1780. THE RESOLUTIONS ARE CARRIED. 15 His first Resolution being thus carried, Dunning forthwith proceeded to move a second, purporting that the House had the full right to correct any abuses in the Civil List Revenue. A third Resolution was added by Thomas Pitt, to the effect that it was their duty to redress, without delay, the grievances complained of in the petitions of the people. These latter declarations being likewise affirmed in spite of the efforts of Lord North, Fox, at past one o'clock in the morning, moved that all three should be immediately reported to the House. With good reason might Lord North protest against that course, as "violent, arbitrary, and unusual;" but Fox persisting as though desirous to leave the House no leisure for reflection, and the Government not venturing to try a second division, the Report was brought up and the House adjourned. Exulting in his victory, Dunning was eager to pursue it. When next the Committee met, he brought forward other motions more in detail, respecting the Civil List and the right of certain members of the Household to sit in Parliament. On the division, however, he saw his numbers decrease; and they were still further lessened after an adjournment of ten days, which the Speaker's illness rendered necessary. The old supporters of Lord North, who had voted against him on the 6th of April, began to think that they had done enough for their own popularity at the General Election. They now paid less regard to their constituents and more to their convictions; and thus the current of their votes returned to its accustomed channel. When Dunning moved an Address, requesting the King not to dissolve the Parliament, nor prorogue the Session, until proper measures had been taken to diminish the influence of the Crown, he found himself defeated in a full house by a majority of 51; another motion by Serjeant Adair, for withholding the Supplies until after the redress of grievances, was negatived without debate; and finally, on the 26th of May, when the House was again in Committee on Petitions, a technical motion that the Chairman should leave the Chair was carried against Dunning by a majority of 43. Thus, the important Resolutions of the 6th of April remained, as it were, alone upon the Journals; all their expected consequences, all the steps requisite to give them force and validity, having been rejected by the House. Deep was the disappointment and loud the clamour of the Opposition chiefs. Even their vocabulary of invective, though most ample and well tried, scarcely sufficed to their zeal. "It is shameful, it is base, it is "unmanly, it is treacherous," cried Fox. On the other hand, Lord North, who had never lost his good humour since his defeat, showed himself no less composed and equable at his return of fortune. But within a few days of the close of these transactions, they were quite forgotten in a train -new and wholly unlooked for - of affairs. Then of a sudden, like a meteor rising from the foulest marshes, appeared those fearful riots, to which the most rank intolerance gave origin, and Lord George Gordon a name. Then the midnight sky of London was reddened with incendiary fires, and her streets resounded to the cry of an infuriated mob; then our best and wisest statesmen had to tremble, not only for their lives, but for their hearths and homes; then for once in our annals, the powers of Government and order seemed to quail and succumb before the populace of the capital in arms. In a former chapter it has been already shown how the Protestant Associations, spreading from Scotland to England, and selecting Lord George Gordon as their common chief, continued, through the year 1779, to gather strength and numbers.* The conduct of Lord George showed that he was well entitled to his post of pre-eminence in folly. During the Session of 1780, he made many speeches in the House of Commons, always marked by ignorant fanaticism, and often by low buffoonery. Thus, on one occasion, we find him call Lord Nugent "the old rat of the Constitution."† Here his meaning seems not quite clear, nor is it of the least importance to discover; but it may serve for a sample of his style. Early in the year, he had obtained an audience of the King, and read out to his Majesty page after page of an Irish pamphlet, so long as the daylight *See vol. vi. pp. 239. and 261. RELIEF OF PROTESTANT DISSENTERS. 17 1780 lasted.* He suspected, or at least he was wont to insinuate, that George the Third was a Roman Catholic at heart. His next object was to obtain popular petitions, complaining of the recent relaxation in the Penal Laws. It had been hoped, in the course of the last year, that some indulgence to the Protestant Dissenters might be the best means to lessen or divert their rancour against the Roman Catholics, and to convince them that no exclusive favour was intended to these last. With such views nearly the same measure of Relief from Subscription, which the Lords had rejected by a large majority in 1772, and again in 1773, passed their House in 1779, when transmitted from the Commons, and, it is said, without debate. † The indulgence was accepted, but the rancour was not removed. This plainly appeared from the great popular support with which even the wildest projects of Lord George Gordon were received. The petition which he wished to obtain from London was at this time the object of his especial care. It was invited and urged on in every manner by public advertisements and by personal entreaties. It was for several weeks in circulation, and