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this very law, which he had violated, was one of his own production."

viscount was never after employed. One other great object, nearly at the same period, occupied the attention, and afforded scope to the labours, of the subject of this memoir. Considering the present as an enlightened age, he deemed this a proper time to attempt a reform of our criminal code. The ex-solicitorgeneral wished for the repeal of certain laws, equally cruel in their provisions and ineffectual in respect to their execution. Accordingly on the 18th of May, 1808, he moved for leave to bring in a bill for that purpose; and in this was introduced a most provident and humane clause for affording compensation to such as were unjustly accused and tried.

his career. In the profession he had chosen, the best portion of life has often passed away before this degree of success is attained; and even the subject A reply having been made by Sir Thomas Plomer, of this memoir had reached the age of forty before after some previous deliberation, it was declared “that he had formed a domestic establishment. At length, a majority of the lords had acquitted Henry Viscount in the year 1798, he married a lady, with whom for Melville of the high crimes and misdemeanours many years he enjoyed great domestic happiness. charged upon him by the impeachment of the comBecome a husband and a father, he applied to busi-mons of England, and all things contained therein." ness with additional eagerness and industry; and when On the dismissal of the new ministers, after an adMr. Fox and Lord Grenville assumed the reins of ministration of only one year's duration, Sir Samuel government in 1806, he was nominated solicitor- defended their conduct, and graced their retreat, in general, and received the honour of knighthood. an oration worthy of his acknowledged talents and inIt was at first uncertain what office he should hold trepidity. He alluded, with an honest pride, to the during that administration; for it had been proposed abolition of the slave trade, so often promised, so at one time to reward such distinguished merit by often delayed, so often eluded by their predecessors. entrusting the great seal to his custody: but this pre- Their conduct in respect to the emancipation of Ireeminence was reserved for another. It is much to land had his most hearty concurrence; and he justified the credit of Sir Samuel, as well as of his colleague, the refusal to give the king a pledge not to renew the that the press, during their time, in the language Roman catholic question on constitutional principles. of the great, Lord Chatham, became "a chartered He concluded by a powerful appeal to the house in libertine." Party contention was at that moment respect to the recent impeachment; and he depreat its height; and political disputes were carried cated the return of Lord Melville to office, notwithstill higher than before. Yet, whatever provoca- standing his acquittal, as no one had hitherto pretions might have been given to the administra-sumed to move for rescinding the vote against him. tion of that day, no prosecution for libel ensued. In this last proposition he was fully gratified, as the Sir Samuel had long determined to commence a reform of English jurisprudence, by altering, amending, or repealing certain laws which still continued to disgrace our statute-book. He commenced his career by an anomalous case arising out of the rigours of the feudal system, and which, when applied to modern times, was productive of fraud, injustice, and even of murder. Accordingly, in 1807, he obtained leave to bring in a bill "for making the freehold estates of persons liable to the bankrupt laws, who might die indebted, assets for the payment of their simple contract debts." Notwithstanding this bill was lost on a division, yet the effect produced by it did not prove wholly useless, for the legislature soon Sir Samuel soon after published a pamphlet, to after granted its sanction to an amended act, by means justify his conduct and explain his views; he also of which the debts of traders have been more effect- introduced some new arguments, and enlarged those ually secured for the benefit of the public. Nearly already adduced in refutation of the theory of Dr. at the same time he assisted as a manager at the Paley. In this little work he animadverted on the trial of the late Viscount Melville, who, after being barbarous act of Queen Elizabeth, which rendered treasurer of the navy, had presided for some years it a capital offence "for any person above the age of over the affairs of the admiralty, On this occasion fourteen to be found associating for a month with the whole arrangement of the evidence and docu- persons calling themselves Egyptians," and he quoted mentary papers was entrusted to his charge; and he the respectable authority of Lord Hale to prove that summed up the proofs in a speech of considerable thirteen persons, coming under its provisions, had length. After animadverting with much severity been executed upon it at one single assize. Who "on the suspicious fact of burning the vouchers," he would have thought that, until recently, it was a dwelt on the circumstance of "two 10,000l. bank-capital offence for soldiers and "mariners to wander notes having been traced to the private use of the and beg without a pass?" And yet this law continued noble defendant;" and the refusal "to account for in full force until two years after the epoch of which the sum of 10,000l. which he confessed to have mis- we here treat. applied." Sir Samuel concluded thus: "The crime, "Let it be remembered, as is now universally admy lords, with which the noble viscount stands accus-mitted," observes this judicious writer, "that the ed, is that of a wilful violation of the law in the breach certainty of punishment is much more efficacious of an act of parliament and the appropriation of than any severity of example for the prevention of money to his own purposes; both of which are, in crimes. So evident is the truth of this maxim, that fact, resolved into one and the same crime:-The if it were possible that punishment, as the consequence managers for the house of commons charge him with of guilt, could be reduced to an absolute certainty, the misapplication of 10,000l., the manner of employ- a very slight penalty would be sufficient to prevent ing which he has left no means of tracing. The ac-almost every species of crime, except those which cused has no possible excuse for his conduct; for arise from sudden gusts of ungovernable passion. when the law ordained that he should not apply the public money but for public purposes, he received an additional salary in compensation for not doing so; and to wind up the climax of his criminality,

