In fact he only, his tool Lord Castlereagh. After a most deter- 1835. mined contest and 13 days poll, Colonel Meade was returned by a majority of 450; which would have been considerably encreased, had not Lord Castlereagh withdrawn from the contest, after having exhausted all his resources. Not having apprehended so powerful an opposition, he had not intended to have gone over. arrived on the 4th day of the poll. After he had declined the poll, he immediately set off on his return to London, execrated, humbled and disappointed. He was readily accommodated on his arrival with an English borough out of that ample store of venal seats in the Commons, which the minister holds at command, to answer the trade of Parliament, and which are therefore called Government Boroughs. This triumph over political profligacy in the county of Down was hailed by the nation at large, as the first atchievement of the young Marquis, by whose future labours they joyfully contemplated the strangling of the monster of duplicity and corruption*. *The cheering confidence transfused through the county of Down by the successful stand on the young Marquis interest against the expiring influence of the Castlereagh party, has been recently encouraged by the election of a treasurer for the county of Down in January 1811; when his Lordship's friend the Rev. Mr. Hamilton was elected by 51 votes against 36, Such a supe. riority of the magistrates of that respectable and flourishing county, backed by the single interest of the Marquis of Downshire against the concentration of all the Castlereagh and ministerial forces of the North, marks the progress of political virtue towards that ascendancy, under which alone Ireland can become free, happy, and prosperous. 1805. As the various combinations of Mr. Pitt's sysDecline of tem drew to their natural results, the effects of dishealth, &c. appointment and failure shewed themselves not less Mr. Pitt's visible upon the mind, than upon the body of that ambitious minister. His temper was soured, and his disorder encreased. Even his panegyrist Mr. Giffard* says, that many of his friends about this time fell off, influenced by the declining state of his health and had Mr. Pitt's administration continued, it appeared certain, that serious differences would have soon occurred in the Cabinet, which would have left him in the minority. After the recess, he kept as much as possible from public business. He sent over Mr. Long the new Irish Secretary, to endeavour to settle the differences between Lord Hardwicke and Mr. Foster concerning the patronage of the revenue and other matters: but not with the desired effect. Lord Hardwicke rose in tone and consequence, in proportion as Mr. Pitt declined in health and influence. His Lordship had solicited his recall, and appeared anxious to close his viceregal career with more independance, than he had exhibited at any period of his administration. The indecision and wayering of Mr. Pitt was the only reason, why his successor was not appointed. Lord Hardwicke made a tour into the province of Connaught, and from his answers to the different addresses presented to him in the course of his progress, appeared to be most sensibly affected with the expressions of ap * He has written his life in 6 volumes 8vo. probation of his mild, conciliatory and just management of his Majesty's Government, which were contrived to be inserted in all the addresses from the corporations and other public bodies. As in the first year of his administration he courted the Protestant ascendancy by rewarding Sir Richard Musgrave's zeal and hardihood in traducing his Catholie countrymen, by appointing him to the collection of the Dublin City Excise, so in the last year of it he sought to sooth the opposite party by peace offerings, displacing Mr. Gif. fard the loudest Protestant declaimer against Catholic Emancipation, and putting the nephew of the Catholic Primate of Dublin into the collection. of the Customs of Baltimore. Nothing further worthy of notice happened during the remainder of Lord Hardwicke's administration in Ireland. The Earl of Harrington succeeded Lord Cathcart as commander in chief: and the Right Hon. Standish O'Grady was appointed Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer in lieu of the late Lord Avonmore. Some other less important movements were made in the law department. 1805. Lord Hard wicke on his de par. ture. his de So certain was the appointment of Lord Hard- Address towicke's successor considered, that the time of the Earl of Powis' departure for Ireland to take possession of his new government was spoken of in the government prints, as fixed for the middle of January. On the 20th of December a post assembly was holden in Dublin for the purpose of voting an address to the Lord Lieutenant, upon his resignation of the Government of the country. 1805. Mecting of Opposition of Mr. Pitt. The address was moved by Mr. Shaw, one of the city members: the gentleman who had voted against the Catholic question by the instruction of his constituents, as he so specially informed the House of Commons on that memorable occasion. The address was carried without a division: and it was voted, that it should be presented to his Excellency in the most respectful and distinguished manner. On the 2d of January the corporation of the city of Dublin waited upon the Lord Lieutenant at the Castle with the address, lamenting that he was shortly to take leave of the country, and expressing their warmest approbation of his management of the government. The Lord Mayor headed the procession, which consisted of eight aldermen and about one-fourth of the commons. This thin attendance on the presentation of the address was occasioned by the late division of the corporation into two parties upon the act passed last session respecting the Dublin paving bill. The present policemen, and the policemen that were to be, formed the ground of difference. The prevailing numbers were for the new policemen. The abuses and inconveniencies under the old police men were enormous. The total failure of all Mr. Pitt's plans on the and decline continent, and the vast ascendancy, which Napoleon had acquired by his late conquest and treaty had filled the unbiassed part of the British nation with dissatisfaction and dismay: and once more casting their longing eyes to peace, they loudly cried out for a change in his Majesty's ministers, as the only sure means of attaining it. The leading 1806. members of the Opposition met at Lord Albẹmarle's to discuss the imperious necessity of putting an end to the disastrous system so obstinately persevered in by Mr. Pitt. Mr. Fox spoke decidedly for peace, as he always had done. Even the war party came in, and Mr. Windham spoke warmly for peace, and then, for the first time, declared his abandonment of the pursuit of the war, as it must thenceforth be directed to an unattainable object. Lord Grenville was not present, but sent his written opinion for peace. Mr. Fox thereupon hailed the country upon their perfect unanimity for a safe and honorable peace. So confident was the nation of Mr. Pitt's inability to retain his situation, that a list of the new ministry was handed about on the day of that meeting of the Opposition, which was the 10th of January; and it varied slightly from the subsequent appointments. From the preceding Autumn Mr. Pitt had manifested such unequivocal symptoms of rapid decline, that his physician (Sir Walter Farquhar) found it requisite in December to accompany him to Bath; not so much for the benefit of he waters, as to withdraw him from public business, and the insupportable mortification of reading the dispatches, which were daily arriving with the humiliating accounts of the failure of all his continental plans. The more thinking of his own friends were sensible, though they shrunk from avowing, that notwithstanding he could keep in depression, and refuse freedom to his Majesty's |