CHAP. Lord Chat ham tries The dissolution of our and respecting his worth and integrity. "Your delicacy towards me serves only to convince me of the propriety of my conduct in leaving you the absolute master of yourself in Parliament, subject to no control whatever but that of your own judgment; and I am happy in this opportunity of giving under my hand, what I have declared on all occasions by word of mouth. "Your great and uncommon abilities must, sooner or later, conduct you to the first posts in this kingdom, and you may be assured, no man on earth wishes more to see your honour and your independency firmly established in this kingdom than, "Dear Sir, "Your affectionate friend and obliged servant, "CLIVE."* Notwithstanding the general suspicion of Wedderburn's to keep him lubricity, so high at this time was his reputation for ability, true to Opposition. and so valuable were his services considered to the party he should support, that while Lord North was looking for a favourable opportunity to enlist him in the Government ranks, Lord Chatham thought it worth while to make an effort to keep him true to the Liberal side, and with this view (knowing the man) addressed himself to his interest, and tried to do a job for him in the city. Eyre, the Recorder, had given mortal offence by refusing to read the famous “Remon - " to the King, or to attend at St. James's when it was presented. The Court of Common Council thereupon passed resolutions That Mr. Recorder Eyre be no more employed in any city causes; that Serjeant Glyn (who had gained such applause in the Middlesex election) should be retained as their leading counsel,—and that the freedom of the city should be presented in a gold box to Mr. Dunning, (who * Rossl. MSS. CLXV. A.D. 1770. when Solicitor General had defended in Parliament the right CHAP. to petition and remonstrate). Lord Chatham wrote a letter, to be made public, in which, after praising these resolutions, he goes on to suggest that something should likewise be done for the patriotic Scot, who, notwithstanding his country, had made such sacrifices for liberty: "I could wish Mr. Wedderburn's merit to the cause of the Constitution not to be forgot. I think it is a species of injustice, if, on some proper occasion, it be not intended to show him that his spirited, disinterested conduct is felt as it deserves. I fear some mixture of narrow ideas, and local antipathy. To speak plain, nothing is more contrary to the public good than to retain the smallest grain of alienation or suspicion towards a Scotchman, renouncing and thoroughly resisting Scotch influences and despotism."* The freedom of the city was actually voted to Wedderburn, but as the scheme of having him appointed to a city law office failed, and he was evidently cooling towards the popular cause, Lord Chatham thought that he might fix the waverer by personal attentions, — which many would then have preferred to place and power, and proposed to call upon him, that they might together concert measures for the public good. This proposal was most embarrassing; it could not be directly declined without a discovery that a very different negotiation was pending; and as this negotiation might break off, it was essential for some time longer to have patriotism for a resource; yet the news of an interview with Lord Chatham, which would have been immediately known over all the clubs * Chatham Correspondence. To show the violence of the prejudice in London at this time against Scotsmen, Mr. Wedderburn used to relate the following anecdote : · -- "John Home, elated by the success of DOUGLAS, had written another tragedy, called RIVINE, the name of the heroine being taken from a fragment of Ossian. Garrick, afraid that there could be no chance for the combination of a Scotch writer and a Scotch subject, changed the title of the piece to THE FATAL DISCOVERY, and got a young English gentleman from Oxford to father it. Under this disguise it drew crowded houses;-whereupon the real author incautiously discovered himself. It could not now be damned, but after languishing a few nights it was withdrawn." This is a good pendant to the authentic story of Sir John Owen being rapturously applauded in the House of Commons while he was supposed to be a country gentleman, but being coughed down when in the middle of his speech it was discovered that he was a lawyer, CHAP. in London, might have caused his absolute proscription at St. James's. CLXV. A.D. 1770. D. c. 2. 