bench, having, it was said, in their hour of peril, shel. tered themselves behind the skirts of the bedchamber women!

In 1841, then, the Conservatives were recalled to office, the Duke being a member of the cabinet, but with no particular office and no salary. He might be regarded, too, as the leader of the House of Lords. In 1843, be became again the Commander-in-Chief, on the death of Lord Hill, who had filled the office since the Duke's resignation of it in 1827. His grace was Commanderin-Chief until the day of his death.

LORD ELLENBOROUGH AND THE AFFGHANS.

Lord Ellenborough was a personal friend of the Duke of Wellington; he generally sat next to him in the House of Lords, and his grace took great interest in the noble lord's career when he was appointed (chiefly it was said, through the Duke's recommendations) GovernorGeneral of India. When the Affghanistan question was brought before the notice of parliament, the Duke said:

The first error of all was in forming an army for the sovereign who was to be restored to Affghanistan composed of English and Hindoos, and not of Affghans. The whole system of administration, the collection of the revenue, and all the operations of government, were carried on by English and Hindoos.-March 9, 1842.

In the debates concerning Indian affairs, in both houses, Lord Ellenborough's rule, especially in his removal of the sacred gates of Somnauth, and in his issuing a proclamation on the subject, in the style of an Oriental potentate, were severely censured.

RECALL OF LORD ELLENBORough.

I pronounce this recall to be the most indiscreet exercise of power since I have had a knowledge of public affairs, which, I am sorry to say, is upwards of half a century.April 29, 1844.

This was the work of the court of directors of the East India Company, whose charter gave them the power of recall, but not of appointment, of a governor-general,

their sanction to the nomination of the Crown being chiefly a matter of form. The Duke reiterated his opinion whenever the matter was brought before the House; and Lord Brougham denounced this privilege of recall, consigned to a commercial company, as a great absurdity. Lord Ellenborough, on his return to England, was created an Earl. "John Company," it was remarked on this occurrence, in the New York Tribune, whipped John Bull!"

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EDUCATION IN IRELAND,

The Duke was an advocate for a broad and national education in Ireland, apart from all sectarian or party plans. He said:

Let the clergy say what they please in Exeter Hall, but in their parishes I desire-I advise-nay, I entreat them to carry into effect the law, the preferred law of the government and the legislature. There were no less than four different systems of religious opinions in Ireland. There were, first, the doctrines of the Church of England; then of the Roman Catholic Church; third, the Presbyterians in connexion with the Synod of Ulster; and then another, that of the Seceders from the Synod of Ulster. Now we should have, according to some proposed modes of proceeding, four different systems of education in Ireland, all supported by the government. What would noble lords say of such a plan? And let their lordships observe this, that if they did not make these grants, they would have each of these parties complaining and saying, "Your conduct is inconsistent with our conscientious religious scruples; you are giving your money to teach that which we believe to be wrong." Each of the four systems would state this of the other three. Really, that was not what could go on.-June 17, 1845.

THE AFFAIRS OF THE RIVER DE LA PLATA.

The quickness with which the Duke, even in his old age, would often detect an error in the progress of a debate, was remarkable. He did this when the very tangled affairs of the Argentine Republic were brought before the House:

The noble lord (Beaumont) has stated that General Oribe was the first president; now, I beg the noble lord's

pardon; to my certain knowledge, General Riviera was the first president. Therefore, there may be two claimants to that office.-Feb. 19, 1846.

CORN IMPORTATION BILL.

Again the Duke, in all honor and conscientiousness, had to grieve or to offend men with whom he had long acted. In December, 1845, there was a division in the cabinet, on the subject of free trade in corn. Sir R. Peel declared that "the unadorned eloquence of Richard Cobden" (as he afterwards called it) had truth on its side, and that he could not persevere in retaining the sliding-scale. The Duke for a short time wavered; Lord Stanley (the present premier) at once announced his intention to "break" with a party who entertained such a doctrine. He kept his word, retiring from office, but the Duke was convinced by Peel's arguments, and supported Sir Robert in his free trade policy. There is really something touching as well as spirited in the old man's speech:

My lords, I have already in this House adverted to the circumstances which gave rise to this measure. My lords, in the month of December last, I felt myself bound, by my duty to my sovereign, not to withhold my assistance from the government-not to decline to resume my seat in her Majesty's councils-not to refuse to give my assistance to the government of my right honorable friend (Sir R. Peel)— knowing as I did at the time, that my right honorable friend could not do otherwise than propose to parliament a measure of this description-nay, my lords, this very measure. My lords, it is not necessary that I should say more upon that subject. I am aware that I address your lordships at present with all your prejudices against me, for having adopted the course I then took-a course which, however little I may be able to justify it to your lordships, I considered myself bound to take, and which, if it was again to be adopted to-morrow, I should take again.-May 28, 1846.

