CHAP.
III.

in the consciousness that they were subdued. A momentary calm would be followed by a frightful explosion, and by permanent A.D. 1827. anarchy. The Roman Catholic religion is a religion of encroachment, and there are circumstances connected with its existence in Ireland which increase the disposition to encroach. Then claim would be made after claim till Catholic ascendancy is completely established.”

The brief

from which he spoke.

He concluded this speech, of which I have only given a few extracts and an imperfect outline, by boldly claiming credit for sincerity!

"It is not improbable," said he, "that I may be followed by my right honourable friend the Attorney General for Ireland [Plunket]. There is not any man who possesses greater powers, or who can use them more forcibly for the advantage of the cause which he espouses. I admire the earnestness with which he has entered into this question; but while I pay this deserved tribute to his talent and his zeal, I trust that he will give me equal credit for the sincerity with which I entertain the opinions I have expressed." *

He sat down amidst some cheers and a great deal of tittering.

In truth, if he had any opinions on the subject, they were known to be on the other side of the question, and he had now spoken literally, as at Nisi Prius, from a brief; for all the historical facts and arguments which he had used were to be found nearly in the same order in a very able pamphlet recently published by Dr. Philpotts, then Prebendary of Durham, now Bishop of Exeter. Before Copley concluded, the plagiarism was detected by several members, and a stanza from a well-known song was whispered through the House:

"Dear Tom, this brown jug which now foams with mild ale,
Out of which I now drink to sweet Nan of the Vale,
Was once Toby Philpotts."

*16 Hansard. N. S., 92. I still remained on very familiar terms with him, and meeting him next evening, freely expressed to him my astonishment at his speech. His only answer was, "You will see that I am quite right." From this time our personal intercourse almost entirely ceased, till I myself became a member of the House of Peers, when we talked together as freely and recklessly as ever.

CHAP.

III.

Before long, Copley spoke his own real sentiments in supporting the Duke of Wellington's Bill for Catholic emancipation. There is no denying that, on the present occasion, A.D. 1827. he acted with a view to the Great Seal as his immediate reward. And he succeeded. George IV. set him down as a thorough anti-Catholic, and was quite willing to surrender to him the keeping of his conscience. Canning was a good deal shocked by some of the topics which Copley had resorted to, but comforted himself with the reflection that, when in a situation to carry emancipation, a rotatory Chancellor would be no obstacle in his way.

COPLEY

The negotiations were still long protracted, but no reputable anti-Catholic peer being found for premier, the King, on the 10th of April, commissioned Canning to form a new administration. Lord Eldon, thinking that Canning, the new minister, could not stand, tendered his resignation. This 12th April. was immediately accepted, and Copley, without any affecta- created tion or coyness, frankly and joyfully agreed to be his successor. The Great Seal, however, remained some time in Lord Eldon's custody, that he might give judgment in various cases which had been argued before him.

Lord Chan

cellor

Meanwhile, Copley was raised to the peerage by the title and Baron of Baron Lyndhurst of Lyndhurst, in the county of South- Lyndhurst. ampton. Every one, foe or friend, had a fling at him; but,

on account of his brilliant talents and his delightful manners the appointment was by no means unpopular.

VOL. VIII.

E

CHAP.
IV.

Opposite views taken

by Lord

Eldon and

hurst of

humbug.

CHAPTER IV.

LORD CHANCELLOR UNDER CANNING, LORD GODERICH, AND
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.

1827-1830.

:

NEVER was there a greater contrast than between the ousted and incoming Chancellor, both in their intellectual faculties and in their acquirements; above all, with respect to what is called humbug;-for the one, thinking that mankind were governed by it, was always making professions of Lord Lynd- honesty and became his own dupe; while the other, being of opinion that by despising all pretences to political principles he should best make his way in the world, affected to be worse than he really was, and excited doubts as to his faults. by exaggerating them. Both these extraordinary men were too good-natured to foster actual hatred of each other, but that they formed a very low estimate of each other's moral qualities they took no pains to conceal. Yet the forms of courtesy were duly preserved between them. When Lord Eldon had delivered his judgments, he wrote a very respectful letter to Lord Lyndhurst, congratulating him on his elevation, and enquiring when it would be convenient that the transfer of the Great Seal should take place. The following was the becoming answer :—

Their reciprocal courtesy.

"I thank your Lordship for your kind congratulations. With respect to the change of the custody of the Seal, nothing more has been stated to me than a wish that it should take place before the meeting of the House of Lords.* I beg your Lordship will, in every particular, consult your own convenience, to which it will be my greatest pleasure to conform. If your Lordship will permit me, I will wait upon you after I have

*The House of Lords had been adjourned from the 12th April to the 2nd May.

made the necessary inquiries, and inform your Lordship of the result.

