nature of that comfort which, + + "Like cordials after death, come late; " + +and that before the committee shall have reported, the West-Indian +interest will be altogether past recovery. But, sir, it is for me to +consider what my power is to obtain any substantial relief by a direct +vote of this House; and when I remember that in July, 1846, I moved a +resolution the purport of which was, to maintain the protection for +the West-Indian and the East-Indian free-labour colonies which they now +seek, and that I had but one hundred and thirty gentlemen to support me, +while two hundred and sixty-five votes were recorded in favour of the +measure of the Government admitting slave-labour sugar, I feel that it +is hopeless for me to endeavour in this House, where I have no reason +to suppose any addition has been made to the members acquiescing in my +views, to convert that minority into a majority; and more especially +when I recollect that on that occasion but five gentlemen connected with +the West-Indian and East-Indian interests recorded their votes with me, +I think the West-Indian interest has not a good case against me when +they blame me for not taking a more resolute step on this occasion.' + +He was not, however, without hope from the course which he had decided +to pursue. 'Looking, as I have done, at the deplorable state of the +West Indies, the East Indies, and the Mauritius, and holding, as I do, +in my hand a list of forty-eight great houses in England--twenty-six +of the first commercial houses in London, sixteen in Liverpool, and six +elsewhere--which have failed, and whose liabilities amount in the whole +to L6,300,000 and upwards, none of which I believe would have fallen had +it not been for the ruin brought upon them by the change in the sugar +duties and the consequent reduction in the price of their produce,--I +do hope, through the intervention of a committee of this House, I may be +able to prevail upon the House to change its policy with regard to this +great question.' + +Lord George was supported in this debate by Mr. Thomas Baring, in one +of the best speeches ever made in the House of Commons. Few more combine +mastery of the case with parliamentary point than this gentleman. It is +not impossible to find a man capable of addressing the House of Commons +who understands the subject; it is not impossible to find a man who +can convey his impressions on any subject to the House in a lively and +captivating manner, though both instances are rarer than the world would +imagine; but a man who at the same time understands a question and can +handle it before a popular assembly in a popular style, who teaches +without being pedantic, can convey an argument in an epigram, and +instruct as the Mexicans did by picture, possesses a talent for the +exercise of which he is responsible to his sovereign and his country. + +Mr. Baring said that he could not perfectly agree either with Lord John +Russell or Lord George Bentinck, that Protection or Free Trade must be +in what they called a circle, round which in their legislation they must +always move; that they must either give protection to everything or +free trade to everything. He could not say that because sugar claimed +protection, coals must have protection also. Neither would he, on the +other hand, apply free trade to every article. He acknowledged the +advantage of competition as a stimulus: he thought that, placing things +on equal grounds, competition was undoubtedly a great advantage. He +could understand a competition to try the mutual speed of race-horses; +but there could be no competition between a race-horse and a +steam-engine, for the power of the animal could bear no comparison with +that of the machine! + +Mr. Baring could look back to no legislation more humiliating than the +legislation regarding our colonies. No great interest was ever so much +trifled with, so much sacrificed to the cry of the day; at one moment to +no slavery and another to cheap sugar. + +The committee was granted, and it was generally felt that the question +was consequently quieted for the session. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + + _Leader Perforce_ + +DURING the first six weeks of this famous committee the attendance +of its members was not very regular, and its labours attracted little +attention. The evidence on the East-India part of the question was +closed and reported to the House by the end of February; after that +period the evidence was reported to the House every week or ten +days. Towards the end of March, rumours began to circulate of the +extraordinary vigour and ability with which this investigation was +pursued, and of the novel, authentic, and striking evidence that had +been elicited. The proceedings were talked of in the House of Commons +and on the Royal Exchange; the City men who were examined went back +to their companions with wondrous tales of the energy and acuteness +of Harcourt House, and the order, method, and discipline of the +committee-room at