If the restoration of the property stolen, and only a few weeks', or even but a few days', imprisonment, were the unavoidable consequence of theft, no theft would ever be committed.

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"No man would steal what he was sure he could I was delivered against the alien bill, at the close of not keep; no man, by a voluntary act, would deprive the late parliament, and so powerful were his arguhimself of his liberty but for a few days; no man ments, that the amendments introduced by the lords would expose himself to certain disgrace and infamy were on his suggestion thrown out. without the possibility of gain. It is the desire of a supposed good which is the incentive to every crime: no crime, therefore, could exist, if it were infallibly certain that not good, but evil, must follow as an unavoidable consequence to the person who committed it.

"This absolute certainty, it is true, can never be attained where facts are to be ascertained by human testimony, and questions are to be decided by human judgments. But the impossibility of arriving at complete certainty ought not to deter us from endeavouring to approach it as nearly as human imperfection will admit; and the only means of accomplishing this are, a vigilant and enlightened police, rational rules of evidence, clear and unambiguous laws, and punishment proportioned to the offender's guilt."

It has already been stated that Sir Samuel distinguished himself greatly in the important debate which was a prelude to the "Abolition Bill;" and when the house of commons in 1814 took into consideration that article in the treaty of peace which allows of the prosecution of the slave trade for a period of five years, his indignation was aroused, to find that the ministers of this country had acceded to any convention in which this was a prominent stipulation.

"I do not know," said Sir Samuel, "what course the house is about to take on this subject, although I cannot help suspecting what that course will be-a course utterly unwarrantable to the individuals more immediately concerned, and utterly repugnant to the spirit of all parliamentary proceeding. Deeply involved as our privileges are in this question, yet as this parliament will in all probability be dissolved in a very short period, I fear its last act will be an act of signal injustice. Such, Sir, will be a fit close for the greater part of our proceedings. Apprehending that we are within a very few hours of the termination of our political existence, before the moment of dissolution arrives, let us recollect for what deeds we have to account. Let us recollect that we are the parliament which, for the first time in the history of this country, twice suspended the Habeas Corpus act in a period of profound peace. Let us recollect that we are the confiding parliament which entrusted his majesty's ministers with the authority emanating from that suspension, in expectation that, when it was no longer wanted, they would call parliament together to surrender it into their hands-which those ministers did not do, although they subsequently acknowledged that the necessity for retaining that power had long ceased to exist. Let us recollect that we are the same parliament which consented to indemnify his majesty's ministers for the abuses and violations of the law of which they had been guilty in the exercise of the authority vested in them. Let us recollect that we are the same parliament which refused to enquire into the grievances stated in the numerous petitions and memorials with which our table groaned-that we turned a deaf ear to the complaints of the oppressed

The next great public occasion in which we find the subject of the present memoir engaged, respected the court in which he daily practised. In order to facilitate public business, and ease the indefatigable labours of the lord chancellor, a new judge was proposed to be appointed and a new tribunal to be instituted. This was objected to in the house of commons by Sir Samuel, as an innovation without being an improvement; and he prognosticated that neither the that we even amuse ourselves with their sufferings. great officer who presided in the court of equity, nor Let us recollect that we are the same parliament which the suitors of that court, nor the public in general, sanctioned the use of spies and informers by the Briwould profit by the change. How far his prescience tish government-debasing that government, once so extended on this occasion may be gathered from the celebrated for good faith and honour, into a condition result of two or three years' experience. While that lower in character than that of the ancient French project was but as yet in embryo, he published a pam-police. Let us recollect that we are the same parliaphlet, containing his opinions on this subject; the ment which sanctioned the issuing of a circular letter general result of which was, that the new division of to the magistracy of the country, by a secretary of chancery into two courts, and the creation of an in-state, urging them to hold persons to bail for libel termediate court of appeal between it and the house of lords, would tend greatly to enhance the expense of suits "already grievously and oppressively high," to multiply the business of the court, and to protract the final decision of causes.