received many thousand signatures. To give it greater force and effect Lord George, towards the close of May, convened a meeting of the Protestant Association in Coachmakers' Hall. There, after a long speech, and in a most crowded room, he gave notice that he would present the petition to the House of Commons, on the 2nd of June. Resolutions were passed that the whole body of the Association and their friends would, on that day, assemble in St. George's Fields, with blue cockades in their hats to distinguish all true Protestants from their foes. Still further to incite them Lord George added that if the assemblage did not amount to 20,000 he would not present the petition. Accordingly on Friday, the 2nd of June, and at ten o'clock in the morning, St. George's Fields were thronged with blue cockades. They were computed at * H. Walpole to Lady Ossory, † Parl. Hist. vol. xx. p. 322. fifth volume, a letter from Dr. March 11. 1773. VOL. VII. January 29. 1780. C See also in the Appendix to my * 50,000 or 60,000, and by some persons even at 100,000 men. The love of frolic and of staring had certainly brought many new accessions to their ranks. Appearing in the midst and welcomed by their enthusiastic cheers, Lord George Gordon, in the first place, indulged them with another of his silly speeches. Next, they were marshalled in separate bands, the main body marching over London Bridge and through Temple Bar to the Houses of Parliament. In this procession they walked six abreast, and in their van was carried their great petition, containing, it was said, no less than 120,000 signatures or marks. London, at that period, was far from yet possessing the sturdy and disciplined police which now, on any chance of riot, or even of mere crowd and pressure, lines our streets and squares. There were only the parish beadles, and the so-called watchmen of the night, for the most part feeble old men, frequently knocked down by the revellers, and scoffed at by the playwrights, of the age. In the face of that mighty array so long previously announced, which Lord George Gordon was leading to Whitehall, not one measure of precaution had been taken by the Government. They had neither sworn in any special constables nor stationed any soldiers. It must be owned, however, that the reproaches on that score came with no good grace from the lips of the Opposition chiefs, which had so lately poured forth their loudest clamours when, in the apprehension of some tumult at the Westminster meeting, a body of troops had been kept ready. Finding no obstruction to their progress, the blue cockades advanced to Palace Yard, and took possession of the open space some time before the two Houses met, as they did later in the afternoon. Then, with only a few door-keepers and messengers between them and some * London Courant, June 3. 1780. This newspaper thinks fit to add, "It was a glorious and most affecting spectacle to see such "numbers of our fellow-citizens advancing in the cause of Protest"antism, which our Protestant Bishops have so meanly and "infamously deserted." But by the next publication (Monday, June 5.) the Editor's tone had wholly changed. "What melancholy "forebodings must not the outrage and insult," &c. &c. 1780. THE PEERS ASSAILED. 19 of the principal objects of their fury, they were not long in learning the dangerous secret of their strength. The Lords had been summoned for that day, to hear a motion from the Duke of Richmond, in favour of annual Parliaments and unrestricted suffrage. Lord Chancellor Thurlow was ill and at Tunbridge, and the Earl of Mansfield had undertaken to preside in his place. But as it chanced Lord Mansfield was then most unpopular with the Protestant Associators, having not long since. charged a jury to acquit a Roman Catholic priest, who was brought before him charged with the crime of celebrating Mass. Thus, no sooner did his carriage appear than it was assailed and its windows broken, while the venerable judge, the object of the fiercest execrations as "a notorious Papist," made his way into the House with great difficulty, and on entering, could not conceal his torn robe and his disshevelled wig. He took his seat upon the woolsack pale and quivering.* The Archbishop of York's lawn sleeves were torn off and flung in his face. The Bishop of Lincoln, disliked as a brother of Lord Thurlow, fared still worse; his carriage was demolished, while the prelate, half fainting, sought refuge in an adjacent house, from which, on recovering himself, he made his escape in another dress (some said in a woman's) along the leads. Lord Hillsborough and Lord Townshend, who came together, and the other Secretary of State, Lord Stormont, were roughly handled, and could scarcely make their way through the people. From Lord President Bathurst they pulled his wig, telling him, in contumelious terms, that he was "the Pope," and also "an old woman; thus, says Horace Walpole, splitting into two their notion of Pope Joan! The Duke of Northumberland, having with him in his coach a gentleman in black, a * "Quivering on the woolsack like an aspen was the description by the Duke of Gloucester that same night to Horace Walpole (Letter to Lady Ossory, June 3. 1780). On the other hand, Lord Campbell is perhaps a little too eager to praise his brother Chief Justice for "calm dignity," (Lives, &c., vol. ii. p. 518.), and to add, three pages further, "I observe, with great pride, that on this occa"sion the Law Lord showed much more courage than any other "member of the House, spiritual or temporal." |