474 
ObjeCting to hoftilities, it may be necefla- 
tily fuppofed, that he warmly animadverted 
on fome of the crueltiés with which that 
conteft was difgraced. 
British name, it muft, however, be confeffed, 
that the foldiers were not let loofe on the 
people. The burning of A®fopus, indeed, 
occurred, but it was allowed on all hands to 
be an unworthy meafure, and there was not 
found a fingle man bafe enough to enter on its 
juttification. Martial law was then only em- 
ployed againft thofe {ubjected to its opeta- - 
tions, by the mutiny bill’; and the idea of 
«¢ tortures and fcourges,” (at whiclr the ad~- 
herents of Robefpierre would have ftarted 
with abhorrence!) was not even dreamed of 
by the Britifh government, althoughit was 
childifhly fuppofed, that the cabinet of that 
day had attained the maximum of human 
guilt ! 
€¢ Guoffius bac Rhadamanthus babet duriffima 
regna, 
€° Cafiigatque, auditque dolos, fubgitque fa- 
teri.’ : 
Sir Jofeph Mawbey was a conftant friend 
to the liberty of the prefs. In 1773, when 
Mr. De Grey, brother to the chief juftice, 
amd a member of the houfe of commons, 
happened accidentally to include another gen- 
tlernan’s eftate * in an inclofure bill for the 
parifh of ‘Tottington, in Norfolk, this ex- 
traordinary proceeding was quathed by the 
author of ‘¢ the Diverfions of Purley,” who 
reprobated the meafure with a mafculine in- 
dignation, attacked the impartiality of the 
{peaker (Sir Fletcher Norton, afterwards 
Lord Grant), and finally faved his. friend’s 
property. On this_occafion, Mr. Sampfon 
Woodfall, printer of the Public Advertifer, 
was brought tothe bar, and a motion was 
made for his commitment to Newgate, but 
this was ftrenuoufly oppefed by Sir Jofeph; 
and Mr. Tooke, who avowed himfelf the au- 
thor, after difplaying wonderful powers, and 
even calling up a blufh on the then /ftaker’s 
cheek, was difmified from the bar. : 
In 1779, we find the member for Surry, 
in execution of his parliamentary duty, mov- 
ing in hisplace, that Lord George Germaine 
fhould vacate his feat in parliament,. inconfe- 
quence of his having accepted of an office +, 
created pofterior to the ftatute of queen Anne, 
On this occafion he entered into a hiftory of 
the queftion, and proved himfelf to bea man 
of confiderable refearch. 
In the fame year, he feconded Colonel 
Barre’s motion againft, * contra€tors ;”” and in 
17384, whena change of adminiflration took 
place, fo careful was he of the public money, 
on all occafions, and underal!l minifters, that 
he oppofed the expenfive eftablifhment con- 
ceived by a noble duke, then at the head of 
the ordnance board,.for purchafing Sir Gre- 
gory Page Turner’s {plendid houfe at Black- 
ae =< 

* That of —— Tooke, Efq. 
“+ That of fecretary to the American de- 
partment. f 
Biographical Notice of Sir Fofeph Mawbey. 
To the honour of the . 
He 
heath, in order to convert it into a Military 
{chool, for the cadetsof Woolwich warren. ~ 
It was thus that Sir Jofeph Mawbey, is-@ 
venal age, fupported the reputation of an 
Englith fenator. At length the memorable 
epoch of the ‘* coalition,” the bitter fruits 
of which we are at this moment digefting, 
occurred. A fcheme, fo thoroughly devoid 
of principle, as that of the jun@tion of the 
‘¢'friends of the people,” with ¢* eneof the 
authors of the American) war,” was not re~ 
lifhed by a man, uniform in his fupport of 
public liberty, and now becoming grey inthe 
public fervice. 
He accordingly fepported Mr. Pitt, a youth © 
whofe principles appeared to be bottomed on 
the ancient conftitution, and whofe profef- 
fions were fo plaufible; that, young as he — 
_ was, he muft havebeen f€ " + - 
/ 
<¢ To teach even the hoary Numidian gules!” 
if he had already become fuch an adept in 
premature deception. 
To this beardlefg ftatefman, Sir Jofeph, 
like many other worthy men, gavea Liberal, 
but not a blind fupport. ‘This circumftance, 
however, proved unfavourable to his interefts 
in the county, and we accordingly find, that 
at the general ele€tion, in 1790, he did not 
mect with that warm fupport, which he had 
formerly experienced. He’ therefore retired 
to the.comforts of private life, the confciouf- 
nefs arifing from honeft exertions, and the 
enjoyment of a liberal fortune. Breer 
Sometime before this, he had withdrawn 
from all concern in the diftillery, having re- 
ceived, as it is faid, about feventy thoufand 
pounds, for his fhare in that extenfive con- 
cern. 
Having already been at.a confiderable ex~ 
pence in fome eontefted eleftions, he was 
determined not to rifk the independence of 
himfelf and family, for a vote in the houfe 
of commons; fcorning, therefore, to buy a 
borough, he put a period to his parliamentary 
career. ni tate | 
He, however, took frequent opportunities 
of declaring his opinions relative to public 
affairs, and, in a particular and pointed man- 
ner, exprefled his difapprobation of the pre-, 
fent difaftrous war. 
He ftill continued the exercife of his, dutiet 
as a magiftrate, and prefided with great 
ability as chairman at the quarter feflions, un- 
til his official funétions were fufpended, by 
an unfortunate event. A difpute having 
arifen about aroad, he and another magiftrate 
were requefted to view and certify on the oc- 
cafion. Some miftake unluckily took place, 
and political enmity is fuppofed to have had 
its fhare, ina bufinefs, that is faid to hav 
preyed on his fpirits, until the laft moments 
of his exiftence. Malice itfelf could not, 
however, impute a corrupt motive to his con- 
du@t, and the unanimous teftimony of the 
Bench {, exhibited the honourable feelingsy 
and particular regard, of his brother magif+ 

{ This alludes to a letter figned by the 
> 