1770. an inter view with him. The communication with the old patriot was carried on through his bosom friend, Calcraft. To him Wedderburn wrote a very artful letter, expressing his deep sense of the honour to be conferred upon him, and his eager impatience for the proposed meeting; but suggesting some difficulties as to time and place, and proposing that "on the first fitting opportunity he should wait upon the illustrious statesman who had vouchsafed to notice his exertions for the public good." Lord Chatham wrote back the following letter, to be Lord Chat- read by Calcraft to Wedderburn: "If you will be so good as ham solicits to answer Mr. Wedderburn's letter, as having communicated it to me, and if you please to express in my name the sense I have of his most obliging manner of meeting my earnest wishes to have an opportunity of seeing him and exchanging sentiments, as far as he will give leave, with a person for whose handsome conduct and great abilities I have a very real and high esteem."* On various pretences the interview was postponed, and Lord Chatham and his friends plainly saw that Wedderburn was for ever lost to them. Lord Camden wrote to his great leader, "The opinion is universal that Wedderburn is in the act of negotiating, or open to it." These rumours were much strengthened by the news that De Grey, the Attorney General, was immediately to be made Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and that Thurlow, Solicitor General, was to become Attorney, so that the Solicitor Generalship would be vacant. Parliament had been adjourned for the Christmas holidays on the 20th of December to the 25th of January. On this very day the London Gazette announced that " Alexander Wedderburn, Esq., had been appointed Solicitor General to his Majesty." Dec. 26. 1770. A.D. 1771. Wedderburn rats, and is made Solicitor General. We are not informed of any particulars of the negotiation with Lord North, and it was probably not attended with much difficulty on either side.-Great was the public indignation when the result was known; and this must be confessed * Chatham Correspondence. CHAP. CLXV. to be one of the most flagrant cases of ratting recorded in our party annals. There not only was no change in the Government, but there was no change of circumstances or of policy, A.D. 1771. - and a solitary patriot was to cross the floor of the House of Commons that he might support the measures which he had been so loudly condemning. His own saying was now in everybody's mouth: "Bit by the tarantula of Opposition, he is cured by the music of the Court." Perhaps there was nothing more cutting than Lord Camden's remark in sending the intelligence to Lord Chatham: "I am not surprised, but grieved.' * Chatham Correspondence, iv, 72. CHAPTER CLXVI. CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF LORD LOUGHBOROUGH TILL THE CHAP. CLXVI. Wedder burn's em barrassment in crossing the House of Commons. ALTHOUGH it was said that "Lord Clive was full of indignation at the desertion of Wedderburn," Mr. Solicitor vaA. D. 1771. cating his seat, was re-elected for Bishops Castle without opposition; but he had before him the disagreeable prospect of walking up to the table between two Treasury members, his liberal associates now shunning him, and to slink floor of the down on the Treasury bench between Lord North and John Robinson. He dreaded that opposing parties, suspending their general hostility, would, on this occasion, interchange well understood looks, occasioned by mutual wonderment at his apostasy. When the time came he is said virtuously to have blushed, and to have appeared much distressed, till his colleague Thurlow shook him by the hand, and with an oath welcomed him to that side of the House which he ought never to have quitted. He, for some time, wore an embarrassed air, and when he had any thing to say, he seemed to have lost all his fluency. It was probably with reference to these exhibitions that Junius remarked, "To sacrifice a respected character, and to renounce the esteem of society, requires more than Mr. Wedderburn's resolution; and though in him it was rather a profession than a desertion of his principles (I speak tenderly of this gentleman, for when treachery is in question, I think we should make allowance for a Scotchman), yet we have seen him in the House of Com * Chatham Corresp. iv. 80. p. 62. The new writ was moved 25th Jan. 1771. Com. Journ. vol. xxxiii. This famous job-master, then Secretary to the Treasury, was probably active in bringing him over. Soon after, Sheridan, alluding to a Government agent by whom members were corrupted, and a cry arising, "Name him! name him!" said, “Sir, I could name him, as easily as say JACK ROBINSON." |