Westminster. As time elapsed, the hopes of the +colonial interest again revived. It was generally felt that Lord George +had succeeded in establishing an irresistible case. It was rumoured that +the government could not withstand it. Those who had originally murmured +at the course which he had adopted of moving for a committee of inquiry, +instead of proposing a specific measure of relief, and had treated an +investigation as a mere means of securing inaction, now recanted their +rash criticism, and did justice to his prescience and superior judgment, +as well as to his vast information and indefatigable exertions. The week +during which the committee sat on their report was a very anxious +one; the divisions were known every day in the House of Commons; the +alternations of success and discomfiture, and the balanced numbers that +so often called for the interposition of the chairman, were calculated +to sustain the excitement; and when, on the 29th of May, it was known +that the report was at length agreed to, and that a committee of free +traders had absolutely recommended a differential duty of 10s. in favour +of our own produce, one might have fancied from the effect visibly +produced, that a government was changed. + +A few days before--it was the day after the Derby, May 25th--the writer +met Lord George Ben-tinck in the library of the House of Commons. He +was standing before the book-shelves, with a volume in his hand, and +his countenance was greatly disturbed. His resolutions in favour of +the colonial interest after all his labours had been negatived by the +committee on the 22nd, and on the 24th, his horse Surplice, whom he +had parted with among the rest of his stud, solely that he might pursue +without distraction his labours on behalf of the great interests of the +country, had won that paramount and Olympian stake, to gain which had +been the object of his life. He had nothing to console him, and nothing +to sustain him except his pride. Even that deserted him before a heart +which he knew at least could yield him sympathy. He gave a sort of +superb groan:-- + +'All my life I have been trying for this, and for what have I sacrificed +it!' he murmured. + +It was in vain to offer solace. + +'You do not know what the Derby is,' he moaned out. + +'Yes, I do; it is the blue ribbon of the turf.' + +'It is the blue ribbon of the turf,' he slowly repeated to himself, and +sitting down at the table, he buried himself in a folio of statistics. + +But on Monday, the 29th, when the resolution in favour of a 10s. +differential duty for the colonies had at the last moment been carried, +and carried by his casting vote, 'the blue ribbons of the turf were all +forgotten. Not for all the honours and successes of all the meetings, +spring or autumn, Newmarket, Epsom, Goodwood, Doncaster, would he have +exchanged that hour of rapture. His eye sparkled with fire, his nostril +dilated with triumph, his brow was elate like a conqueror, his sanguine +spirit saw a future of continued and illimitable success. + +'We have saved the colonies,' he said,--'saved the colonies. I knew it +must be so. It is the knell of free trade.' + +Notwithstanding the formal renunciation of the leadership of the +Protectionist party by Lord George Bentinck, it was soon evident to the +House and the country that that renunciation was merely formal. In these +days of labour, the leader of a party must be the man who does the work, +and that work cannot now be accomplished without the devotion of a life. +Whenever a great question arose, the people out of doors went to Lord +George Bentinck, and when the discussion commenced, he was always found +to be the man armed with the authority of knowledge. There was, however, +no organized debate and no party discipline. No one was requested to +take a part, and no attendance was ever summoned. The vast majority +sitting on the Protectionist benches always followed Bentinck, who, +whatever might be his numbers in the lobby, always made a redoubtable +stand in the House. The situation however, it cannot be denied, was a +dangerous one for a great party to persevere in, but no permanent damage +accrued, because almost every one hoped that before the session was +over, the difficulty would find a natural solution in the virtual chief +resuming his formal and responsible post. Notwithstanding his labours on +the two great committees of the year--those on colonial and commercial +distress,--Lord George Bentinck found time to master the case of the +shipping interest when the navigation laws were attacked, to impugn in +a formal motion the whole of the commercial policy of Sir Robert Peel, +even while the sugar and coffee planting committee was still sitting, +and to produce, early in March, a rival budget. It was mainly through +the prolonged resistance which he organized against the repeal of the +navigation laws, that the government, in 1848, was forced to abandon +their project. The resistance was led with great ability by Mr. Herries, +and the whole party