before an indictment was found. Let us recollect that we are the same parliament which sanctioned the sending out of the opinion of the king's attorney-general and the king's solicitor-general as the law of the land. Let us recollect that we are the same par"The remedy, my lord, which I have to propose, liament which sanctioned the shutting of the ports of is a very simple one, but I am much afraid, consider- this once hospitable nation to unfortunate foreigners ing the force of several expressions which I find scat- flying from persecution in their own country. This, tered in your lordship's pamphlet, that you will Sir, is what we have done; and we are about to think me disrespectful even in mentioning it. You crown all by the present most violent and most unhave, however," adds he, "really left me no choice. justifiable act. Who our successors may be I know You have imposed upon me the necessity of being de-not; but God grant that this country may never see ficient in what you will think due respect, in order to avoid the reproach of being deficient in what you have made my duty. The remedy then, my lord, seems to be "that the house of lords, like all inferior tribunals, should, when they are pressed with an unusual quantity of business, sit on a greater number of days and at unusual hours in order to despatch it."

another parliament so regardless of the liberties and rights of the people, and of the principles of general justice, as this parliament has been."

In the midst of these active and popular pursuits, Lady Romilly was attacked by illness. During their residence at their country house at Tanhurst in Surrey, in the month of August 1818, she had a long interval of comparative health, and hope again established His last, and according to some his best, speech, | itself in the bosom of her family. In the expectation

