12 CONTEST AGAINST [1812. 



as to say " he believed the Orders in Council had been 

 beneficial." Wilberforce, who at one time had believed 

 in their justice and policy, now declared he was satis- 

 fied I had made out a case for inquiry; and, after a 

 useful speech from Whitbread, we divided, 144 voting 

 for, and 216 against, the appointment of a select com- 

 mittee. 



Next day I wrote as follows to Mr Thorneley, one 

 of my mercantile friends at Liverpool : 



" TEMPLE, March 4, 1812. 



" MY DEAR SIR, I have delayed thanking you for 

 your many excellent and most important communica- 

 tions, because I was too much occupied in using them ; 

 and by a pressure of business, as well as by a severe 

 illness under which I have laboured (indeed I got out 

 of bed to go to the House last night), to have time 

 to write to you for the purpose of acknowledging the 

 receipt of your letters. I now return you my hearty 

 thanks, and only lament I could not turn them to 

 better account 



" You will see the account of the debate. I have 

 only seen the ' Morning Chronicle/ which is tolerably 

 accurate, but makes some blunders and omits some 

 material things, particularly my attack on Perceval, in 

 reply, for allowing that the motive of keeping the 

 Orders now was to prevent French goods from being 

 carried by the Americans to South America and else- 

 where, to undersell ours. The House received this 

 attack with particular warmth, as well as what I said 

 against an American war, and against the Prince Ke- 

 gent. Indeed it would have been an admirable lesson 

 to him (if he is not past all reformation) to have heard 



