6^34 TONGE STREET AND BUNDAS STREET. 



by political rancour and sectional prejudice, and that every nerve 

 was strained by tbe party out of power at the time to make it appear 

 tbat be had clearly transgressed the law of purity imposed by liim- 

 self on the Navy Department in 1785. "The charges against Lord 

 Melville were groundless," Lord Cockbiirn says in his " Memorials," 

 " and were at last reduced to insignificancy. To those who knew the 

 pecuniary indifference of the man, and who think of the comparative 

 facility of peculation in those irregular days, the mere smallness of 

 the sums which he was said to have improperly touched, is of itself 

 almost sufficient evidence of his innocence. If he had been disposed 

 to peculate, it would not have been for farthings." 



Lord Cockburn then goes on to remark on the benefits which 

 accrued, especially in Scotland, to the Whigs, by the impeachment, 

 notwithstanding its failure. " It did more," he says, " to emancipate 

 Scotland than even the exclusion of Melville's party from power. 

 His political omnipotence, which without any illiberality on his part; 

 implied, at that time, the suppression of all opposition, had lasted so 

 long and so steadUy, that in despair the discontented concurred in 

 the general impression that, happen what might, Harry the Ninth 

 would always be uppermost. When he was not only deprived of 

 power, but subjected to trial, people could scarcely believe their 

 senses. The triumphant anticipations of his enemies, many of whom 

 exulted with premature and disgusting joy over the ruin of the man, 

 were as absurd as the rage of his friends, who railed, with vain malig- 

 nity, at his accusers and the Constitution. Between the two, the 

 progress of independence was materially advanced. A blow had been 

 struck which, notwithstanding his acquittal, relaxed our local fetters. 

 Our little great men felt the precariousness of their power; and even 

 the mildest friends of improvement — ^those who, though opposed to 

 him, deplored the fall of a distinguished countryman more than they 

 valued any political benefit involved in his misfortune, were relieved 

 by seeing that the mainspring of the Scotch pro-consular system was 

 weakened." 



A satirical poem of the day which I possess, entitled, " All the 

 Talents," by Polypus, expresses the Tory feeliug in regard to Melville 

 and his chief accuser, Whitbread. It thus speaks : 



"Could Whitbread catch a spark of Windham s fire, 

 To deeds more dang'rous Whitbread might aspire ; 

 But as it stands, our brewer has not vovg 

 To lead the mob or to mislead the House. 