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that the mild air of the Isle of Wight, the charms of | able alarm as to the state of his mind. Though he a beautiful scenery, and the recreation of agreeable refrained from giving vent to his feelings, it was evisociety would tend to confirm her convalescence, they dent from his manner, and from the expressions which went to East Cowes. Lady Romilly, while there, dropped from him, that he despaired of his recovery, had a fresh attack of illness, of a nature still more in spite of every endeavour to inspire him with hope serious and distressing than any she had yet experi- and comfort. Various steps were recommended with enced; and Dr. Roget, the nephew of Sir Samuel, a view to allay his extreme irritation, but he objected was immediately sent for to her assistance. The con- to all of them in succession, and insisted upon being tinual fluctuations of her disorder sometimes affording allowed to go to bed without making any attempt to gleams of hope, at other periods indicating urgent procure relief, on the ground that he felt he must nedanger, kept Sir Samuel for a long time in a state of cessarily pass a wretched night, and that if he were the most fearful suspense. He was a daily witness to to use any medical prescriptions it would only have the her sufferings, and, with an imagination which always effect of taking away all his confidence in the powers entered deeply into the distresses of others, while he of medicine. During the greater part of the night, was proportionably regardless of his own, his sympa- Dr. Roget, who lay on a bed in the same room, obthy was on this ocasion more than ordinarily acute. served that he was perfectly tranquil, and apparently He now became alarmed about himself, and was anx- asleep, although, when this was mentioned to him the ious to obtain relief. A variety of medicines were next day by Dr. Roget, he assured him that he was administered with a view to procure rest, and allay mistaken, and that although quiet, he had never, for his nervous feelings; but under the unfavourable cir- an instant, dropped asleep. The next morning he cumstances in which they were given, their efficacy was worse; the restlessness had returned, unaccomwas inconsiderable, and their operation transient.panied with symptoms of fever. A consultation was He frequently expressed his surprise that his want immediately held, in which the propriety of drawing of sleep did not interfere with his bodily health, that blood from the head and of applying ice, was fully his appetite and digestion continued in full vigour, discussed; it was decided, upon mature deliberation, that no indication of fever existed, and that he felt no that the adoption of these measures, under the actual uneasy sensation in his head. In conversing with circumstances, would not be expedient: other remeDr. Roget and Dr. Dumont he dwelt much on this dies of an active nature were prescribed; the physiapparent anomaly, and drew from it the most ominous cians agreed to meet again at five o'clock in the afpresage as to the probability of its ending in insanity, ternoon, and injunctions were given that any change an apprehension which unfortunately took deep root in the symptoms of his disorder should in the mean in his mind. Lady Romilly died of dropsy in the while be attentively watched. He took the medicines chest, in the night of the 29th of October, 1818. Sir that had been ordered, without the least reluctance, Samuel was informed of the event the next morning and continued tranquil, and apparently asleep, till by Dr. Roget; he received the intelligence with calm- about two o'clock. His daughter was then by his ness and resignation, and without any effusion of bed side; on his awaking, she observed him becomgrief. In the course of the day it was proposed to ing restless and agitated. To her first enquiry whehim to quit the scene of his sorrows, and return by ther she should go and call Dr. Roget, who was in easy journeys to London; he immediately and with- an adjoining room, he answered in the negative; and out hesitation agreed to the plan, and directed the to her second, he gave a faint assent. Dr. Roget arrangements necessary on the occasion. On his hastened to obey the summons, but in the short inarrival at Murrel Green, the following day, he de- terval of Miss Romilly's absence, a sudden paroxysm clared that he was so much exhausted that he could had seized him, he had hurried from his bed, and proceed no farther that day, which accordingly was had armed his hand against his own life. The razor, passed at the inn and towards the evening he with which he had inflicted the fatal wound, was yet became composed. Dr. Roget, who constantly passed in his hand, when Dr. Roget entered his apartment. the night in his room, observed that, although in ge- Before he expired, he made signs that he wished to neral restless, he yet, at intervals, enjoyed tranquil write, but though supplied with pen and ink, nothing sleep. At no period did he betray the smallest sign intelligible could be collected from his attempts. He of impatience or irritability. The next day he resumed then desisted from making them, and, joining his his journey, but as he approached London, his agita- hands, appeared, from the movements of his lips and tion increased, and he once complained to his daugh- eyes, to be absorbed in fervent prayer. It is hardly ter that his head was disturbed. In the evening of his necessary to state that the jury summoned on the arrival at his house in town, after having eaten his coroner's inquest brought in a verdict, that the dedinner with his usual appetite, he expressed a desire ceased had destroyed himself while in a state of temto see Dr. Marcet, but did not assign any particular porary mental derangement. This event took place reason for this wish. It has been erroneously reon the 2nd of November, 1818. United in death, as ported that he at that time felt a distressing sense of in life, Sir Samuel and his lady were interred at the burning heat in his head. It is, however, certain that same time, and in the same grave, at Knill, the seat except in the instance above alluded to, which oc- of Lady Romilly's ancestors, in Herefordshire. curred in the Isle of Wight, he never, at any period of his illness, complained of any feeling of this kind. Dr. Marcet directed his inquiries very particularly to the state of the head: and the constant answer of Sir Samuel was, that he had no head-ache, nor any uneasy sensation whatever in his head. The symptoms present were those of a high degree of nervous irri- ROMNEY, GEORGE, an eminent English portation, unaccompanied by fever or any inflammatory trait painter, who was a native of Dalton in Lanaction; but they were of a nature to excite consider-cashire, where he was born in 1734. After several BIOGRAPHY.-VOL. II. 3 F

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RONSARD, PIERRE DE-ROSE, RIGHT HONOURABLE GEORGE. attempts on the part of his father to settle him in | seat during several parliaments for Portsmouth, and trade, he consented to his becoming an artist, and

another at the council board of the lord high admiral, Prince George of Denmark. His votes on several occasions, particularly one in favour of Harley as speaker of the house of commons in 1701, obscured his merits in the eyes of the court party; the value of his services was depreciated, and his good fortune ascribed to accident. He at length retired in disgust from the service to his family seat in Kent, where he died in 1709.

ROSA, SALVATOR, a celebrated painter, distinguished likewise as a musician and a poet. He was the son of an architect and surveyor, and was born at the village of Renella, in the kingdom of Naples, in 1615. He was intended for the church; but leaving, of his own accord, the seminary in which he had been placed for education at the age of sixteen, he devoted himself to the study of music, and with such success that he became a skilful composer. His eldest sister having married Francesco Francanzani, a painter of considerable talent, Salvator, from frequenting his work-room, acquired a predilection for the art, in which he afterwards excelled. He at first amused himself with copying whatever pleased his fancy in the paintings of his brother-in-law; and his latent genius being thus awakened, his sketches were so placed him with Mr. Steele for instruction. In 1762 much admired that he was easily persuaded to adopt he came to London, where he met with great en- painting as a profession. But his taste was formed couragement, and in 1765 he gained a prize from the more from the study of nature among the wilds of the society for the encouragement of arts and sciences, Appennines than from the lessons of other artists; for an historical picture of the Death of King Ed- and he delighted in delineating scenes of gloomy granmund. In 1773 he went to Italy, where he staid deur and terrible magnificence, to which the boldtwo years, and on his return to England enjoyed the ness of his conceptions, and the fidelity of his repremost uninterrupted success in his profession for more sentations, communicate a peculiar degree of interest. than twenty years. After that period he retired in He worked for some time at Naples in obscurity, the possession of a handsome fortune. Many of his till one of his pictures being observed by the famous designs are in the illustrations of Boydell's Shak-painter Lanfranco, he generously recommended Salspeare, and he painted several pictures for the prince of Wales. He died in his native county in November 1802.

