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OF

THE LIFE

OF

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

GEORGE CANNING.

"First, he was desirous to have the rule and principality in his own hands;
Lastly, he endeavoured to do such actions as might continue his memory,

and leave an impression of his good government to after ages."

"What shadows we are, and what shadows we pursue!"

BACON.

SECOND EDITION.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

BURKE.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY THOMAS DAVISON, WHITEFRIARS;
FOR THOMAS TEGG, 73, CHEAPSIDE.

1829

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MEMOIRS

OF

THE LIFE

OF THE

RIGHT HON. GEORGE CANNING.

...CHAFTER V.

From the Death of Mr. Pitt to the Dismission of the Grenville Administration-Mr. Canning's Satires-Elijah's Mantle— Blue and Buff-His Speeches in Parliament against the Measures of Administration―The Death of Mr. Fox-Change of Ministry-Cause of that Change-Constitutional DoctrinesLampoons on the late Ministers --All the Talents-The New Old Opposition.

WHETHER catholic emancipation was ever seriously contemplated by Mr. Pitt may well be doubted. His retirement from office, as we have seen, was a temporary expedient, to avoid the fulfilment of his engagement with the catholics of Ireland; and from that time to the period of his death, he abandoned the measure, in the accomplishment of which, his solemn faith and the faith of the nation through him. had been pledged. Had he been sincere, and had he

VOL. II.

B

really considered catholic emancipation to be founded in policy and justice, would he have accepted office in 1804, to the exclusion of the Grenville party, with whom he had acted with so much cordiality during his former administration, and with whom this question was one of vital importance? It is said, indeed, that in forming the ministry, his own views were sacrificed to the narrow prejudices that existed in a high quarter; that but for these prejudices, an administration would have been formed, embracing the most splendid talents and the most powerful influence in the empire. It was even asserted, that Mr. Pitt had introduced the name of Mr. Fox to his sovereign, at the suggestion bf.Lord. Granville, who made his admission to office the sine qua non of his own acceptance of power. This, however, it seems, was not a sine qua non with Mr. Pitt. He left the Grenvilles and catholic emancipation to shift for themselves, while he summoned to his assistance the Castlereaghs and the Percevals, who scrupulously adhered to his new policy *. On the death of its

* Of the insincerity of the premier in the principal article of negociation with the Irish catholics, namely, their emancipation on condition of their accepting the union, we have additional evidence in the admissions of the Antijacobin; the paper from whence the following extract, confirmatory of this suspicion is taken, it is said, was written by Mr. Canning.

"In the mean time, it is sufficient for us to know, and we state the fact with confidence (in order to remove some very false impressions which have been made on the public mind by a mis-statement) that the king never gave his cabinet ministers the smallest reason to believe that the measures in question would have his sanction and support; on the contrary, nearly three years ago, his majesty declared his firm resolution never

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