put forward their utmost strength to support him. +But it is very difficult to convey a complete picture of the laborious +life of Lord George Bentinck during the sitting of Parliament. +At half-past nine o'clock there called upon him the commercial +representatives of the question of the day; after these conferences came +his elaborate and methodical correspondence, all of which he carried +on himself in a handwriting clear as print, and never employing a +secretary; at twelve or one o'clock he was at a committee, and he only +left the committee-room to take his seat in the House of Commons, which +he never quitted till the House adjourned, always long past midnight, +and often at two o'clock in the morning. Here he was ready for all +comers, never omitting an opportunity to vindicate his opinions, or +watching with lynx-like vigilance the conduct of a public office. What +was not his least remarkable trait is, that although he only breakfasted +on dry toast, he took no sustenance all this time, dining at White's +at half-past two o'clock in the morning. After his severe attack of +the influenza he broke through this habit a little during the last +few months of his life, moved by the advice of his physician and the +instance of his friends. The writer of these observations prevailed +upon him a little the last year to fall into the easy habit of dining +at Bellamy's, which saves much time, and permits the transaction of +business in conversation with a congenial friend. But he grudged it: +he always thought that something would be said or done in his absence, +which would not have occurred had he been there; some motion whisked +through, or some return altered. His principle was that a member should +never be absent from his seat. + +The session of '48 had been one of unexampled length, having lasted ten +months, and, as usual under such circumstances, the obstacles to the +transaction of public business were sought everywhere except in the +real quarter. The forms of the House and the propensity to unnecessary +discussion among its members were chiefly denounced. Lord George +Bentinck did not agree in the justness of these criminations; they were +eagerly caught by the thoughtless and the superficial, but it was his +habit to investigate and analyze everything, and he found that these +charges had no basis. The forms of the House of Commons are the +result of accumulated experience and have rarely been tampered with +successfully, while on the other hand a parliamentary government is by +name and nature essentially a government of discussion. It is not at all +difficult to conceive a mode of governing a country more expeditious +than by a parliament; but where truth as well as strength is held to +be an essential element of legislation, opinion must be secured an +unrestricted organ. Superfluity of debate may often be inconvenient to +a minister, and sometimes perhaps even distasteful to the community; +but criticizing such a security for justice and liberty as a free-spoken +parliament is like quarrelling with the weather because there is too +much rain or too much sunshine. The casual inconvenience should be +forgotten in the permanent blessing. Acting upon these false imputations +a committee was even appointed, two years ago, of the most eminent +members of the House of Commons, to investigate the subject and suggest +remedies, and some votaries of the Transatlantic type recommended the +adoption of the rules of Congress where each speaker is limited to +an hour. But an hour from an uninteresting speaker would be a great +infliction. The good sense and the good taste of the House of Commons +will be found on the whole to be the best regulators of the duration of +a debate. + +The truth is that the delay in the conduct of parliamentary business +which has been much complained of during the last few years, murmurs of +which were especially rife in 1848, is attributable to the fact that the +ministry, though formed of men inferior in point of ability to none who +could be reasonably intrusted with administration, had not +sufficient parliamentary strength. After all their deliberations and +foresight,--after all their observations of the times and study of the +public interest, their measures when launched from the cabinet into the +House were not received by a confiding majority, firm in their faith +in the statesmanlike qualities of the authors of these measures and in +their sympathy with the general political system of which the ministry +was the representative. On the contrary, the success of the measures +depended on a* variety of sections who in their aggregate exceeded in +number and influence the party of the ministers. These became critics +and took the ministerial measures in hand; the measures became, the +measures, not of the cabinet, but of the House of Commons; and a purely +legislative assembly became, in consequence of the weakness of the +government, yearly more administrative. This was undoubtedly a great +evil, and occasioned, besides