think myself disgraced if I took two days, two hours, or two minutes to deliberate upon it; I am yours, and let the storm blow from what quarter of the hemisphere it may, you shall always find me at your side." 66 When he attended in the King's closet to kiss hands and to be knighted, George III, who had been recently in a state of derangement and was as yet only partially recovered, after bidding him " rise, Sir Edward," said to him, "Sir Edward, Sir Edward, have you ever been in parliament ?" and being answered in the negative, added "Right, Sir Edward; quite right, Sir Edward; for now when you become my Attorney-General, Sir Edward, you will not eat your own words, Sir Edward, as so many of your predecessors have been obliged to do, Sir Edward." In those Ante-Reform-Act days the Government always-easily, and as a matter of course-provided seats in the House of Commons for the law-officers of the Crown, they paying only 500l. as a contribution to the Treasury-borough fund. A considerable number of seats were under the absolute control of the minister for the time being, and others, for a consideration in money or money's worth, were placed by borough proprietors at his disposal. The difficulty of getting and keeping a seat in the House of Commons, which now so much influences the appointment to offices, was then never thought of. In consequence, the minister certainly had a more unlimited command of talent and fitness for public service. No one would now think of going back to the "nomination" system, its conveniences being greatly outweighed by its evils; but the experiment may hereafter be made of allowing certain officers of the Crown, as such, to have voice without vote in the House of Commons. The new Attorney-General, having deposited his 500l. with the Secretary to the Treasury, was returned for a close borough, and on the 2nd of March, 1801, he was sworn in at the table. He seems to have imbibed the doctrine for which I have heard the great Lord Lyndhurst strenuously contend, that no allusion ought to be made in parliament to any political opinions entertained or expressed by any individual before going into parliament. Having openly and zealously belonged to the Whigs till 1792, -after changing sides, Law was eager to embrace every opportunity of attacking or sneering at that party in their subsequent prostrate condition. He entered St. Stephen's Chapel too late in life to be a skilful debater; but as often as he spoke he commanded attention by the energy of his manner and the rotundity of his phrases (reminding the old members of Thurlow), and he gave entire satisfaction to his em- March 18. ployers. His maiden speech was made in support of the bill for continuing martial law in Ireland, which gave courts-martial jurisdiction over all offences, with a power of life and death. He contended that "this measure had led to the extinction of rebellion in that country, and that to its operation the House owed their power of debating at that moment, for without it the whole empire would have been involved in one common ruin. The aspect of the late rebellion he conceived to be unequalled in the history of any country; never before had rebellion so aimed at the destruction of all that is venerable in political institutions or sweet in domestic life of all the social affections which unite man to man- of all the sacred sanctions which bind man to his Maker."* Coercive measures for Ireland are always well relished in the House of Commons, and, on a division, eight only mustered in the minority. Mr. Attorney next argued the necessity for suspending the Habeas Corpus Act in England, asserting that the 35 Parl. Hist. 1014. constitution of the country would not be safe if the bill which was now moved for were not passed. He said “he would maintain that it was a most lenient measure, and particularly to those against whom it was intended. To prevent an outbreak of treason, was mercy to the traitors. Because crimes were not judicially proved, their existence must not be denied. Had it not been for subsequent events, the acquitted and sainted Arthur O'Connor, long the idol of the other side of the House, now confessing his guilt-who had been so lauded as to cause universal nausea-would have gone to his grave loaded with the unmixed praises of his compurgators."* The minority now amounted to forty-two. Rev. John Tooke, M.P. When the Rev. John Horne Tooke was nominated as member for the borough of Camelford, the question arose whether a priest in orders was qualified to sit in the House of Commons? Mr. Attorney learnedly argued for the negative, and zealously supported the bill to prevent such an occurrence in future. Mr. Horne Tooke had his revenge, and excited a laugh at the dogmatizing method of his opponent, which he pronounced to be "only fit for the pulpit, so that an exchange might advantageously be made between the Law and the Church."† Sir Edward's last speech in the House of Commons was on the claim made by the Prince of Wales against the King for an account of all the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall during his Royal Highness's minority. The ground taken by him was, that the King had a set off for his Royal Highness's board and education, which overtopped the demand. "Can it be contended," said he, "that the Prince of Wales, after having been maintained one-and-twenty years in all the splendour becoming his elevated rank, may at last call the King to an account for all the money received for that purpose * 35 Parl. Hist. 1288. + 35 Parl. Deb. 1335, 1398. during his minority? The Duchy of Cornwall was granted by Edward III. to his son, that he himself might be relieved from the burthen which had previously been thrown upon him and other kings of maintaining their heirs at their own expense. It has been clearly shown that the money advanced to this Prince of Wales during his minority exceeds all his revenues, and that the balance is against him. The elegant accomplishments and splendid endowments of this 'Hope of England' prove that he has experienced the highest degree of parental care, tenderness and liberality."* This controversy, though often renewed, was never brought to a final decision; but the arguments seem conclusively to prove that the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall belong to the Prince of Wales during his minority, and that he is entitled to an account of them on his coming of age. The negotiations for a peace with Napoleon as First Consul of the French Republic were now going on, and parliamentary strife was allayed till the result should be known, all parties agreeing that in the mean time no attempt should be made to subvert the government of Mr. Addington. Before this event Sir Edward Law was transferred to another sphere of action. During the short period of his Attorney-Generalship no prosecution for treason or any political Governor offence arose, but in his official character he Wall's Case. did conduct one of the most memorable prosecutions for murder recorded in our juridical annals. It brought great popularity to him and the government of which he was the organ, upon the supposition that it presented a striking display of the stern impartiality of British jurisprudence; but after a calm review of the evidence I fear it will rather be considered by posterity as an instance of the triumph of vulgar prejudice over *36 Parl. Hist. 433. humanity and justice. The alleged crime had been committed twenty years before the trial, and, except in the case of Eugene Aram, there never had been known such an illustration of the doctrine of our law, that in criminal matters no lapse of time furnishes any defence, while all civil actions are barred by short periods of prescription; upon the supposition that the evidence may have perished which might have proved the charge to be unfounded. JOSEPH WALL, who had served from early youth as an officer in the army, and had always been distinguished for gallantry and good conduct, was, during the American War, appointed Governor of Goree, on the coast of Africa. With a very insufficient garrison, and with very slender military supplies, he had to defend this island from the French, who planned expeditions against it from their neighbouring settlement of Senegal. Governor Wall performed his duty to his country in the midst of formidable difficulties, with firmness and discretion-and the place intrusted to him was safely preserved from all perils till peace was re-established. He was then about to return home, in the expectation of thanks and promotion, but great discontents existed among the troops forming the garrison, by reason of their pay being in arrear. This grievance they imputed to the Governor, and they resolved that he should not leave the island till they were righted. Benjamin Armstrong, a sergeant, their ringleader, was brought by him irregularly before a regimental courtmartial, and sentenced to receive 800 lashes. Although this whipping was administered with much severity, he in all probability would have recovered from it if he had not immediately after drunk a large quantity of ardent spirits: but his intemperance, together with thẹ wounds inflicted upon him by the flagellation, and an unhealthy climate, brought on inflammation and fever, of which he died. Order was restored, and the Governor |