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the contemptible tyrant, Ferdinand, who had behaved so inhumanly to his best friends, who had treated so ungratefully those by whom he had been raised to the throne which he disgraced, would be prevented from extending the effects of his reign to Africa.

The holy alliance, and the property tax, for the repeal of which last the nation was mainly indebted to his exertions, were among the next prominent objects of his attacks during this session; at the end of which, he moved for leave to bring in a bill to secure the liberty of the press. The motion was carried, yet nothing further was heard of the measure. But one of the most important acts of Mr. Brougham, at this period, was, that of procuring a legislative inquiry into the ancient charitable institutions, particularly those which had for their object the education of the children of the poor. Though many abuses were discovered by the commissioners appointed under the authority of the committee; there is reason to fear, that the benefit produced has by no means answered the expectation originally formed, or the expense actually incurred.

In the year 1818, Mr. Brougham was invited to become a candidate for the county of Westmoreland; with which his family had, for generations, been connected. Although he had a powerful interest to oppose, in the house of Lonsdale, he accepted the call of his friends, but failed; notwithstanding which, he made another effort, in 1820, and again proved unsuccessful; as he also did at the general election of 1826.

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In the vacation of 1816, if we mistake not, Mr. Brougham, by way of relaxation from the multifarious labours with which he was surrounded, made a tour on the Continent; in the course of which he paid a visit to the Princess of Wales, at her seat in the north of Italy. In consequence of this, he became the confidential agent, and legal adviser, of Her Royal Highness.

On the death of George the Third, Mr. Brougham lost no time in despatching a special messenger to Como, with the intelligence of an event which was so important to the Princess herself, and not less so to the nation at large, of which she was now become the Queen consort. Her Majesty replied immediately, by the same medium, informing Mr. Brougham of her fixed determination to return to England, for the purpose of asserting her rights and privileges, which, she had reason to believe, were in danger, as well as her person. Mr. Brougham communicated the Queen's intention and apprehensions to Lord Castlereagh, who assured him that no indignity would be offered to the illustrious personage, either abroad or at home. There can be little doubt, however, that the Queen's Attorney-General, for as such he was now formally admitted, would willingly have prevented his royal mistress from carrying her resolution into effect. In this he was foiled; and on Thursday, the first of June, 1820, the Queen apprised him, by letter, of her arrival at St. Omer, to which place she requested him to hasten without delay. Accordingly, on Saturday he set out with Lord Hutchinson, who was nominated, on the part of the King, to arrange the terms of a settlement, founded on the condition of Her Majesty's giving up all idea of landing in England. Mr. Brougham, on reaching St. Omer, introduced Lord Hutchinson, as the friend of Her Majesty, and a mediator anxiously desirous to render her service, at this crisis. The Queen, it appeared, had already been informed, that her confidential friend and the King's agent had travelled in the same carriage, embarked in the same packet, and kept company all the way to St. Omer, while Sicard, Her Majesty's oldest servant, rode on the outside of the carriage. By whom she was informed of all this, or f

what purpose, we are not told; but so it was, that the Queen' took alarm; and, while the two deputies were in consultation or correspondence upon the business in which they were concerned, the royal personage put an end to their labours, by setting off for Dover without taking leave of either one or the other.

Mortifying as this was, Mr. Brougham had too much sympathizing feeling not to make allowance for the irritability of a mind ill at ease, and liable to be imposed upon by bad advisers. He hastened back to London, where, on his arrival, he found that the door of hope was closed against that adjustment which it had been his earnest wish to accomplish. The contracted space to which we are confined precludes any further detail on a subject that belongs to general history; and to do justice to which, would call for amplification in the narrative, incompatible with biography. can we even descant upon the eloquence displayed by the Queen's advocate, without injuring the force of the reasoning, and the elegance of the language.

It cannot be expected that we should attempt to enumerate the speeches or motions made by this great orator and statesman, while a member of the lower house of parliament. We shall, therefore, confine ourselves to a few of the most important, and such as relate to subjects of permanent interest.

On the eleventh of February, 1822, we find Mr. Brougham bringing forward, at the close of a very elaborate speech, the following resolution-"That it is the bounden duty of this house, well considering the pressure of the public burdens on all classes of the community, and particularly on the agricultural classes, to pledge itself to obtain, for a suffering people, such a reduction of taxation, as would afford them effectual relief."

The proposition was strenuously opposed by ministers, as leading to no practical purpose. The motion was negatived by a considerable majority. In the course of his speech, on this occasion, Mr. Brougham passed an encomium upon Mr. Pitt's great financial measure of the sinking fund, though he hinted the necessity of reducing the interest of the public debt.

On the twenty-fourth of June, in the same year, Mr. Brougham proposed a resolution-"That the influence of the Crown is unnecessary to the maintenance of its due prerogatives, destructive of the independence of Parliament, and inconsistent with the well government of the State." This resolution was introduced by a long speech; in the course of which, the honourable and learned mover displayed his peculiar talents for irony with singular brilliancy and success. It need scarcely be observed, that the motion was lost.

The parliamentary history of the following year was remarkable for a schism in the opposition, occasioned by the Catholic question, then brought in by Mr. Plunket; and though supported by Mr. Canning, it was evident that the weight of the cabinet was on the other side. This produced a violent attack on Mr. Canning by Mr. Brougham, who charged the secretary with tergiversation, and truckling to the Lord Chancellor. At this Mr. Canning took fire, and, turning to the speaker, said, "I rise to declare that the accusation is false." Upon this he was called to order; and, no explanation being given, a motion was made that Mr. Canning and Mr. Brougham be committed to the custody of the Serjeant at Arms. The friends of the parties here interfered, and with no little difficulty succeeded in bringing about, if not a reconciliation, yet a suspension of hostilities. When the question for the order of the day was read, all the

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opposition members left the house, and Mr. Plunkett's motion was lost.

