1809.] 
was yet hostile to his political influence 
tn another, as it introduced Sir William 
Grant, master of the rolls, to the county 
of Bamff, and it was found impossible 
ever after to remove him, although many 
successtve but ineffectual efforts were 
made for that purpose. 
At length, towards the conclusion of. 
the late war, the Earl of Fife openly de- 
claved his enmity to Mr. Pitt, and the 
muinisters of that day; and as he was 
knewn to be an old courtier, well ac- 
guainted with the springs that uctuate 
the conduct of public men, many were 
led to suppose that he began to anti- 
cipate their downfall. Accordingly, on 
the 2d of. February, 1801, he rose in his 
place, in the house of Peers, and spoke 
as follows: 
“ Tt is but seldom I trouble your lord- 
ships, but'/I could not feel myself at ease, 
were | not to fulfil my duty, in laying my 
sentiments before you, I rather incline 
to wish, that the threatened motion for 
ati enquiry into the conduct of ministers, 
were uot now made; but if it should be 
brought forward, I ‘will most decidedly 
vote ‘for if. 
«< | have no desire either to give offence 
to his Majesty’s ministers, or to pay court 
to those who oppose them. Nothing 
can be mere improper at present, than 
to debate whether the war is just, or un- 
just; necessary, or unnecessary: but I 
most positively declare one thing, and 
that is, that no war was ever worse con- 
ducted. 
“«< My lords, I have read the history of 
this country with attention; I have seen, 
and been intimate with all the different 
parties, from the death of Mr. Pelham, 
to the present hour. 
“Tn this horrid contest, our blood’and 
treasure have been spent in the extrava- 
gant folly of secret expeditions ; grevous 
and heavy taxes have been laid on the 
people, and wasted in expensive embas- 
sies, and subsidizing proud, treacherous, 
and useless foreign princes, who would 
have acted much better for themselves, 
had you saved your money, and taken no 
concern with them. I do not condole 
with you on your present unfortunate 
‘situa.ion, in having no friends. 
“1 only wish you had been in that situe 
ation at the beginning of the contest. 
‘he noble lord who. presides at the head 
“of the Admiralty, (Earl Spencer, yin his 
speech, has with much ability d®ne jus- 
tice to the navy: I most sincerely wish 
that our ill-spent money had been laid 
out on our fleets. 
Memoirs of the wae Earl of Fife. 
265 
“ All those, my lords, who ever heard 
me speak, or ever read a letter from me 
on the subject, will do me the justice to 
say, that my sentiments have all along. 
been the ame; and that this has hung 
upon my mind from the day, the first 
battalion of the guards marched from the 
parade, for Holland. 
‘¢T lament the present scarcity; but 
great as our demerits are, 1¢ comes not 
from the Almig ghty, but from the effects 
of this ill-conducted war; which I am 
ready to prove, whenever this question is 
brought forward. What have we gained, 
by our boasted conquests? If a proper 
regulation for commerce was made, I 
wish they were all sold, and the money 
arising, laid out to pay the national debt, 
and tv relieve the nation of those op- 
pressive taxes which bear hard on rich 
and poor; on their income, their induse 
try, and what is worse, their liberty ; and. 
until some of those are foe hae this 
nation cannot be called free !’ | 
From this moment, his lordship re- 
gularly sided with the minority, until a 
change of ministers took place, When 
Mr. Addington, now Lord Sidmouth, 
came in, he supported him, and als 
voted with the Fox and Grenville admi- 
nistration. By this time, hewever, his 
eye-sight began to: be affected, and being 
unable to attend the house of Peers, on 
account of this, or other infirmities, with 
his usualbassiduity, he gave his pruxy to 
Lord Grenville. Although not fond of 
having great dinners, on “the retreat of 
that nobleman and his friends, he en- 
tertained them in a magnificent manner, 
in his noble suite of ge ens at White- 
hall. 
The Earl of Fife, tied 3 in Londen, in 
the 80th year of his age. In point of 
person, he was tall, genteel, and had 
been handsome in the earlier part of his 
life. Although a great economist, he 
was yet fond of magnificence, which he 
indulged in respect to houses,servants,car= 
riages, and horses. But it isas a planter, 
that-this nobleman bids fair to obtain the 
respect of the present age, and the yra- 
titude of posterity. By a recurrence to 
the annual volumes of the ‘Society, for 
theEncouragement of Arts, Manufactures, 
and Commerce,” from which he received 
two, if not three gold medals, it will be 
seen, that his labours in this point of 
view have far surpassed those of any of 
his contemporaries, He was a frequent 
contributor to the work in question, and 
in vol, xxi. will be found an account of 
400 acres, and 85,500 trees, planted by 
din 
