political liberality and principle of free development, the honorable and humanitarian spirit of these speeches are as obvious. The following speeches, which are now for the first time brought together, are reprinted in a connected and complete series from the standard authority, Hansard's Parliamentary Debates. They embrace the whole of the distinguished orator's course in the House of Commons, from 1830 to the present day. Among them will be found in due chronological order, the several speeches on the Reform Bill, which brought the orator so prominently forward in the arena of the House of Commons and before the world, in his vindication of the extension of the suffrage and the principles of representation, supported by every resource of wit, skilful argument, ingenuity of detail, and historical precedent, including those memorable passages on the lessons of the French and English Revolutions; the discussion of questions growing out of the agitations in Ireland in 1833, and later, the measures of repression, the reform of the Protestant Church Establishment, the Maynooth College Bill; his eloquent review of the East India policy, which recalls the triumphs of Burke; his Copyright speeches, in which he places literary property on the ground of expediency; his views on the Corn Laws, the Ballot, the Charter petition, the Dissenters' Chapel Bill ; his remarks on the Treaty of Washington; with many discussions incidental to these and other important topics, springing up during his Parliamentary career. Thomas Babington Macaulay was born in 1800. In 1818 he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, obtaining a fellowship of that college in 1824. He then became a law student at Lincoln's Inn, and was called to the bar in 1826. At this period he laid the foundation. of his literary fame by his celebrated articles in the Edinburgh Review (one of the earliest of which, a paper on the Reform Question, is printed in the present volumes), having previously given some brilliant poems and sketches to Knight's Quarterly Magazine. We find him in 1830 in Parliament under the nomination system, sitting for the Marquis of Lansdowne's borough of Calne before the Reform Bill. He was elected member for Leeds in 1833, but soon resigned his seat to proceed to India as member of the Supreme Council of Calcutta, where he was at the head of the Commission for the Reform of East India Legislation. In 1838 he returned to England, and shortly afterwards was elected member for Edinburgh. In 1839 he joined the Cabinet as Secretary at War, supporting the Whig cause by some of his most vigorous speeches. His course in the advocacy of the Maynooth Grant probably lost him his election at Edinburgh in 1847. He was installed Rector of the University of Glasgow in 1849, and, as is well known, employed his time out of Parliament up to his re-election in the present year, in the composition of his History of England. His Lays of Ancient Rome, published in 1842, are a noble illustration of the poetic force with which he revivifies the dead facts of history. As some curiosity may be felt in this connexion to know something of Macaulay's personal manner as a speaker, we may add that, Mr. Francis describes his voice as "monotonous, pitched in alto, shrill, pouring forth words with inconceivable velocity-a voice well adapted to give utterance with precision to the conclu sions of the intellect, but in no way naturally formed to express feeling or passion." His face is described as "literally instinct with expression: the eye, above all, full of deep thought and meaning." In stature, he is short and stout. Macaulay must always be listened to and read with pleasure, for the brilliant light he constantly throws upon his object, whatever its character. Passing over his great efforts in the following collection, we may refer for an example of the force of picturesque treatment, condensing and illuminating the argument, to the very neat little casual speech on the Anatomy Bill, with its prompt disposition of the comparative interests of rich and poor in the question. It shows how a man of genius may give value to every occasion. New York, January, 1858. CONTENTS OF VOL. I. PAGE 9 State of Parties. (A Sequel to the Preceding.) From the Edinburgh Speech in the House of Commons, on the "Bill to Repeal the Civil Disabilities affecting British-born Subjects professing the Jewish Religion." April 5, 1830 Slavery in the West Indies. On the Presentation of a Petition of West India Planters, and others interested in Property in the West Indies. December 13, 1830 Parliamentary Reform. In the Adjourned Debate on the Motion, "that leave be given to bring in a Bill to Amend the Representa- tion of the People of England and Wales." March 2, 1831 Parliamentary Reform. On the Adjourned Debate on the Second Reading of Lord John Russell's Parliamentary Reform Bill for Parliamentary Reform. On the Third Reading of the Reform Bill for State of the Nation. October 10, 1831 Parliamentary Reform. December 16, 1831 The Anatomy Bill. February 27, 1832 Parliamentary Reform. The Bill for England, Committee, Seven- Parliamentary Reform. On the Third Reading of the Bill-for Eng- |