LORD ELDON. 107 



ral. His speeches on the subject were considered, by the opposition, 

 as the best in argument that were delivered ; and Lord North and 

 Mr, Fox frequently regretted that they " had not been enabled to 

 have spoken after the Solicitor- General, when his words were fresh 

 in the minds of his hearers." On this question, it is well known that 

 Sir John closely followed the beaten track of the minister ; and even 

 when his patron, Lord Thurlow, was trimming, he had too much 

 tact and cunning to forsake Mr. Pitt, for the wake of the Chancellor. 



In 1793, he brought in his celebrated bill to prevent traitorous cor- 

 respondence a bill useless, unjust, impolitic, and tyrannical. The 

 nature of the bill must be familiar to every one, and the determined 

 stand made against it by the present premier. Mr. Fox called it " a 

 law for facilitating convictions in cases of high treason ;" and it pass- 

 ed the Commons only by a majority of one. In 1794, he spoke warm- 

 ly in favour of employing foreigners, and in opposition to a motion 

 on the subject by Mr. Grey. The same year he was instrumental in 

 suspending the habeas corpus, that bulwark of the liberties of the 

 subject. 



In 1798, he introduced a measure to regulate newspapers ; but, 

 more properly speaking, to fetter public discussion, and keep the 

 people in the dark. During the time that he held the office of attor- 

 ney-general, he was frequently called upon to officiate in its most 

 obnoxious department. The very period seemed to have been preg- 

 nant with perilous circumstances, and we may safely assert that the 

 close of the last century presents one of the most interesting and ex- 

 traordinary portions of the history of this country. We will not stop 

 to inquire into the early opinions of Mr. Pitt, and the spirited and 

 patriotic resolutions of the Duke of Richmond. We will not endea- 

 vour to prove that their sentiments were the seeds that were scattered 

 on good ground, and brought forth in abundance ; neither will we 

 arrest the progress of our narrative, to ascertain whether Mr. Pitt or 

 the Duke were the most sincere of politicians, and the best of patriots. 

 But we will proceed at once to state, that the Attorney-General was 

 directed to check the progress of that, which his master had been in- 

 strumental in engendering. To use other words, and in the language 

 of a biographer of Lord Erskine, " the minister resolved to strike a 

 blow, which should place, at his absolute mercy, the blood of every 

 man who had ventured to join a political society/' The correspond- 

 ing associations, and the " Society for the Friends of the People/' 

 had assumed an offensive attitude ; the Government affected to be 

 alarmed ; they infected the country with terrors and apprehensions ; 

 and the most conspicuous and celebrated members of these societies 

 were charged with high treason, and handed over to an attorney- 

 general and a jury. The first person selected was the secretary of 

 " The Constitutional Society/' Mr. Hardy ; and much has been said 

 and written relative to the conduct of the Attorney-General. Mr. 

 Hardy was brought to trial for high treason, his wife had died but 

 a few days previously, and he was suffering considerably from this 

 calamity ; but still the Attorney-General selected him as the first to 

 pass the fearful ordeal of a trial, which was, perhaps, to terminate in 

 the death of the prisoner. The result of this trial is well known 