RONSARD, PIERRE DE, an early French poet, who contributed to the improvement of the language and literature of his country. He was born of a noble family of Vendome in 1524. Having finished his education, he resided some time at the court of James V. of Scotland, and, on his return from his travels, was employed in a diplomatic capacity in Germany. At the Floral games at Toulouse he triumphed over his competitors, and received a silver statue of Minerva, which he presented to Henry II. He was greatly esteemed by that prince and by his successors Francis II. and Charles IX. He distinguished himself in the wars against the Huguenots, obtained the abbey of Bellozane, and was also prior of St. Cosme near Tours, where he died in 1585. His writings, consisting of sonnets, madrigals, eclogues, lyric pieces, elegies and satires, and an epic poem, "La Franciade," are of little merit.

vator to notice, and procured him effectual patronage and support. He removed to Rome, where he established his reputation, and raised himself to celebrity and independence. He afterwards went to Florence, where he was patronised and employed by the grandduke and other members of the family of Medici. At length returning to Rome, he painted many pictures for the churches in that city, where he died in 1673. His satires and other poetical productions have been often printed under the title of "Rime di Salvator Rosa, Pittore e Poeta Napolitano." On account of his caustic wit he was excluded from the Roman academy. Some time after, the academy having refused admission to another artist, who practised surgery as well as painting, Salvator Rosa observed that it was very injudicious in them, as the academy greatly needed a surgeon to replace the legs and arms that the members daily dislocated.

ROSE, RIGHT HONOURABLE GEORGE.This statesman commenced his career in humble life, and his first office of importance was that of superROOKE, SIR GEORGE, an English admiral, intendent to the "Record" office. In 1767 a new field who was descended of an ancient family in the county opened for the display of his unwearied and indefaof Kent, and born in June 1650. His strong predi- tigable industry. He was at that period appointed to lection for a seafaring life induced him to enter the superintend a work of no common magnitude, the royal navy at an early age, in which he rose to the completion of the journals of the house of lords, highest situations. His conduct in several naval ex- in thirty-one folio volumes! From this period Mr. peditions under King William and Queen Anne placed Rose was constantly employed by nearly all succeedhis name high in his profession; especially by the ing ministers, with the exception of Mr. Fox, and at gallantry which he displayed in the destruction of the length rose so high in the favour of his sovereign, French and Spanish fleets in Vigo Bay, 1702, and the after becoming a senator, as to have obtained the ineapture of Gibraltar in 1704. Sir George occupied a | vidious appellation of "one of the king's friends."

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It ought not to be here forgotten, that when the | dinary ground of authority which the honourable earl of Shelburne, at the conclusion of the American mover had taken his information from, viz. public war, became premier, he found Mr. Rose a very use- rumour, and entered into an analysis of that undeful assistant in a subordinate capacity. Soon after finable personage called the public, who was not to be his retreat the administration, of which Mr. Pitt was met any where, and yet was in every person's mouth. the head, no longer considered him as a clerk, but as Possibly the honourable gentleman found the public a coadjutor. Although both he and his countryman, in newspaper paragraphs and libellous pamphlets: he Mr. Dundas, were doubtless of different political sen- would not go the length of saying, that what the hotiments from those at first professed by this young, nourable gentleman had advanced was his own invenable, and ambitious minister, yet they soon perceived tion; but he could not avoid expressing his astonishthat his talents and his eloquence, superadded to the ment at the honourable gentleman's credulity, in name and exploits of his father, were calculated to venturing to bring before the house, in the serious produce no small degree of effect in the councils, as and solemn manner that he had done, charges which well as fortunes, of the nation which had given him if he did not, before he sat down, prove to the satisbirth. The rise of Mr. Rose was now equally rapid faction of the house, not only that every part of them and secure. On the disgrace of the coalition admi- was not true, but that they had not in them the nistration he had readily obtained a seat in parlia- smallest degree of truth, nor any shadow or trace of ment; while his appointment to the important office truth whatever, he should be more mistaken than of joint secretary to the treasury in 1784, rendered ever he had been in his life." him acquainted with all the affairs of the state. Mr. Rose now turned his thoughts to the melioration of the finances. His early knowledge of a sea-faring life, his occasional residence on the shores of the British Channel, and, above all, his habits and his researches, had rendered him familiar with the severe but very inadequate fiscal regulations then in force. Accordingly it was he who first conceived the idea of putting down smuggling, and improving the income of the state by decreasing the amount of duties exacted at the custom-house. By means of this and other financial measures, in all of which Mr. Rose participated and assisted, the revenue was increased; while trade, which had been greatly depressed by the American war, assumed a more flourishing aspect. His love of order, his attention to details, his regularity and sober habits, extended from the treasury to the long room; and all the public boards were kept on the alert by his vigilance and industry.

