The Reporters Gallery

THE REPORTERS' GALLERY

216

James Fox, and afterwards the second Lord

to Charles '

Holland),

that I

am

ready to bring forward a motion to

put an end to such indecent, as well as unusual, conduct, or to second any gentleman who may.' The nature and depth of the feelings of the Radical section of the Opposition the defiant and passionate exclamation of James Townsend, an Alderman of the City of London,

may be gauged by

He wished to God that sat for West Looe, in Cornwall. he could interrupt not only the business of the House, but the business of the Kingdom, in order to frustrate the who

intentions of a tyrannical majority. Edmund Burke also gloried in having taken part in the obstructive tactics on Tuesday. Posterity will bless '

the pertinaciousness of that day,' said he in a fine phrase. '

Good God,

he exclaimed,

sir,'

'

what were we to do

?

The

honourable gentleman brought us six printers, and threatened us with more. The principle will go to all publications. I could see no other way of getting out of it than

The by making the business as troublesome as possible. only shame I take to myself is that I never did it before.' Then the Speaker interposed. He was distressed and alarmed '

may be

heard for a minute,' he said. If this matter is to go on to-day it will be impossible to finish it before six or seven in the morning. I

by the proceedings.

I

beg I

'

House

to get one more able and fit. to remain in the Chair so long.' my power of the this appeal Speaker and threat of resignation

must is

no

desire the

It

But had

out of

effect in softening asperities or curtailing

the

debate.

General Conway who had been Secretary of State in the Rockingham Administration made an attack upon Ed-

mund

'

'

The honourable gentleman,' said he, has a very ingenious manner of supporting disorder in this House. If it goes on I shall feel myself bound to support some little degree of decency that it may not be totally annihilated.' If the House were to be turned into a bear Burke.

garden by moving adjournment upon adjournment,

then

PRINTERS AT THE BAR he should as soon expect to see a question Hockley-in-the-Hole as in St.

217

fairly

decided in

Stephen's Chapel.

Burke

'

angrily repelled the attack

extraordinary in its nature, in its nature groundless, in its

extraordinary in its manner which had been manner indecent ;

'

made upon him.

Mr. George Onslow intervened, and by a proud indirect reference to his descent from three Speakers, drew the

mockery and sarcasm of the Opposition upon himself. 'Descended from parliamentary men,' he said, 'we must have had no hearts if we had suffered the Standing Orders of the House to be set at defiance.' Though I have no '

parliamentary blood in

my

veins,' said

George Dempster,

'

I consider myself as well qualified to give an opinion upon the subject before us as the man who can boast that four

or five of his ancestors filled that Chair.'

more withering. Conway, he said was

Dealing

with

Edmund Burke

both

Onslow

and

:

I desire to offer a few words to the House, if it is still an elective and not an hereditary body. I am not descended from Members of Parliament, nor am I descended from any distinguished character

My father left me nothing in the world but good pringood instruction, good example, which I have never departed from. The honourable gentleman says he has his character to

whatever. ciples,

My circumstances will bear witness to my character. The honourable gentleman has attacked it grossly, wantonly, disorderly. He began a set, determinate attack I gave him no provocation. I have me. As resisted many attacks from that quarter as upon keep.

have resisted many attacks from the hereditary line of Tories and the hereditary line of Whigs so will I continue to resist them. I have an utter contempt for the distinction, and for those who are capable of using it. Tied as I am to the stake, and baited as I am by these gentlemen, I have nothing left me to do but to give a little bit of the horn to the one and to the other for the diversion of I

the House. This kind of parliamentary genealogy, this Herald's Office that you have erected in this House

Burke, noticing a movement of the Prime Minister on the Treasury Bench, stopped his attack, to

At

this point '

remark, I see the noble lord is about to rise to order. Before he sits down I have no doubt he will say something