for much less interests, all characters are daily traduced, and "Yours most sincerely, Adieu, "A. WEDDERRURN." * His forensic reputation now repaid what it had borrowed from his parliamentary, and his weight in the House of Commons was much enhanced. He expected some tempting offer from the court; but none being made, he resolved, -keeping himself disentangled from any express party engagements,to go for a season into the hottest opposition. There is a curious letter on the subject of the Douglas cause from David Hume to Dr. Blair-to be accounted for from the philosopher's friendship for Wedderburn and Stuart. 28 March, 1769. "I was struck with a very sensible indignation at the decision of the Douglas cause, though I foresaw it for some time. It was abominable with regard to poor Andrew Stuart, who had conducted that cause with singular ability and integrity, and was at last exposed to reproach, which unfortunately never can be wiped off. For the cause, though not in the least intricate, is so complicated that it never will be reverenced by the public, who are besides perfectly pleased with the sentence, being swayed by compassion and a few popular topics. To one who understands the cause as I do, nothing could appear more scandalous than the pleadings of the two law lords. Such gross misrepresentation, such impudent assertions, such groundless imputations, never came from that place. But all was good enough for their audience, who, bating their quality, are most of them little better than their brethren the Wilkites in the streets." CHAP. CLXIV. A.D. 1769. CHAP. March, 1769. He loses his seat in the House of Com mons for Richmond by support CHAPTER CLXV. CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF LORD LOUGHBOROUGH TILL HE SOON after came on the grand debate in the House of Commons on the resolutions for declaring Mr. Wilkes disqualified to be re-elected a member of the House of Commons in consequence of his expulsion, and for seating Luttrell as member for Middlesex, although he had only 296 votes against 1143. Wedderburn, taking the popular side, seems to have made an admirable speech. The Parliamentary History does not even notice his name as having spoken; ing Wilkes. but, according to Sir Henry Cavendish, he reasoned thus:"The question comes to this, was the person for whom the majority of electors voted, legally disqualified? He is, we are told, by a vote of this house. But has such a vote the force of law? that is the point. If it has not, it may control our own proceedings, but it will not have the effect that the votes given for Mr. Wilkes are thrown away. The position laid down is that a vote of the House of Commons is law. My learned friend says, that it imports a common law disqualification. If it does, by the usage of Parliament, as part of the common law, you can prove it to me; you can show me precedents, you can quote authorities, or succeed by deductions of reason; but in support of such a monstrous proposition we have had neither precedents, nor authorities, nor arguments." Earl Temple, in giving Lord Chatham a brief abstract of the debate, says, "Not a shadow of argument in favour of the disqualification! Wedderburn made a most excellent speech with us. It has cost his seat in Parliament, which he has this day vacated in consequence of Sir Lawrence Dun *Cavendish Deb. i. 352. das's reproaches and desire, from what I think too generous CHAP. a delicacy."* CLXV. A.D. 1769. the Chil tion. Representing the close borough of Richmond, for which he had been returned by its owner, as a Tory, at the general elec- He takes tion in April, 1768,-according to the notions which prevailed, tern Hunand were almost invariably acted upon in the good old times, dreds. he would have incurred great disgrace if he had retained his seat. Next morning he applied for and obtained the Chiltern Hundreds. Now he was looked upon as a martyr, although in reality not more of a Wilkite than Wilkes himself. A Dinner dinner was given to him at the Thatched House Tavern by given to the Opposition leaders, including George Grenville, Burke, OpposiLord John Cavendish, Tommy Townshend, Lord Clive, Lord George Sackville, Sir George Savile, Alderman Beckford, and Colonel Barré. They drank his health with three times Toasts and three, under the title of "THE STEWARD OF THE CHIL- speeches. TERN HUNDREDS ;" and he made a very inflammatory reply, denouncing in no measured terms the usurpation of the rights of the people by their own representatives, and concluding with this oath of abjuration suitably taken by him on receiving an office from the Crown, for which he had vacated his seat: "I do from my soul denounce, detest, and abjure as unconstitutional and illegal, that damnable doctrine and position, that a resolution of the House of Commons can make, alter, suspend, abrogate, or annihilate the law of the land." Whereupon he kissed the bottle. Various other toasts were given to testify the attachment of the meeting to the cause which Wedderburn had so nobly defended; such as -"The rights of electors!" "The law of the land!" "The immortal memory of Lord Chief Justice Holt!"—all introduced by speeches eulogising the new patriot's exertions and his sacrifices. It is said that Wilkes himself became a little jealous of this "North Briton," for though not much of a Chatham Correspondence. † A new writ was moved for Richmond, 9th May, 1769. 