364 
government borough, as it is called; but 
he and his patron afterwards took differ- 
ent sides in politics, and the latter 
haying expiated his assent to the Ameri- 
can war, by passing through the fiery or- 
deal of patriotism, was at length obliged 
to find a new leader* and a new bo- 
rough.t We lament that he and his 
late colleague have been recently con- 
signed to exile from St. Stephen’s chapel, 
if not to oblivion. 
As for Viscount Townshend, he had 
supported Lord North, and he now fol- 
lowed his adverse fortunes, having re- 
signed to the Duke of Richmond his 
rival in power, but his superior in busi- 
ness; a nobleman who, at that moment 
affected both the name and conduct of a 
patriot, and had attained a popularity, 
unsuitable to his natural disposition, as he 
appears either to have been suddenly m- 
toxicated or corrupted by power; for the 
patron of universal suffrage stooped soon 
after to the dirty politics of Seaford, and 
endeavoured to introduce his chalk-dig- 
gers from Goodwood to all the mybts and 
franchises of that miserable borough. 
On the sudden triumph of the coalition 
ministry, the noble Viscount  ap- 
peared for a while to be avenged, having 
been restored in 1781 to his former 
profitable appointment, at the head of 
the Ordnance Board. But the Numi- 
dian arts of an eloquent boy at length 
triumphed over the hypocrisy of bearded 
Syphaxes; and Mr. Pitt, who at once 
charmed, blinded, and deceived the hopes 
of the nation, became and continued 
Prime Minister during a period of more 
than twenty years. 
Lord Townshend,whose circumstances 
were, at this period, far from being ai- 
fluent, now turned towards the heir ap- 
parent, caught hold of his princely man- 
tle, and would certainly have ascended 
with him to power, had the contest re- 
specting the regency proved successful, 
This failed, and his Lordship was fortu- 
nate enough to be no Idser ; tor while the 
Marquis of Lothian, the Duke of Queens- 
berry, &c. were stripped of their em- 
ployments for a similar conduct, he was 
rewarded with a succession of lucrative 
and honourable appointments. 
The death of Gen. Honeywood open: 
ed to him the entrance into the garrison 
of Hull; the fall of Sir George Howard, 
placed him at the head of. the Chelsea 
pensioners, and on the demise of Field- 
= 
® Lord Thanet. ~ Appleby. 
Memoirs of the late Marquis of Townshend. 
[Nov. 1, 
Marshal Conway, he obtained the go- 
vernment of Jersey. Nor was this all 
for on October 5, 1807, the King granted 
to him a Marquisate, and he was accor- 
dingly advanced in the Peerage to the 
dignity of Marquis Townshend ef Rain- 
ham. In 1792, on the death of the 
Earl of Orford, he was nominated Lord 
Lieutenant of the county of Norfolk; and 
during the same year, he was appointed 
to the command of the eastern district ; 
in consequence of which, his head quar- 
ters were fixed in the vicinity of Warley 
camp. In 1796, he was finally promoted 
to the rank of Field Marshal, and at his 
death stood at the head of the list, next 
to the Duke of York. 
Inhis parliamentary capacity, as @ peer 
of the realm, Lord Townshend spoke but 
seldom. During the trial of Mr. Has- 
tings, he declared it as his opinion, that 
an impeachment was not abated by a 
dissolution: on the contrary, he main- 
tained, that it still existed, and ought to 
be continued. On the other hand, he 
allowed that the case of the prisoner was 
peculiarly cruel, and the conduct of his 
judges far from being blameless. 
“In discharge of my duty,” said he, 
“T have given my constant attendance 
at the trial, and I cannot help observing 
that much of the hardship of the case in 
the protraction of the trial, which has 
heen converted from a prosecution ne- 
cessary to the honour and justice of the 
country, into a persecution of an indivi- 
dual, is to be attributed to ourselves. 
“‘ If, instead of two days of the week, 
we had devoted to it four, or even six, 
we should not have given occasion for 
the complaints which have been justly 
made by Mr. Hastings of delay, nor per- 
haps would there have been ground for 
the present debate. 
“T cannot conceive,” adds he, “a 
measure of more severe injustice, than 
that, by any possible means, a trial once. 
begun should not be pursued to its -re- 
gular end of acquittal or condemnation. 
As for myself, 1 am satisfied from the 
opinions of the most able judges, from 
the report on the table, and from every 
argument of analogy, that such is the law 
of parliament, and the privileges of the 
subject.” 
The Marquis of Townshend, in his 
was tall, stately, and imposing. 
years, his grey locks and bald 
head’ conveyed an idea of whatever 
could be conceived as venerable in the 
veteran soldier, or respectable in the 
ased noblernan. His conversation how- 
pias; ~~ ever, 
person, 
Qe 
wT tate 