"Believe me, my dear Lord (with the deepest sense of your uniform kindness for me), to remain, with unfeigned respect, "Your Lordship's faithful servant,

"LYNDHURST."

CHAP.

IV.

A.D. 1827.

Lord Lynd

hurst's inauguration

Chancellor.

The transfer actually did take place at St. James's, on the 30th of April, 1827. Lord Eldon, having delivered it into the King's hands, withdrew, his Majesty expressing as Lord deep grief at the loss of such a dear councillor; and, Lord Lyndhurst being called in, received it from the King, with the title of Lord Chancellor, his Majesty expressing his high satisfaction at being able to place it in the hands of one in whom he placed entire confidence.*

The 2nd of May was the first day of Easter Term, and the day to which the House of Lords had been adjourned. At twelve o'clock the new Chancellor held a levée at his house in George street, and went from thence to Westminster Hall, attended by a crowd of nobles, privy councillors, judges, and king's counsel, after the ancient form, except that it was a carriage procession instead of a cavalcade. In the Court of Chancery he took the oaths, the new Master of the Rolls holding the book. The oath being recorded, he boldly called over the bar. From his ignorance of the practice, motions might have been made which would have greatly perplexed him; but, according to the etiquette mentioned by Roger North, in his account of the inauguration of Lord Shaftesbury, in the reign of Charles II., nothing was stirred which could alarm a novice in the marble chair; and he rose, whispering with a triumphant smile: "You see how well I get on— Bah! there is nothing in it."

In another performance, which he had to go through im

* The ceremony is thus described in the 'London Gazette:'At the Court at St. James's, the 30th day of April, 1827,

'PRESENT, THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY IN COUNCIL. "HIS MAJESTY IN COUNCIL was this day pleased to deliver the Great Seal to the Right Honourable John Singleton Lord Lyndhurst, whereupon the oath of Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain was, by His Majesty's command. administered to his Lordship, and his Lordship took his place at the Board accordingly."

IV.

CHAP. mediately after, he was perfect. This was taking his place on the woolsack and being seated as a peer. Upon such occaA.D. 1827. sions he was seen to great advantage; and although he would laugh at them when they were over, he played his part with seriousness and dignity*

He takes

his seat in the House

of Lords.

His ex

pedient for disposing of Scotch appeals.

Henceforth he was a most distinguished member of this branch of the legislature, and he swayed its deliberations for good and for evil in very critical times. At first he affected to be shy, and he was very reserved. Only twice during the subsistence of Mr. Canning's government does he appear to have addressed their Lordships. The first was in support of a very anomalous measure, to which he was obliged to resort from his ignorance of Scottish jurisprudence. He was himself wholly unqualified to decide appeals from the Court of Session, and the House (at present so rich in law lords, having no fewer than four Ex-Chancellors, besides the actual Lord Chancellor and the Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench,†) could then furnish no law lord who could be asked to do this duty for him, as Lord Eldon could not, with dignity, have acted as the deputy of his successor. The expedient was, to have Alexander, the Chief Baron, and Leach, the Master of the Rolls, to sit for him by turns, three days in the week; and a commission, authorising them respectively to act as

* Extract from the Journals of the House of Lords, 2nd May, 1827 :— "His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence acquainted the House that his Majesty had been pleased to create the Right Honourable Sir John Singleton Copley, Knt., Lord Chancellor of that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Great Britain, a peer of these realms.

'Whereupon his Lordship, taking in his hand the purse with the Great Seal, retired to the lower end of the House, and, having there put on his robes, was introduced between the Lord Howard de Walden and the Lord King (also in their robes), the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, Garter King of Arms and Earl Marshal, and the Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain preceding. His lordship laid down the patent upon the Chair of State, kneeling, and from thence took and delivered it to the clerk, who read the same at the table, which bears date the 25th day of April, in the eighth year of his present Majesty ; whereby is granted to his lordship and the heirs male of his body the style and title of Baron Lyndhurst of Lyndhurst, in the County of Southampton. (Writ of Summons read.)

"Then his lordship, at the table, took the oaths, and made and subscribed the declaration, and also made and subscribed the oath of abjuration pursuant to the statutes; and was afterwards placed on the lower end of the Barons' bench, and from thence went to the upper end of the Earls' bench, and sat there as Lord Chancellor, and then returned to the woolsack."

† A.D. 1853.