EARL OF FIFE.

On Lord Darnley's Motion for an Inquiry into the State of the Nation.

He thought the only way to judge of the conduct of ministers was by comparing it with reference to the humble line of life in which he moved. If men, continued his lordship, who had the management of my affairs had run me in debt, loaded my tenants with heavy burdens which they could never pay, involved me in contests at law with every neighbourand, in this situation, the person who directed the rest comes to tell me that he will leave my service, but first means to start a question which will raise disputes amongst my tenants; that he had however left several of his fellow-servants who would support his measures, and to whom he would still give his advice-in such a dilemma I should directly send, and desire them to hold no communication with that gentleman, whom I should order never to approach my house. Whatever is wise and prudent in private life must be so in public. Far advanced in life, I can have no object in troubling your lordships, but a sense of duty; never shall my voice be heard in a scramble for place and power. From my local situation I have more opportunity of witnessing the unfortunate state of many individuals than most people. I shall give but one instance: Some time before I left the country, a poor man brought a paper to me, left him by the surveyor of taxes: he has about two acres of ground, and a ferry boat: his rent is about forty shillings: he has one horse, one dog, and a house with two windows eighteen inches square: VOL. II.

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he joins with a neighbour in the same situation for ploughing their small farm. They charged this man six shillings for his horse, four for his dog, and half-acrown for his house. He has nothing but his wife and children untaxed. Judge from this what many feel! Long and eloquent speeches have done much mischief. If they could have guarded our shores, and manned our fleets, England would never flourish more than now!*

MR. HORNE TOOKE.

I shall only say of the following speech, that it is worthy of the celebrated man by whom it was delivered.

On Earl Temple's Motion for an Enquiry into the Eligi. bility of John Horne Tooke, Esq. (being a person in holy orders) to a Seat in the House of Commons.

As no other person, sir, seems inclined to address you, I shall take upon me to trouble the house for a few minutes; yet I rise on this occasion with the greatest reluctance. In the course of a long and not an idle life, I have been engaged in many important struggles; but scarcely ever was I individually concerned. I fought with the enemies of law, of liberty, and of truth. It was of importance for me to succeed, but my failure was not of more consequence to myself than to the rest of mankind. The subjects in dispute were common as the elements of air and water. Now I am engaged in a personal struggle. This, however, is not exactly the first time that I have been in this unpleasant predicament. I have had to do before with persons of a

*This speech is of a century and a half ago.

similar disposition, and the same things have happened to me. Having studied the appointed number of years at the university, and performed the appointed exercises, I aspired to the honour of the degree of master of arts. I believe, sir, that this is an honour that never before was disputed to any one who solicited it. Indeed, sir, I have no doubt that it would to-morrow be conferred upon a great dog, if he could pay the fees, and call outPro Domino Rege-yet this was denied to me. For this favour I was indebted to a forerunner of the noble lord's, (lord Mountford) of whom I shall not now say any thing-De mortuis nihil-sir, I can go no farther. The next struggle of this kind I had, was when I offered myself as candidate to be called to the bar. I then followed the advice of the first lawyer, perhaps, that this country ever produced-I mean the late lord Ashburton. I was not foolish enough to give up a situ. ation which I then held, the profits of which were sufficient for my moderate desires. I had been a member of an inn of court from the year fifty-six, and I thought myself not unqualified to exercise the profession of the law. I might thus have bettered my situation; but I would not, upon speculation, give up what I securely enjoyed. It was well that I did not. A noble marquis, whose name I shall not mention, but who is now a member of this house, interfered, and his influence being great, my application was rejected-However

[Mr. Simeon here rose to speak to order; but there was a loud cry from every corner of the house, of No, no, no! Go on, go on, go on! Mr. S. sitting down,

Mr. Speaker said, that he did not exactly see how this was pertinent, but it was yet impossible to say that it might not be made to bear upon the question.

Mr. Simeon assured the house, that his only motive for rising was, that he was afraid the honourable gentleman was about to cast a discredit upon a respectable profession, to which he had the honour to belong.]

Mr. Horne Tooke then continued.-I hope the

house, sir, will yet be satisfied that what I have been saying is not irrelevant to the question now before you. Why was I thus refused? Was there any law against me? None! Some precedent, then? None! Some ar guments were offered to prove my incapacity? Not one! I was rejected, and the first that was ever rejected on similar grounds. To shew that I am not altogether impertinent, the benches, having on their side no law, no precedent, no reason, were so doubtful as to the propriety of their conduct, that they sent messengers to con sult with the heads of the other inns of court.

This learned body, therefore, were not certain that, though in orders, I was ineligible, or that, though in orders, I might not have laid them aside. I am sorry that the late chancellor of the exchequer is not in his place. He is well acquainted with these proceedings; and I am mistaken if they have not made a pretty deep impression upon him. What I have said, sir, likewise shews how I have been treated in former times, and tends, in some measure, to account for the laudable zeal manifested by the noble lord on the present occa sion. I would beg the house to recollect, sir, how I have been used in this business. Positively, a stranger would imagine that I had been guilty of felony, or some infamous crime. I have been told to stand up and shew myself. My eyes, indeed, sir, are now very weak; but I am very much mistaken if the noble lord is such a terrible looking man that I should have been afraid to look him in the face without this admonition. Have I ever shewed any symptoms of cowardice? No, sir, I have ever remained intrepid in every station, and the noble lord might have saved himself this trouble. I was next ordered to attend in my scat-when the day of my trial came on, it was meant, no doubt. Suppose I am in priest's orders, sir, is this a public delinquincy? Ought I on this account to be declared infamous? I should rather think, sir, that being in orders argued some degree of learning, religion, and good character. Sir, were it not

for my anxiety for the constitution, and the rights of the people, I certainly should now be silent. It is no fiction, that this seat is absolutely a burden and an expence to me. No one advantage do I derive from it. I want not for the privileges of parliament, sir; I have no debts, sir; I never had any, and never shall. My spirit is much too independent to allow me to contract for what I cannot pay, or to owe any one when I have money to pay him. The noble lord expresses great zeal for the purity and independence of this house. These are fine sounding words; but neither of them will suffer from my being a member of it, while I am not sure that they do not suffer from the royal patronage, the effects of which so terrify the noble lord in this instance. There have been gentlemen, not in holy orders, who held livings in the church, and continued members of this house. Sir Richard Wrottesley, for one, held several valuable benefices. Of this I am certain, that many that now hear me would be glad to go into orders for 15001. or 20001. a year, if, indeed, they had the fair moral character which I enjoyed when I first entered the church, and the small pittance of learning necessary to qualify any one for ordination.

I shall not trouble the house much either with law or divinity. All must allow that there is often a great deal of cant about both. Having for many years had neither profession nor employment, I have had nothing to do, but to follow the bent of my inclinations, and to improve my mind. I have thus read much divinity, and with law subjects have been conversant near half a century.

Had I not continually exercised my judgment, the greater part of the books on these subjects would have turned my brain. This effect they certainly have had upon many who have not used the same precaution. I know the advantage which I might derive from perplexing the understanding, by recurring to abstruse reasoning and legal quibbles. But I wave it all. I shall speak nothing but common sense, and what may be understood