great delay, many crude enactments, as +will be the case where all are constructors and none are responsible, +but the evil was not occasioned by the forms of the House or the +length of the speeches. Sir Robert Peel was unquestionably a very able +administrator, but if he had not had a majority of ninety he would +have fallen in as ill repute as has been too often the lot of Lord John +Russell. + +Lord George Bentinck was very anxious that there should be a +parliamentary summary of this enormous and eventful session of '48, that +the conduct of business by the ministry should be traced and criticized +and the character of the House of Commons vindicated, and he appealed to +the writer of these observations to undertake the task. But the writer +was unwilling to accede to this suggestion, not only because at the end +of August he shrank from a laborious effort, but principally because he +did not hold that his position in the House of Commons warranted on his +part such an interference, since, after all, he was only the comrade in +arms of one who chose to be only an independent member of the House. He +therefore unaffectedly stated that he thought the office was somewhat +above his measure. But Lord George Bentinck would not listen to these +representations. 'I don't pretend to know much,' he said, 'but I can +judge of men and horses.' It is difficult to refuse those who are +themselves setting a constant example of self-sacrifice, and therefore, +so far as the labour was concerned, the writer would not have shrunk +from the exertion even on the last day of the month of August, and when +the particular wish of Lord George was found to be more general than the +writer presumed to suppose, he accordingly endeavoured to accomplish the +intention. + +Three or four days after this, the writer, about to leave London, called +at Harcourt House, to say farewell to his comrade in arms. He +passed with Lord George the whole morning, rather indulging in the +contemplation of the future than in retrospect. Lord George was serene, +cheerful, and happy. He was content with himself, which was rarely the +case, and remembered nothing of his career but its distinction, and the +ennobling sense of having done his duty. + +Any misunderstandings that may have for a moment irritated him seemed +forgotten; he appeared conscious that he possessed the confidence +and cordial regard of the great majority of the Protectionist party, +although he chose to occupy a private post, and he was proud of the +consciousness. He was still more sensible of the sympathy which he had +created out of doors, which he greatly appreciated, and to which, though +with his usual modesty, he more than once recurred. 'The thing is +to get the people out of doors with you,' he repeated, 'men like the +merchants; all the rest follow.' It was evident that the success of his +colonial committee had greatly satisfied his spirit. He had received +that day the vote of thanks of the West-India body for his exertions. +He said more than once, that with a weak government, a parliamentary +committee properly worked might do wonders. He said he would have a +committee on import duties next year, and have all the merchants to show +what share the foreigners had obtained of the reductions that had been +made of late years. He maintained, that, quite irrespective of the +general arrangements of the new commercial system, Sir Robert Peel had +thrown away a great revenue on a number of articles of very inferior +importance, and he would prove this to the country. He said our colonial +empire ought to be reconstructed by a total abolition of all duties on +produce from her Majesty's dominions abroad. + +All his ideas were large, clear, and coherent. He dwelt much on the +vicissitudes which most attend all merely foreign trade, which, though +it should be encouraged, ought not to be solely relied on, as was the +fashion of this day. Looking upon war as occasionally inevitable, he +thought a commercial system based upon the presumption of perpetual +peace to be full of ruin. His policy was essentially imperial and not +cosmopolitan. + +About to part probably for many months, and listening to him as he +spoke, according to his custom, with so much fervour and sincerity, one +could not refrain from musing over his singular and sudden career. It +was not three years since he had in an instant occupied the minds +of men. No series of parliamentary labours had ever produced so much +influence in the country in so short a time. Never was a reputation so +substantial built up in so brief a period. AH the questions with which +he had dealt were colossal questions: the laws that should regulate +competition between native and foreign labour; the interference of the +state in the development of the resources of Ireland; the social and +commercial condition of our tropical colonies; the principles upon which +our revenue should be raised; the laws which should regulate and protect +our navigation. But it was not that he merely expressed