On the 1st of June 1824, Mr. Brougham introduced a motion for an address to the king relative to the proceedings at Demerara against Mr. Smith the Missionary. This produced a long debate, and an adjournment, at the end of which the motion was negatived by the small majority of forty-six only. The second day of the discussion was marked by an extraordinary occurrence. Just as Mr. Brougham was entering the house, he was assaulted in the lobby by a man named Gourlay, who had been lying in wait for the purpose. The offender was taken into custody, and com

mitted to the House of Correction in Cold Bath Fields, where he remained a long time, to prevent his doing more serious mischief, being pronounced insane by the faculty.

On the 15th of May 1826, Mr. Brougham, after a long and impressive speech, moved a resolution to the effect, that the Colonial Legislatures having obstinately resisted the declared wishes of Parliament, and of his majesty's government, the House of Commons would early in the next session take the subject of West India slavery into consideration. The motion was rejected by an overwhelming majority.

We now come to the most splendid period in the life of Mr. Brougham, as a lawyer and legislator. In pursuance of a notice which he had given in the preceding session, he brought forward on the 7th of February, 1828, a motion "touching the state of the law, and its administration in the courts of justice, with a view to such reform as time may have rendered necessary, and experience may have shewn to be expedient." The speech which introduced this motion was as remarkable for its length, as its luminousness; and though it occupied six hours and a half in the delivery, the attention of the auditory was riveted in a fixed admiration during the whole time. On its conclusion, an adjournment of the question took place until the 20th, when the motion, with some amendments, was carried.

In the same session Mr. Brougham spoke with powerful effect in support of the motion of Lord John Russell, for the Repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts. The success with which this was attended, prepared the people to expect what followed. At the commencement of the next session, Mr. Peel, who had hitherto been the zealous opponent of Catholic Emancipation, actually proposed it as a cabinet measure, on the ground of political expediency. The bill was carried triumphantly through both houses, and on the 13th of April received the royal assent.

In the following year, Mr. Brougham moved for leave to bring in a bill. to establish local jurisdictions in certain districts in England. The learned member took a very comprehensive view of the expenses attendant upon legal process. What, therefore, he intended to propose was, that a barrister, of practical experience, should be appointed in every county, before whom any person might cite another, who was indebted to him ten pounds or less, and that the judge should decide on the merits of the case by hearing the parties, and appointing payment by instalments, if he should think proper. If the debt should exceed ten pounds, but not one hundred, the parties to be allowed to employ a legal advocate to plead their cause. But this judge should in no instance be allowed to decide in cases of freehold, copyhold, or leasehold. From his decision an appeal should be made to the judges of the assize, or the courts of Westminster. The bill was accordingly brought in; but its further progress was impeded by the demise of the crown, the commencement of a new reign, and the dissolution of parliament.

d Mr. Brougham was now invited to the representation of the county of York. He acceded of course to so flattering a proposal, and his election was secured without any expensė.

The first parliament of William the Fourth assembled on the 26th of October, and in less than a month the Wellington administration terminated. In the new arrangement which was soon formed, Henry Brougham received the Great Seal, with the dignity of Baron Brougham and Vaux, to which last title he is said to have had an hereditary claim.

Here we shall close the public history, properly so termed, of this illus trious personage; for the circumstances which connect his name with passing events are too fresh in remembrance, to require our feeble notice and observation. We shall, therefore, wind up this sketch with stating, that, in 1824, his Lordship took an efficient part in promoting and estalishing the London Mechanics' Institution; that in the same year he published "Practical Observations upon the Education of the Poor;" that in 1825, he was elected Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow, when he delivered an admirable speech at his installation, which was printed; that, soon after, he assisted his friend Campbell in founding the London University; and that, in 1827, he became President of the " Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge." To enumerate the literary productions of his Lordship, is beyond our means of information; but there is one which particularly merits notice, namely, “A Vindication of the Inquiry into Charitable Abuses, in answer to the Quarterly Review:" printed in 1819.

Lord Brougham, in 1816, married Mary Anne, the widow of John Slade, Esq., and a distant relative of the Auckland family. By this lady he has had two daughters, one of whom died in infancy.

The following characteristic sketch of his Lordship, before his elevation, was drawn up by the late William Hazlitt; and, in the main, is a correct delineation :

"Mr. Brougham speaks in a loud and unmitigated tone of voice; sometimes almost approaching to a scream. He is fluent, rapid, vehement, full of his subject, with evidently a great deal to say, and very regardless of the manner of saying it. As a lawyer, he has not hitherto been remarkably successful. He is not profound in cases and reports, nor does he take much interest in the peculiar features of a particular cause, or shew much adroitness in the management of it. He carries too much weight of metal for ordinary and petty occasions: he must have a pretty large question to discuss, and must make thorough-stitch work of it. Mr. Brougham writes almost, if not quite, as well as he speaks. In the midst of an election contest, he comes out to address the populace, and goes back to his study to finish an article for the Edinburgh Review. Such indeed is the activity of his mind, that it appears to require neither repose, nor any other stimulus than a delight in its own exercise. He can turn his hand to any thing, but he cannot be idle. Mr. Brougham is, in fact, a striking instance of the versatility and strength of the human mind, and also, in one sense, of the length of human life; for if we make a good use of our time, there is room enough to crowd almost every art and science into it. Mr. Brougham, among other means of strengthening and enlarging his views, has visited, 'we believe, most of the courts, and turned his attention to most of the constitutions, of the Continent. He is, no doubt, a very accomplished and admirable person."

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ON THE IMMEDIATE AND TOTAL ABOLITION OF SLAVERY.