The National Register. — London, England, 1812-05-17 00:00:00

MAY l7. The satisfaction witlk which he had been heard, and the flattering attention paid to his suggestions, encouraged him to dedicate more of his time and of his mind to the politics of his country. In the subsequent Session we therefore find him frequently pitted against the opponents of the administration, and resisting with all the strength of his eloquence the introduction of French principles into England. He defended with peculiar energy the policy of the war and the measures which the necessity of re pelling the revolutionary tide from our slimes had com pelled Government to adopt. In January 4, 1898, Mr. PERCEVA T, replying to Mr. HOLHIOUSE, respecting the Assessed Tax Bill, contended, g , that himself, and not Mr. H. was pleading the cause of property, by supporting this measure, which was to pro tect it. It had been contended by an Hon. Baronet (Sir F. BURDETT), that the application of the money would enable Ministers to carry on a war against liberty ; but if the present war was a war against liberty, it was that species of liberty against which he trusted we should ever bear arms—it was against the importation of French li berty into England." In respect to the measure then under consideration, it was the urgency of the times which constituted it a leading feature. It was not in our power to chase a peace ; the enemy would give none. It did not remain with us to sheath the sword ; but with them. It had been said, that the people now began to question, Whether, if the enemy came, they could do worse ? Did the people ask this, and was there any one unprepared with an answer ? if such a man there be (ex claimed Mr. PERCEV AL) I will furnish him with one— the enemy would not surely act better towards us than they have done towards their own subjects. Let men of a certain rank recollect how they treated all men in their station'; Jet the shopkeepei - , now said to be afraid of the di rect operation of the present tax,think, if he can, what must have been the effect of a forced loan ? Let every person recol lect, that rising in regular proportion until they reached the sum of 9000 livres, when they took one half, each in come was reduced to the standard of about 1801. few being left a larger sam than that for their avowed ex penses ; yet the present measure of assessments had been !aid to be worse than any that ever had been adopted by ROBE4;I3IEFIRE ; nay it had been put in competition with the total confiscation of property."—Mr. SHERIDAN an swered Mr. PEREEVAL, ()Wiling, by the Way, that the latter had delivered a speech of great talent, great inge nuity, and considerable vehemence.—December 1798, Mr. PEIICEVAL defended Mr. PITT'S new plan for the collection of the Assessed Taxes ; and from this time he appears to have devoted his attention to cur finances, since some of his own plans in this important department of state, are deserving of considerable commendation. — During the June of ISOO, Mr. PFRcEvAL publicly la mented the failure of the measure for the prevention of adultery; and also spoke at length in support of the Mo nastic Institution Bill. In the course of 1802 he became Attorney -General. Particularly solicitous, as to the le gislation of objects connected with religion, Mr. PER CEVAL resisted, the next year, certain clauses in the Clergy Non-residence Bill ; but said that he still consi dered pluralities as a great grievance ; and that the dis. cretion of granting exemptions should he thought be vested in the Bishops. While Attorney General he proved a strenuous advocate for the Union with Ireland ; and also spoke in defence of the Bid for Correcting the Abuses t he Navy, and the renewal; May 24, ISO 3, of : ag ainst France. 301 Distinguished both at the Bar and in the Senate, pre ferment, which Mr. PERCEVAL only laboured to deserve, came to him unsolicited. In 1801, he had succeeded the present Master of the Rolls, Sir WILILAM GRANT, as Solicitor-General, and the following year, as we have seen, he was appointed Attorney-General, in lieu of Sir EDWARD LAW, raised to the Peerage, and to the dig nity of Lord Chief Justice of'the Court of King's Bench. The post of Attorney-General, Mr. PERCEVAL retained until 1806, «hen the death of Mr. PITT, left the helm of the State to the hands of a combined Administra tion, which he deemed it inconsistent with his principles to join. When the measures of the New Administration assumed a character, which he considered hostile to the Constitu tion and the State, Mr. PERCEVAL became one of its most active and powerful opponents. Possessed of mote than eloquence in debate, of skill to wage political warfare successfully, he carefully selected his points of attack. He did not waste his strength, merely to encrease the triumphs of his antagonists, by assailing their strong holds. He caught and smote them in their weakness; and when in 1807, Mr. Fox brought forward the Catholic Petition, he perceived that the crisis of the contest was come, and op posed the motion, on the ground, that further concessions would only encourage claims detrimental to the Protest ant interest, with so much energy and eloquence, that the Speech may be considered as having inflicted the death blow to a tottering Administration. The splendour and power of his abilities were now con spicuous. His political principles were tried and fixed.— His views consonant with the interests of his country, the sentiments of his King, and wishes of the people. A new Cabinet was formed, and he was called to the elevated, laborious, and difficult post of CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER. His nomination was not as we have shown the effect of royal caprice. It was justified by his talents and truly constitutional principles, and what is not gene rally known, by the opinion expressed long before by a judge of acute understanding, the late Mr PITT, on his capacity. The duel that took place between that departed Statesman, than whom no greater shall rise, and Mr. TIERNEY, is still fresh in the recollection of the public.— Mr. RYDER acted as second to Mr. Par, and on their way to the appointed place of meeting, naturally inquired, in case Providence should allow him to fall, who, of all the political characters of the day, he thought would be fit to fill the situation of Prime Minister ? Mr. PITT re mained some time in deep consideration, and then an swered " PE.RCE.VAL." This anecdote, which we have from unquestionable authority, tells more than volumes of praise, in behalf - of Mr. PERCEVAL. (To be concluded in our next.) rE-ro ttic Mentorp OF THE SKILFUL PILOT WllO WAS SNATCHED FROM THE HELM BY MB HAND OF AN ASSASSIN. Te ferit incautnm, Patrice dual tendis ad Aral, Orco et przcipitem dat scelerata manes ! ! CAztl trerntfacti Rostra Scnatus Indignata team congenutere necem. Ipse gemit Princeps, tanta virtute perempta; I - E)rret inantlitum gets stupefacta nefas. Sic literymis, P.Ainure, oiu, temone revulso, Consperget cineres Patria masta tuos. •• * The favcur of a Trans:ation in verse w i l t be received with tbNliki, Pro , tect F. enal the spec bea bey and whi our It d ther clue! wor unp dal! the the] a ct scat rect hay lect sur con beii pen saic Ro the Svn last nui Mr col sin -,e of li Dr 1. me Ch adi , nd na; At t ie gis l is (11 a nd t ica det en'•e crt c y c a Ire! hji a ais k e is of „ l ore lili •,aO. Imo' THE NATIONAL REGISTER.