32 Com. Jour. 452. Lord Temple, giving an account of the dinner at the Thatched House, says: Every thing passed most miraculously well, and the whole meeting appeared to be like brothers united in one great constitutional cause.". Chatham Correspondence. CHAP. A.D. 1769. tates at public meetings. Jan. 9. 1770. He is re Wilkite, he would not like to have been superseded as the most notorious public man of the day. Wedderburn did begin to agitate in good earnest; and while he was out of Parliament went about making harangues, and supporting violent resolutions against the Government, particularly at a public meeting at York.* The interval, however, was very short; and at the commencement of the next session, he again took his seat in the turned by House of Commons, having been returned for Bishops Castle for Bishops by Lord Clive †, who was thanked by George Grenville and others, for this proof of his regard for the Constitution. ‡ Lord Clive Castle. "Mr. Wedderburn exerted himself as much in the defence of Mr. Wilkes as he ever did in his condemnation; and, at length, to convince such as might not probably be persuaded that he was in earnest, he made a public tour throughout the several ridings, towns, and districts in the extensive county of York, to warn them of the dangers which they and all the freeholders of Great Britain were threatened on account of the late unconstitutional corrupt decisions of the House of Commons in the affair of the Middlesex election. He did not hesitate to reprobate in all its parts the Court system, and he pursued the same line of conduct uniformly till the death of Mr. Grenville." — Public Characters, p. 68. "He subsequently supported the Administration through thick and thin in every measure; but on the motion for rescinding the resolution on the Middlesex election when he absented himself, or, as some say, divided against Ib. 72. the minister." "Westcombe, 10th May, 1769. "SIR, I am sorry that any personal or party motives should have deprived you of that seat in parliament which you filled with so much honour and unbiassed ability: if another seat be acceptable I have one at your service, in which you will at all times be at liberty to exert your talents upon your own principles. I am, with sentiments of the greatest esteem, Sir, your most obedient humble servant, "To Alexr. Wedderburn, Esq." "CLIVE. The following is a copy of George Grenville's letter to Lord Clive thanking him for offering to return Wedderburn for Bishops Castle : "MY DEAR LORD, Bolton Street, May 10. 1769. "I have just this moment received the honour of your letter while Mr. Wedderburn was with me, to whom I have executed your commission. He is extremely sensible of this great mark of your Lordship's esteem and regard, and still more so of the honourable manner in which you have made the proposition for rechoosing him into Parliament. If any thing could give me a higher opinion of your character and conduct than that which I entertained before, it would be your behaviour on this occasion." Lord Temple, writing a few days after to his cousin, Lord Chatham, says, "A seat is already found and fixed for Wedderburn; but it is a great secret, and more offers than one have been made to him. Beckford and Trecothick proposed to him the freedom of the city in a gold box, and Lord George Caven 1 Rossl. MSS. CLXV. Now came on one of the most tremendous party struggles CHAP. recorded in our annals. Lord Chatham, whose public career was supposed to have been terminated in the loss of his in- A.D. 1770. tellects, re-appeared with all his pristine vigour, animated by the most furious indignation against the disqualification of Wilkes; Lord Camden was deprived of the Great Seal for supporting him; and Charles Yorke was supposed to have put an end to his existence three days after he was prevailed upon to receive it. Wedderburn must have cast a longing glance at the bauble, and if it had been then offered to him I am afraid he would not have rejected it, nor shown any remorse for his perfidy. But in the absence of an overture from the Court he deemed it his best course to continue to act with apparent zeal on the popular side. Wedder Lord Accordingly, in the Committee on "the State of the Jan. 25. Nation," Mr. Dowdswell having moved a resolution (which 1770, he said he was to follow up by some others, to be afterwards burn pitted stated), "That in matters of elections this House is bound against to judge according to the law of the land;" and Lord North, North. after complaining that the other proposed resolutions were not brought forward at the same time, having moved that the motion be amended by adding these words, "and that the judgment of this House, declaring John Wilkes, Esquire, disqualified to sit in this present Parliament, was agreeable to the said law of the land, and fully authorised by the law and custom of Parliament," "Mr. Wedderburn observed, that Lord North, with respect to his motion, acted like an old woman, who being examined as a witness, and asked her name, said, 'she would not tell it till she knew what questions were to follow;' he said he was glad the noble lord had nothing to object to the question, except that it was unnecessary; but he hoped that objections of another kind against the amendment were so manifest, as that no gentleman would join him in voting for it." This is the whole dish, at the dinner at the Thatched House Tavern, toasted "The Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds.". Chatham Correspondence. A vacancy was created in Bishops Castle by the retirement of his Lordship's cousin, William Clive. 32 Com. Journ. 457. Gentleman's Magazine, vol. xl. p. 47. |