opinions +upon these subjects; he came forward with details in support of his +principles and policy, which it had before been believed none but a +minister could command. Instead of experiencing the usual and almost +inevitable doom of private members of Parliament, and having his +statements shattered by official information, Lord George Bentinck on +the contrary, was the assailant, and the successful assailant, of +an administration on these very heads. He often did their work more +effectually than all their artificial training enabled them to do it. +His acute research, and his peculiar sources of information, roused +the vigilance of all the public offices of the country. Since his time, +there has been more care in preparing official returns, and in arranging +the public correspondence placed on the table of the House of Commons. + +When one remembered that in this room, not three years ago, he was +trying to find a lawyer who would make a speech for him in Parliament, +it was curious to remember that no one in the period had probably +addressed the House of Commons oftener. Though his manner, which was +daily improving, was not felicitous in the House, the authority of his +intellect, his knowledge, and his character, made him one of the great +personages of debate; but with the country who only read his speeches +he ranked high as an orator. It is only those who have had occasion +critically to read and examine the long series of his speeches who can +be conscious of their considerable merits. The information is always +full and often fresh, the scope large, the argument close, and the +style, though simple, never bald, but vigorous, idiomatic, and often +picturesque. He had not credit for this in his day, but the passages +which have been quoted in this sketch will prove the justness of this +criticism. As a speaker and writer, his principal need was condensation. +He could not bear that anything should remain untold. He was deficient +in taste, but he had fervour of feeling, and was by no means void of +imagination. + +The writer, in his frequent communications with him of faithful and +unbounded confidence, was often reminded of the character by Mr. Burke +of my Lord Keppell. + +The labours of Lord George Bentinck had been supernatural, and one ought +perhaps to have felt then that it was impossible they could be continued +on such a scale of exhaustion; but no friend could control his eager +life in this respect; he obeyed the law of his vehement and fiery +nature, being one of those men who in whatever they undertake know no +medium, but will 'succeed or die.' + +But why talk here and now of death! He goes to his native county and his +father's proud domain, to breathe the air of his boyhood and move amid +the parks and meads of his youth. Every breeze will bear health, and the +sight of every hallowed haunt will stimulate his pulse. He is scarcely +older than Julius Caesar when he commenced his public career, he looks as +high and brave, and he springs from a long-lived race. + +He stood upon the _perron_ of Harcourt House, the last of the great +hotels of an age of stately dwellings with its wings, and court-yard, +and carriage portal, and huge outward walls. He put forth his hand to +bid farewell, and his last words were characteristic of the man--of his +warm feelings and of his ruling passion: 'God bless you; we must work, +and the country will come round us.' + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + + _The Curtain Falls_ + + + +THE heavens darken; a new character enters upon the scene. + +They say that when great men arise they have a mission to accomplish +and do not disappear until it is fulfilled. Yet this is not always true. +After all his deep study and his daring action Mr. Hampden died on an +obscure field, almost before the commencement of that mighty struggle +which he seemed born to direct. In the great contention between the +patriotic and the cosmopolitan principle which has hardly begun, and +on the issue of which the fate of this island as a powerful community +depends, Lord George Ben-tinck appeared to be produced to represent the +traditionary influences of our country in their most captivating form. +Born a natural leader of the people, he was equal to the post. Free from +prejudices, his large mind sympathized with all classes of the realm. +His courage and his constancy were never surpassed by man. He valued +life only as a means of fulfilling duty, and truly it may be said of +him, that he feared none but God. + +A few days after the interview noticed in the last chapter, Lord George +Bentinck returned to Welbeck. Some there were who thought him worn by +the exertions of the session, and that an unusual pallor had settled +upon that mantling and animated countenance. He himself never felt in +better health or was ever in higher spirits, and greatly enjoyed the +change of life, and that change to a scene so dear to him. + +On the 21 st of September, after breakfasting with his family, he +retired to his