The cabinet had soon to yield to an adverse gale from another quarter. The Duke said:

RESIGNATION OF MINISTERS.

My lords, I have to announce to your lordships, that her

Majesty's servants have tendered to her Majesty their resignation of the offices which they held."-June 29, 1846.

The Duke entered into no explanations, but intimated that they would be supplied by Sir R. Peel, who announced in the House of Commons, the same evening, that "in consequence of the vote to which the House came, refusing to give her Majesty's servants those powers which they deemed necessary for the repression of outrage and the protection of life in Ireland, they have felt it to be their duty to tender their resignation to a gracious sovereign."

The numbers were: for the ministerial measures, 219; against, 292. After this, the Duke was not again a minister of state.

REWARDS TO SUCCESSFUL SOLDIERS.

Respecting annuities to Viscount Hardinge and Baron Gough, I consider it of the utmost importance to the army, that these matters should not be subjected to caprice, doubt, or difficulty, by establishing precedents which would be distinguished by enormous expense.-July 16, 1846.

FLOGGING IN THE ARMY.

It has long been the wish of all connected with the command of the army, particularly the late Duke of York, to diminish corporal punishment as much as possible, and that principle has been acted upon by the best commanders during the last fifty years. But it was found impossible to discontinue it altogether. The experiment had been tried in the East Indies, but owing to relaxed discipline, insubordination, and mutinies, flogging was re-established. In consequence of the feeling of the government, of parliament and the public, I have ordered the punishment to be considerably mitigated, and I will, as far as I safely can, diminish the exercise of it. I hope to live to see corporal punishment in the army abolished altogether.-Aug. 11, 1846.

This was after the flogging and death of the soldier, White, at Hounslow. Future punishments were not to exceed fifty lashes.

AUSTRIAN TROOPS IN CRACOW.

The independence of Cracow is stringently guarded by the treaty of Vienna, and the introduction of any troops into

the territory of the republic must be regarded as a violation of the treaty, which calls for and must receive explanation.— Aug. 11, 1846.

THE "IRON" DUke.

EARL GREY: The hulks are, after all, a bad system, and I am of opinion that prisons on shore should be substituted. Preparations for this purpose are in progress, and wooden buildings will be erected.

DUKE OF WELLINGTON: Why not of iron?-(A laugh.)— March 6, 1847.

OLD SOLDIERS AND MILITARY SERVICE.

I maintain that old soldiers are absolutely necessary to the very existence of the army, and that without them the late brilliant successes in India and China could never have been achieved; but the present measure (the Army Service Bill, making enlistment for a season, and not for life) is not likely to deprive us of those veterans. The servants of the Sovereign have always had it in their power to enlist soldiers for limited or unlimited service; the proposition of limited service then is not new. I believe that the soldiers will reenlist at the expiration of ten years. All my desire is that old soldiers of tried worth should remain in the army, and give the country the benefit of their services during the whole period for which they are capable of serving. These veterans are the leaders of their regiments-they are the mainstay of the service. The pensioners may be very good men, but they are not the men of whom I have been talking, who are the heart and soul and courage and life of a regiment.-April 26, 1847.

LANDED PROPERTY (IRELAND) BILL.

I approve of this bill, and give notice that, on the report, I will move the addition of a clause to make it imperative that wages for the work contemplated should be paid in current coin, and that labour should not be taken in exchange for land, in lieu of rent.-May 3, 1847.

DIPLOMACY WITH ROME.

I regard this measure with anxiety, and I intend to give notice of a proviso ensuring the supremacy of the Crown, in all matters, spiritual and temporal, and that this should be always considered inviolable.-Feb. 17, 1848.