British Premiers in Relation to British Catholics, Concluded [pp. 826-836]

Britisk Frcmi~rs in Relation to Briti&k Catliolics. 829
change in his fature conduct in refe- ashamed; and never one with so
rence to emancipation. They knew much pleasure as the vote I shall give
not, or they affected to forget, that in favor of Catholic emancipation."
two years before Canning died, he It would be foreign to our purpose
had expressed to Lord Liverpool his in this place to relate the cfrcumsta~conviction that emancipation must ces attending fl~e passing of the bill,
pass, and had offered to resign. So and the admission of O'Connell into
long ago as 1821, he had declared, in the House of Commons. We are
reply to Plunket, that even if his own concerned, not so much with these
views prevailed, "their prevalence events, as with the premiers who
must be mingled with regret at the brought them about. Peel did not
disappointment which he knew the acquire the confidence of the Irish
success of such opinions must entail whom he had emancipated. O'Conupon a great portion of his fellow- nell regarded him with implacable
subjects." He should, he said, "cor- aversion, and nothing could exceed
dially rejoice if his predictions prov- the hatred and distrust with which he
ed unfounded, and his arguments was treated by il~e Tories who had
groundless." once been his friends. It was no There were those who perceived thing to them that the change of his
the current his thoughts were taking, politics had been the result of long
and among them was the Duke of Cla- and arduous study; that he had tarence, afterward William IV. One ken nothing for granted, but required
of the duke's sons told Cardinal Ac- proof of every statement made by
ton that, when he returned home one those who sought to convert him to
night from a very late division in the their side. They had not seen what
House of Commons, of which he was we possess-the posthumous volumes
a member, he went to his father's edited by Peel's trustees, Lord Standressing-room, and was asked by the hope and Mr. Cardwell-and they
duke how the division on emancipa- could not, therefore, judge of the lation had gone; and when he was borious and conscientious search by
told il~at the bill had been lost, the which he arrived at his conclusions;
duke said, and even if they had seen them, it is
"That rascal, Peel, will adopt probable that they would have reemancipation, will carry it, and take proached him for investigating tbe
the glory from us who have fought subject in a hesitating frame of mind,
for it all our lives." * and for beating out for himself and
No less remarkable were the words many of his followers a path of aposused by the Duke of Clarence when, tasy.
at last, Wellington and Peel introduc- Eighteen years passed by before any
ed, with all the weight of government other measure of importance affecting
recommendation, the great bill for Catholic interests was laid before the
Catholic relief. He wished, he said, houses of parliament. The influence of
that the ministers had been as united emandpation in a liberal direction was
in 1825 as they proved in 1829. "It felt deeplyin the passing of the Reform
~will be forty-six years next month," Bill of 1832, which but for that prehe added, "since I first sat in this vious act of justice would have been
house; and I have never given a vote impossible. The Duke of Wellington
of which, thank God! I have been prepared the way for Lord Grey, just
~ This anecdote was re~sted to the writer by the as Grey and his colleagues, by shakBishop of Soothwark. ing the power of the aristocracy and