room, where he employed himself With some papers, and +then wrote three letters, one to Lord Enfield, another to the Duke of +Richmond, and the third to the writer of these pages. That letter is +now at hand; it is of considerable length, consisting of seven sheets of +note-paper, full of interesting details of men and things, and written +not only in a cheerful but even a merry mood. Then, when his letters +were sealed, about four o'clock he took his staff and went forth to +walk to Thoresby, the seat of Lord Manvers, distant between five and six +miles from Welbeck, where Lord George was to make a visit of two days. +In consequence of this his valet drove over to Thoresby at the same time +to meet his master. But the master never came. Hours passed on and the +master never came. At length the anxious servant returned to Welbeck, +and called up the groom who had driven him over to Thoresby and who was +in bed, and inquired whether he had seen anything of Lord George on the +way back, as his lord had never reached Thoresby. The groom got up, and +accompanied by the valet and two others took lanthorns, and followed +the footpath which they had seen Lord George pursuing as they themselves +went to Thoresby. + +About a mile from the Abbey, on the path which they had observed him +following, lying close to the gate which separates a water meadow from +the deer-park, they found the body of Lord George Bentinck. He was lying +on his face; his arms were under his body, and in one hand he grasped +his walking-stick. His hat was a yard or two before him, having +evidently been thrown off in falling. The body was cold and stiff. He +had been long dead. + +A woodman and some peasants passing near the spot, about two hundred +yards from the gate in question, had observed Lord George, whom at the +distance they had mistaken for his brother the Marquis of Titchfield, +leaning against this gate. It was then about half-past four o'clock, or +it might be a quarter to five, so he could not have left his home much +more than half an hour. The woodman and his companions thought 'the +gentleman' was reading, as he held his head down. One of them lingered +for a minute looking at the gentleman, who then turned round, and might +have seen these passers-by, but he made no sign to them. + +Thus it seems that the attack, which was supposed to be a spasm of the +heart, was not instantaneous in its effects, but with proper remedies +might have been baffled. Terrible to think of him in his death-struggle +without aid, and so near a devoted hearth! For that hearth, too, what an +impending future! + +The terrible news reached Nottingham on the morning of the 22nd, at +half-past nine o'clock, and, immediately telegraphed to London, +was announced by a second edition of the 'Times' to the country. +Consternation and deep grief fell upon all men. One week later, the +remains arrived from Welbeck at Harcourt House, to be entombed in the +family vault of the Bentincks, that is to be found in a small building +in a dingy street, now a chapel of ease, but in old days the parish +church among the fields of the pretty village of Marylebone. + +The day of interment was dark, and cold, and drizzling. Although the +last offices were performed in the most scrupulously private manner, the +feelings of the community could not be repressed. From nine till eleven +o'clock that day all the British shipping in the docks and the river, +from London Bridge to Gravesend, hoisted their flags half-mast high, +and minute guns were fired from appointed stations along the Thames. +The same mournful ceremony was observed in all the ports of England and +Ireland; and not only in these, for the flag was half-mast high on every +British ship at Antwerp, at Rotterdam, and at Havre. + +Ere the last minute gun sounded, all was over. Followed to his tomb by +those brothers who, if not consoled, might at this moment be sustained +by the remembrance that to him they had ever been brothers not only in +name but in spirit, the vault at length closed on the mortal remains of +_George Bentinck_. + +One who stood by his side in an arduous and unequal struggle, who often +shared his councils and sometimes perhaps soothed his cares, who knew +well the greatness of his nature and esteemed his friendship among +the chief of worldly blessings, has stepped aside from the strife and +passion of public life to draw up this record of his deeds and thoughts, +that those who come after us may form some conception of his character +and career, and trace in these faithful though imperfect pages the +portraiture of an _English Worthy_. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Lord George Bentinck, by Benjamin Disraeli + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LORD GEORGE BENTINCK *** + +***** This file should be named 20007.txt or 20007.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/0/0/0/20007/ + +Produced by David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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