Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville |
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Addington administration Admiralty affairs afterwards appointed Arniston asked attack became Blair Board of Control British Burges burghs Burke cabinet Catholics character Chatham colleagues conduct connexion Council death Duke Dundas's Dunira Earl East India Company Edinburgh eighteenth century England Erskine favour feeling friends George Grenville Hastings Henry Dundas honour hostility House of Commons impeachment influence interest King Lady Anne letter Lord Advocate Lord Cockburn Lord Holland Lord Justice Clerk Lord Melville Lord President Lord St Vincent Melville Castle Melville's Memoirs ment Midlothian ministry nation Navy never opinion opponents opposition Parliament Parliamentary party Pitt Pitt and Dundas Pitt's political Prime Minister public money reform refused resignation Revolution Robert Dundas Rockingham Rolliad Scot Scotland Scottish Secretary Shelburne Sheridan speech statesman Stuart Tenth Report tion took Treasurer Trotter union vote Walter Scott Wha wants Whig Whitbread Wilberforce Wimbledon Wraxall writes wrote
Popular passages
Page 33 - O, for a muse of fire, that would ascend The brightest heaven of invention ! A kingdom for a stage, princes to act, And monarchs to behold the swelling scene ! Then should the warlike Harry, like himself, Assume the port of Mars ; and, at his heels, Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword, and fire, Crouch for employment.
Page 92 - Abbot (after looking as white as a sheet, and pausing for ten minutes), gave the casting vote against us. Pitt immediately put on the little cocked hat that he was in the habit of wearing when dressed for the evening, and jammed it deeply over his forehead, and I distinctly saw the tears trickling down his cheeks. We had overheard one or two, such as Colonel Wardle (of notorious memory), say they would see
Page 89 - We worldly men, when we see friends and kinsmen, Past hope sunk in their fortunes, lend no hand To lift them up, but rather set our feet Upon their heads, to press them to the bottom...
Page 1 - Nor is it always in the most distinguished achievements that men's virtues or vices may be best discerned; but very often an action of small note, a short saying, or a jest, shall distinguish a person's real character more than the greatest sieges, or the most important battles.
Page 106 - Minister, by way of forming a contrast to the Treasurer of the Navy. In a word, the case proved against him was not by any means so clear as to give us the right to charge the great majority of his Peers with corrupt and dishonourable conduct in acquitting him ; while it is a known fact that the Judges who attended the trial were, with the exception of the Lord Chief Justice, all clearly convinced of his innocence.
Page 136 - We found them, roaring and singing and laughing, in a low-roofed room scarcely large enough to hold them, with wooden chairs and a sanded floor. When their own lacqueys, who were carrying on high life in the kitchen, did not choose to attend, the masters were served by two women. There was plenty of wine, particularly claret, in rapid circulation on the table; but my eye was chiefly attracted by a huge bowl of hot whisky punch, the steam of which was almost dropping from the roof, while the odour...
Page 48 - It was all managed by town-councils, of never more than thirty-three members ; and every towncouncil was self-elected, and consequently perpetuated its own interests. The election of either the town or the county member, was a matter of such utter indifference to the people, that they often only knew of it by the ringing of a bell, or by seeing it mentioned next day in a newspaper; for the farce was generally performed in an apartment from which, if convenient, the public could be excluded, and never...
Page 123 - The Duke snatched the hat from his head, took the cockade out of it, and threw it into the fire, saying — " My situation and duty compel me to take this line, but that is no reason why you should ruin yourself and your family.
Page 16 - The bill which Fox has brought in relative to India will be, one way or other, decisive for or against the Coalition. It is, I really think, the boldest and most unconstitutional measure ever attempted, transferring at one stroke, in spite of all charters and compacts, the immense patronage and influence of the East to Charles Fox, in or out of office.
Page 36 - ... the truth is, when we examined the various articles of charges against him with his defences, they were so strong, and the defences so perfectly unsupported, it was impossible not to concur ; and some of the charges will unquestionably go to the House of Lords.