were, upon the necks of his enemies. No small portion of bickering took place in both houses; but in each of them the ex-ministers were completely defeated. In these disputes the public took very little share, a few addresses and petitions excepted, being brought forward upon the old question of No Popery!

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On one side it was contended the King could do no wrong; and on the other, the ex-ministers insinuated that the King had done wrong, in demanding a pledge from them which their honour and their oaths as privy counsellors forbade them to give.

At this interval too Mr. Perceval's elevation was increased in proportion as the late ministers were depressed, for at this inauspicious moment all their former sins and political misdeeds were brought into remembrance. They were reminded that one of their first acts on coming into place, was to pay Mr. Pitt's debts; that they then passed an act allowing Lord Grenville to hold the Auditorship of the Exchequer together with the place of First Lord of the Treasury; they admitted the Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench to have a seat in the Cabinet; and they made

Mr. Pitt's income tax tenfold more oppres sive than he ever intended it. Their language on the Hampshire election, and their conduct in another at Westminster, belied all their former sentiments and opinions of ministerial influence; but above all, they eulogized Mr. Pitt in a most extravagant manner, just as some of Mr. Perceval's opponents have panegyrized him; in fine, Mr. Perceval could not possibly have had a stronger recommendation upon his outset in public life than the inconsistency of his predecessors.

Mr. Perceval seems at all times to have paid a particular attention to matters of finance, and to have exercised his abilities almost on every subject connected with the revenue, particularly in December, 1798, when he defended Mr. Pitt's new scheme for collecting the assessed taxes.

In 1800 he evinced his regard for religion and good morals, by expressing his full conviction that something ought to be done by the legislature to amend and alter the law as it stood against adultery. A few days after, he spoke at great length on the "Monastic

Institution bill," during which he very judiciously remarked,

That it was the spirit of the catholic persuasion to make as many converts as possible; indeed it was the principle of every religion to a given extent, but emphatically so of this, and therefore while we were talking of kindness, to the catholics, and while we expected gratitude from them for such kindness, we ought not to be surprised if that gratitude consisted in their endeavouring to convert the whole nation; nor should we be angry with them for such an attempt, as they believed they could not obtain for us a greater blessing than to make catholics of us all; but it was our business to be on our guard against such a spirit, since it was utterly inconsistent with that of our constitution.

"Notwithstanding he would not say a word against toleration, as there was not a man in England who had more esteem for it than himself. This, however, did not compel him to lay aside all precaution against the possible effects of the overgrowth of popery in this country. He should not wish to see a hair of a man's head hurt on account of his religious opinions; but that did not compel him to think catholics were the best subjects in this country."

In 1803 Mr. Perceval interested himself, very highly to his credit, on the discussion of

the clergy non-residence bill; he liked not the lax manner in the wording of some of the clauses, and reprobated the principle of depriving the parishioners, in every part of England of the advantages of a resident clergyman. He also declared that he considered "pluralities as a great grievance,' and thought the discretion of granting exceptions should be yested in the bishops.

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Mr. Perceval became Solicitor General in 1799, an early period for an office of such importance, and in 1802 he was appointed Attorney General, which office he held dur ing a period of three years and ten months.

When Attorney General, it need scarcely be said, that he was a strenuous advocate for the union of Ireland. During Mr. Addington's administration, he warmly defended the bill for correcting abuses in the Navy, when some warm altercation took place between him and Lord Temple, on account of the latter's entering into a new career of opposition.

At length, after the demise of Mr. Pitt in 1806, Mr. Perceval had the mortification to see Mr. Fox and Lord Grenville come into power; but as their measures were very far

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from meeting with his cordial approbation, the circumstance of their continuing in office only a year, a week, and a day, was of course rather matter of exultation to him than regret.

In April, 1807, it was thought highly expedient by the sovereign to dismiss this redoubtable administration, and Lord Sidmouth, as President of the Council, now gave place to Earl Camden; Lord Erskine, as Chancellor, to Lord Eldon; Lord Holland, as Privy Seal, to the Earl of Westmorland; Lord Grenville, as First Lord of the Treasury, to the Duke of Portland; Earl Moira, as Master General of the Ordnance, to the Earl of Chatham; Viscount Howick, as Secretary for Foreign Affairs, to the Right Hon. George Canning; and Lord Henry Petty, as Chancellor and Under Treasurer of the Exchequer, to the Hon. Spencer Perceval, with other inferior removals. So high were our hopes now raised respecting foreign affairs, that in consequence of this change of administration, the late King of Sweden, and some of our allies, were given to understand, that more vigorous measures

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