Lord Goderich, from the circumstance of the latter being necessarily in possession of that situation previous to the junction of the former with the Government.

It was likewise settled, that the Duke of Devonshire as Lord Chamberlain, and Mr. Scarlett as Attorney-General, should take office immediately.

In the mean while, however, it was necessary to fill up the vacant offices.

For this purpose Mr. Canning sought assistance amongst his personal friends. The Duke of Portland, to whom on the first failure of the negotiation with the Whigs Mr. Canning had applied, and by whom office was any thing but coveted, in the most handsome manner consented to accept the Privy Seal; Lord Dudley likewise accepted the seals of the Foreign Department; and Mr. Sturges Bourne, having more than once refused office altogether, reluctantly consented to hold those of the Home Department.

Thus the task of the formation of the new Ministry was completed; and on the 27th of April the different appointments were made known to the publick.

In the arrangement of the new Cabinet, of the five members of it, who had belonged to the old one, two, Mr. Canning and Mr. Robinson, changed their situations and three, Lord Harrowby, Mr. Wynn, and Mr. Huskisson, con

tinued in their former offices. When it was determined that Mr. Robinson should be called to the Upper House, it followed that he could no longer act as Chancellor of the Exchequer, and he accordingly was appointed to a Cabinet Office, which was tenable with a seat in the House of Lords. Mr. Canning, as has been already stated, succeeded Lord Liverpool; and when the necessity for filling up the vacancy occasioned by Mr. Robinson's removal arose, he decided, for reasons which will be mentioned hereafter, connected with the Budget, to unite, as Mr. Pitt had done, the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer with that of First Lord of the Treasury. Lord Harrowby retained the Presidency of the Council, Mr. Wynn remained at the Board of Controul, and Mr. Huskisson continued at the Board of Trade. Lord Palmerston, as Secretary of War, had a seat in the Cabinet.

With respect to the Law arrangements, Lord Lyndhurst being appointed Chancellor, it was proposed to Mr. Plunket, who was at that time Attorney-General for Ireland, to succeed to the Rolls, with a Peerage. Mr. Plunket accepted the office; but, on finding the profession in England adverse to that judicial post being held by an Irish lawyer, with a high-mindedness that reflected on him the highest credit, he resigned the appointment.

Sir John Leach accepted the Mastership of the Rolls.

Sir Antony Hart succeeded Sir John Leach as Vice-Chancellor; and Mr. Abercrombie was the successor of Sir John Beckett in the office of Judge-Advocate.

Lord Anglesey was named as Lord Wellesley's successor at the close of the year, and Lord William Bentinck was nominated by the joint concurrence of the Government and the Company to succeed Lord Amherst, who had determined to resign his government.

This was the last great political appointment which was made either directly by Mr. Canning, or under his immediate auspices.

CHAP. XIX.

DEBATES IN PARLIAMENT RESPECTING THE FORMATION OF THE NEW ADMINISTRATION.

EXPLANATIONS OF

MR. CANNING AND MR. PEEL IN THE HOUSE OF

THE transactions connected with the formation of the New Ministry having been fully detailed, it remains to be seen how the several parties explained, and vindicated their principles, and conduct, to Parliament and the Country.

The House of Commons met on the 1st of May; and on the moving of a new writ for Ashburton, in consequence of Mr. Sturges Bourne, the Member for that Borough, having accepted the Seals of the Home Department, Mr. Peel rose to offer some explanation as to the grounds on which he thought himself compelled to retire

from the service of His Majesty. The substance of that explanation may be shortly stated to have been that, having all his life been a conscientious opposer of the Catholick claims, and Mr. Canning having been for many years their most powerful supporter, he thought that, although he had been a member of Lord Liverpool's Government, which was divided upon that question, yet that he could not consent to a complete transfer of all the influence and power which belong to the office of Prime Minister from the opponents to the advocates of concession to the Catholicks; especially a transfer, not from one ordinary man, to another ordinary man, but from the most powerful opponent of the Catholick Claims, to their most powerful advocate.

Mr. Peel likewise explained the peculiar unpleasantness attaching to the Office of Home Secretary if held by an individual differing in opinion on this question from the head of the Government; but it must not be supposed that this had much effect in influencing his determination wholly to withdraw himself, since Mr. Canning had offered him, to obviate all difficulties on this score, the Seals of the Foreign Department.

Throughout his speech he adopted a friendly tone towards the new Premier, with whom he seemed anxious to identify himself in justifying