WHITBREAD. 



friends nor the enemies of the fuppofed delinquent attached 

 any blame to the pubhc accufer ; but he was allowed to 

 have condufted the bufinefs affigned to him with a dignity 

 and propriety fuitable to its dehcacy and importance. In 

 the cafe of lord Melville, as well as in that of Mr. Pitt, he 

 knew how to diftinguifh between the man and the minifter ; 

 and to pay a juft tribute to the talents and difpofitions of 

 the former, whilft he criminated and condemned the latter. 

 Having differed with Mr. Pitt with regard to his political 

 meafures almoft through the whole of his public life, 

 he took the opportunity which the trial of lord Melville 

 afforded him of paying a juft tribute of refpeft to his abili- 

 ties and virtues, when his premature death muft hai-e vin- 

 dicated the eulogift from the flighteft fufpicion of infmcerity 

 and adulation. 



Of the new adminiftration, he was a fteady fupporter ; but 

 though he had at an early period enlifted himfelf under the 

 banners of Mr. Fox, and the earl Grey, his fchool-alFociate 

 and brother-in-law, who was one of its diftinguifhed members : 

 he was their friend as minillers, not from perfonal and felfifh 

 motives, but from a conviftion of his judgment that their 

 principles and views were moll favourable to the liberty and 

 welfare of the Britifh empire. Indeed he was regarded by 

 many as an imprafticable man, becaufe in all great queftions 

 he was influenced by principle more than by any private and 

 party attachment. What were his fentiments of the coali- 

 tion miniftry, and what were the grounds of the fupport 

 which he afforded them, he had an opportunity of tlating in 

 the moil explicit manner. At this time fir Francis Burdett 

 offered himfelf a candidate for the county of Middlefex, and 

 tranfmitted a circular letter to Mr. W., who had voted for 

 him twice before, fohciting his fupport. This letter con- 

 tained refle£lions on the coaHtion miniftry, which led the 

 fubjeA of this article to decline giving his vote for fir 

 Francis, and alfo to exprefs his fentiments of the coalefcing 

 parties, which had been feverely cenfured. " I have fup- 

 ported the prefent adminiftration," fays Mr. W., " from a 

 convidlion that they were united upon principles of real 

 public utility, and for the purpofe of carrying into execu- 

 tion plans of great national improvement, both in our 

 foreign and domellic circumftances ; and I cannot abandon 

 them, becaufe in a fituation more difficult than that in which 

 any of their predeceffors have ever flood, they have not been 

 able to effeft what I believe to have been neareil the hearts 

 of them all — I mean a peace with France ; feeing fuch a 

 peace could not have been obtained on terms coufiftent with 

 national honour, and becaufe time has not fufficed to mature 

 and execute the fchemes of internal improvement, which they 

 have manifefted their determination to purfue," &c. Having 

 ftated fome other opinions with regard to the union of 

 parties, in which he feems to have difagreed with fir Francis, 

 he concludes : " Thefe radical differences render it impof- 

 fible for me to affift you in becoming a member of parlia- 

 ment. Different opinions may be maintained confiftently 

 with mutual and entire perfonal refpeft ; fuch as I un- 

 feignedly profefs towards you. The determination you 

 have' taken to avoid the expence of conveyance and deco- 

 rations fo confpicuous at your former eleftions, does you 

 honour ; and I wirti fuch an example could be followed by 

 all other candidates," Sec. The pubhcation of this corref- 

 pondence threatened a very undefirable termination ; but it 

 was happily prevented by the interpofition of friends. 



During this period, Mr. Whitbread took an aftive part 

 in public affairs, and diilinguiCicd himfelf on a variety of 

 occafions, guarding on the one hand with vigilant jealoufy 

 againtl an undue exertion of the royal prerogative, and on 

 the other againft its infringement by the democratical part 



of the conftitution. In February 1807, ^^ renewed hi» at- 

 tention to the exifting fyftem of poor laws, as it was his wi(h 

 and inceffant endeavour to improve it, and in fo doing to 

 render the peafantry happier, better, and lefs dependent. 

 It was alfo an objeft, which he conceived to be of effential 

 importance, to controul the feveral branches of public 

 expenditure, and thus to relieve the diftrefles of the coimtry. 

 Much depended, he well knew, on peace with France, and 

 to this defideratum his views and efforts were conftantly di- 

 refted. But he was almoft ready to defpair of this defirable 

 event, " from the awful moment that death clofed the fcene 

 upon the enlightened ftatefman (Mr. Fox) who had firil 

 commenced the negociation." When the Grenville admi- 

 niftration was obUged to retire, and a new parliament was 

 convoked by their fucceffors, he pubhfhed a fpirited addrefs 

 to his conftituents, in which he ftated the meafures which 

 had been projefted and wholly completed or commenced 

 during the exiftence of the late miniftry, and the part which 

 he had taken in the deliberations of the preceding parliament, 

 clofing with thefe memorable words : " I court your in- 

 quiry, and if you are fatisfied in the refult of it, I hope for 

 your votes in the prefent election. If you do me the honour 

 again to return me, I fhall indeed be proud of it, and I will 

 again endeavour to do my duty." The next important ob- 

 jeft of his attention was the education of the poor, as inti- 

 mately connefted with their morals and religion ; but unable 

 to obtain a legiflative fanftion to his plan, he was under a 

 neceflity of recurring to individual exertions and private fub- 

 fcription. During the important debates that occurred in 

 1809, with regard to the orders in council, he concurred 

 with thofe who condemned this meafure, and contributed 

 firft to their fufpenfion, and at length to their utter difcon- 

 tinuance. With regard to the fituation of Spain, he was 

 one of thofe who cenfured the conduft of the French 

 government, and who wifhed the natives to be ftimulated to 

 new exertions in behalf of the independence of their native 

 country. "In 1809," fays one of his biographers, "he 

 took an aftive part in the inquiry and examination into the 

 conduft of the royal duke who prefided over the army, and 

 although he found much to blame on that occafion, yet, at 

 a future feafon, he feized the firft opportunity to afford his 

 teftimony in behalf of his royal highncfs, whofe adminiftra- 

 tion as commander-in-chief had contributed not a little to 

 the happy and glorious termination of the late conteft. 

 That event did not prevent him, however, after the over- 

 throw of Buonaparte's government, from blaming the con- 

 duft of the Congrefs, and expofing the ambitious views of 

 fome of the fovereigns, particularly in refpedl to Saxony. 

 On the return of the emperor from his exile in the ifland 

 of Elba, the member for Bedford ftrongly and emphatically 

 cenfured the declaration of the allies, more efpecially that 

 part of it which feemed to recommend the deteftable princi- 

 ple of aifaflination. He alfo loudly infilled both on the im- 

 policy and injuftice of a new war, on the ground that the 

 executive power of the enemy was vefted in the hands of 

 any one particular perfon. But above all things he pro- 

 tefted againft the forcible reftoration of the Bourbons by a 

 foreign force, and the affumed right of dictating a govern- 

 ment to France. Yet he moft cordially joined m a vote of 

 national gratitude to the duke of WeUington, for the me- 

 morable viftory at Waterloo, although he at the fame tinve 

 boldly avowed that events had not altered his fentiments in 

 refpeft to the pretended juftice of the original conteft." 



In the variety of his perfonal and domeftic concerns, 

 in his attendance on parHamentary duties, and in his 

 efforts for eftablifhing and promoting inftitutions of pub- 

 Uc utility, and more efpecially fuch as pertained to the 



inftruftion 



