lutionary proceedings, pointed out the mistakes into which they fell with respect to our paper currency, and observed that they seemed to imagine that the prosperity of Great Britain grew out of her paper currency, whereas, in point of fact, the paper currency grew out of her prosperity." "It had been his (Mr. Canning's) fortune to hear and to know Mr. Burke-a man, whose eloquence and whose soundness of opinions distinguished him as a member of that House. Unfortunately, however, he had only known him but two years before his death; he received a letter from him when confined at Bath to a sick bed, from which he never arose, on the subject of the stoppage of cash payments by the Bank, in which the concluding sentence was to the following effect:- Tell Pitt, that if he circulates one pound notes at the same time with guineas, he will never see the guineas again.' This was the observation of that great man, who, in giving utterance to this sentiment, seemed to exercise a spirit of prophecy, which had so very recently been verified." Vol. II, page 476-after the 4th line. A dictum of Mr. Fox has been lately ushered into the world, which, if truely stated, must be considered either as very unsound criticism, or as showing a strong leaning to to his own style of oratory, which was certainly deficient in the point he is made to undervalue. It is represented, that when a speech was praised in his presence, he usually inquired whether it read well? and if answered in the affirmative, replied 'then it was a bad speech.' No satisfactory reason perhaps can be assigned for such a curious, perhaps extravagant, opinion, which, if countenanced by a shadow of truth, in a few instances in our own day, is at variance with the whole experience of the ancient, and much of the greater part of the modern world; for if it were correct, it must follow that the speeches of Demos thenes and Cicero were bad speeches; and this will scarcely be maintained. The origin of this critical heterodoxy, if it were ever seriously entertained, was perhaps some slight feeling of jealousy in the mind of the eminent man in question, of the daily increasing celebrity of Burke's speeches, while his own, he might conceive, containing fewer of the same materials for immortality which characterised those of his old friend and master, and when no longer supported by the influence of his personal popularity or party attachments, might either remain stationary, or possibly retrograde in opinion. Vol. II, page 34-after the 8th line. In pointing out the necessity for a revision of the criminal laws of the country, which he urged were wholly disproportioned in the severity of the punishments they directed against trivial offences, he was accustomed to tell a story indicative of the indifference with which these vindictive enactments were frequently permitted to pass through parliament. On an evening, when an important discussion was expected to come on in the House of Commons, he entered the smoking! room, which contained many members who were not usually at their posts, and on inquiring of one, who looked particularly disappointed, the cause of his dejection, received for answer -"Have you not heard then? The great debate is put off;—and I left them doing nothing but voting a few capital felonies." The admirers of Mr. Burke will be happy to find, that this subject which was so near to his heart, and the little attention to which was regretted by him still more in private society than in public, has been so ably and successfully taken up by Mr. Peel; a measure that must render his name pre-eminent among the great benefactors of his country. Annual Register i. 85 Artist, adventure with an. Answers to reflections on French Revolution Appeal from New to Old Whigs Arcot, Nabob, speech on the debts of Arms, the family, of Burke Army estimates, debate on Arts, communication on the, to Barry Auckland's, Lord, letter to Burke.. ii. 121 ii. 169 i. 467 ii. 403 ii. 71 ii. 4 i. 421 ii. 311 Barré, Colonel, enthusiasm of on one of Burke's speeches.. i. 337 i. 413 i. 203 i. 125, 200, 237, 265 letters to, i. 174, 177, 201, 204, 208, 210, Barry, the painter.. Bath, Mr. Burke at Beattie, Dr. .... Bedford, Duke of.... 213, 266, 268, 272, 324 i. 60 ii. 337, 339 i. 463 i. 286 i. 123 i. 53 Bede, the venerable, character of Beggars, charity of Burke to. Birmingham, merchants of, letter to Burke. compared with Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox.. ii. 505 ... alleged irritability of.. .... first effort in parliament .... ii. 427 ii. 415 ii. 454, 468 ii. 398, 399 i. 163, 173, 407 ii. 231, 431 ii. 458 ii. 166 i. 149 i. 123, 367, 383, 381 grief of for the loss of his son ... speeches of .... wit of .... i. 50 ii. 424 ii. 438 ii. 409 ii. 424 ii. 494 i. 170 ii. 386 ii. 527 i. 8, 11 ii. 475 i. 310, 325, 351, 355; ii. 420 general character of the writings of, ii. 477, 486 Richard, brother to Edmund, i. 5, 7, 100, 150, 415; ii. 248 199, 223, 265, 266 lamentations for the death of ...... ii. 280 Burke, Richard, jun. letters from, to Mr. Smith.... letter to Miss French letters to Mrs. French.. ii. 187, 223 ii. 63, 69 i. 5; ii. 406, 412 i. 311 i. 398, 399 i. 460 ii. 407 i. 505; ii. 444 ii. 376 i. 92 ii. 164 i. 2, 8 i. 183 Catherine of Russia Cazalés, M... ii. 198, 438, 527 Charlemont, Lord i. 105, 168, 506 letters to, from Burke, i. 312, 408, 514, 515; i. 440 Conduct of the minority, observations on, by Burke ii. 228 ii. 94 Crabb, Rev. Mr... ii. 426 Crewe's, Mr., anecdote of Burke and Sheridan at Dagger produced by Mr. Burke in the House of Commons, ii. 203 Dyer, Mr., suspected as the author of Junius's Letters.. i. 194 Eden, Mr., first proposer of the coalition in 1783 |