In 1792 Mr. Rose was fated to encounter a charge of malversation in his capacity as secretary of the treasury. This accusation was founded on a trial in the court of king's bench, arising out of the many incidents of the Westminster election, with which he had connected himself as a friend to Lord Hood, and consequently a foe to Mr. Fox. One Smith, a publican at Whitehall, was the plaintiff; and, according to his statement, having been convicted by the board of excise in a penalty of 501., he had applied to Mr. Rose, through the medium of General Gascoigne, for a remission of the fine.

A promise to this purpose was stated to have been obtained, and the dealer in beer, to show his gratitude, immediately commenced a very active scrutiny to detect the bad votes polled for Lord John Townshend. But on learning soon after that he was still liable to a moiety of the fine, and that it was actually about to be levied, he presented a bill of 1107. to Mr. Rose, and on his refusal to pay the same, soon after commenced an action in Westminster Hall, where he recovered, by the verdict of a jury, the full amount of his supposed services. On Tuesday, March 13th, Mr. Thomson, then M. P. for Evesham, introduced the charge in the house of commons, and concluded a long speech by moving for a committee of inquiry on the ground of public rumour. He was seconded by Mr. Lambton, who mentioned a new case of corruption in the person of one Hoskins, connected with the lottery department.

Mr. Rose strongly animadverted on "the extraor

Mr. Rose having said this, proceeded to state the whole of the transactions of every kind that had taken place between Mr. Smith and himself; and the greater part of what he said he supported by written documents. He began with explaining, that Mr. Smith had kept a livery-stable, and that he had been in the habit of hiring horses of him to go the first stage out of town; that he had not seen the man to his knowledge, nor should he have known him if he had met him, before he sent him a petition enclosed in a letter, in 1789, both of which he would read to the house. "The petition stated that Smith, having had an information lodged against him for brewing beer at home, had been convicted in a penalty of 50l.; that the beer was small beer for the use of his own family; that he was a poor man, altogether ignorant that it was contrary to law to brew small beer for the use of his own family, and that he had no intention to commit any offence whatever against the laws of his country. The petition farther stated, that onethird of the penalty went to the poor of the parish, one-third to the informer, and the other to the king. The letter stated that the vestry of St. Martin's (or St. Margaret's) were willing to give up their third of the penalty, provided he (Mr. Rose) would procure the remission of the king's other two-thirds. Thus, Mr. Rose said, the member of parliament through whose medium, according to the honourable gentleman, Mr. Smith had been introduced to him, was no other than the vestry of St. Martin's. With the petition, Mr. Rose said, he did exactly what, in the ordinary course of business, he ever did whenever petitions were sent to him, viz. referred it to the board to whose cognizance the subject-matter belonged. Mr. Smith's petition he enclosed to Mr. Cholmondeley, the chairman of the excise board; and afterwards, upon another application, understanding that Mr. Cholmondeley was out of town and the petition with him, he wrote to the secretary to beg him to get the board to suspend deciding upon Mr. Smith's case till Mr. Cholmondeley came to town, and on no other account than merely because Mr. Cholmondeley had the petition with him. But to show the house of what little avail his interference had proved, the petition was rejected by the board of excise, and Mr. Rose read the secretary's answer, with the decision of the board, in which the secretary declared, that all the allegations were untrue; that Mr. Smith was not a poor man; that the beer brewed was strong, and not small beer; that he well knew what he had done