1800.] Account of the Hon. Thomas Townfend, Vifcount Sidney 
juflrated by a€tual experiments on animals. 
This paper was read before the Society, but 
not then printed; as-it was faid, for reafons 
not very creditable to the late Sir fohn 
Pringle, who was accufed of preventing their 
appearing to the public at that time, becaufe 
they controverted fome of the opinions of 
Haller, his intimate triend. Thefe expe- 
riments have, however, at laft been printed 
in the Society’s Tranfactions for 1794. 
In 1779 he made feveral experiments on 
the fubjeét of Infenfible Perfpiration, which 
were added to tie firft editions of his work on 
the Abforbent Veffels; but were collected 
and publithed in a feparate pamphlet m 1795. 
In this work he fhewed the connection be- 
tween the function of refpiration and the 
action of fkin, and gave a-proof of his atten- 
tion to the chemical part of phyfiologv, which 
has of late years fo much engaged the notice 
of fome-of the moft eminent anatomifis in 
Europe. On the whole, Mr. Cruikfhank will 
certainly ftand high on the lift of thofe who 
have illutrated the ftructure and funétions 
of the human frame, by patient and labo- 
rious inveftigation, affiftted by foundfenfe and 
acute reafoning: aclafs of men whofe ftudies 
lead direétly to one of the moft laudable 
of all objects, the prevention and cure of 
difeafe. 
Suddenly, at Frognal, the Right 
Honourable Thomas TVownfend, Vifcount 
Sidney. He was the fon of the Right Ho- 
nourable Thomas Townfend, who fat fo 
many years in Parliament for the Univerfity 
of Cambridge. The family having en in- 
tereft in the bourough of Whitchurch, Mr. 
Townfend was eleéted member of Parliament 
for that borough, at the general election, in 
1754, when he was only twenty-one years 
of age. He continued to reprefent this bo- 
rough fo long as he fat in the Houle of Com- 
mons. He entered early into the army, and 
in 1756, was promoted to be major in Ara- 
bin’s regiment of foot; and, in 1761, lieute- 
nant-colonel of the 57th: next year he was 
promoted to be colonel inthe army. With 
the peace of 1762, he ended his military and 
began his parliamentary career. The fame 
year he married a Mifs Powys, daugliter and 
co-heirels of Richard Powys, efy. by whom 
he had many children.. From his entrance 
into Parliament he attached himfelf to the 
Whig party. We hear.nothing of him, how- 
ever, as a fenator, till the year 1763, when 
the preliminaries of the peace of Verfailles 
were laid before the Houfe of Commons. 
On the motion of approbation of this pe 
Colonel Townfend was one of the tel 
the. oppofition. © With this part 
Townfend continued to aét u ti 
1765, when, on their comin 0 pOWETy 
he was appointed one of the lords of the trer- 
fury. The principles of this adminiftration 
did not accord with the ruling paflion of the 
court, and in lefs than a twelvemonth they 
went out of office ; but the colonel had tafted 
too much of the fweets of office to go out 
with them; and in the arrangement of the 
duke of Grafton’s adminifiration, colonel 
Townlend was made joint pay-mafter gene- 
ral, and -fworn of the privy couneil. He 
held this place about a year, and then re- 
figned. An anecdote is told of this refigna- 
tion, which does both the deceafed lord and 
his father fome credit. He had appeared un~ 
eafy at his fituation, which having a large 
and growing family could not conve- 
niently part with; his@father advited him to - 
refign, which he did; and for which his” 
father, the next day, prefented him with a 
very confiderable fum of money, faid to 
amount to ten thoufand pounds; he imme- - 
diately joined his friends on the oppofition 
bench, with whom he laboured for fourteen 
long years. And, although as little gifted 
for an orator as any man im the-houfe, yet no 
one was a more conftant fpeaker; and he 
certainly poffeffed the talent of dadgering the 
minifter (Lord North) equal to any in St. 
Stephen’s Chapel. -Lolonel Townfend was 
always connected with the party of Lord 
Chatham ; and, at the death of that great 
minifter, was one of thofe who fupperted his 
pall. With the Rockingham ad:minittration 
he again came into place, as fecretary at war, 
but, as before, did not choofe to go out with 
them ; and was, by Lord Shelburne, made 
one ot the fecvetaties of ttate. The coalition 
miniitry removed him, for a fhort time, but 
Mr. Pitt reftored him ; and, at the fanie time 
he was created Baron Sidney, of Chiflehurf, 
in Kent. On the eftablithment of the India 
board, his lordfhip was appointed one of the 
coimuiuilioners of that board. A marriage be» 
tween the Ear! of Chatham, brother of the 
premier, and one of his daughters, connected 
him ftill clofer with the Pitt family, and 
through that connection, In 1789, he ob- 
tained the dignity of vilcount, and exchanged 
the ofice of tecretary of tiate for one of the 
finecure places of chief juftice in eyre. Since 
this he has been a very warux fupperter of 
the prefent minifry. 



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