The Press.
London, England, 1854-10-14 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

married two sisters, daughters of Mr. Amyand, a merchant.
Mr. Amyand had two eons, one of whom became an emi-
nent merchant, M.P., director of the East India Company,
and was eventually created a baronet, while the other
married a Dowager Countess of Northampton, and was ap-
pointed a commissioner of customs.
Through Adams, James Porter was introduced to Lord
Carteret, aftemanis Earl Granville. In 1730 it appears
from his papers that he was on the Continent, where he
formed, both at Leyden and in Germany, many valuable
acquaintances among the scientific men of the day. lie
has also lelt a rather curious account of his visit, during
his residence at Leipzig, to the Moravian settlement of
Count Zinzendorff, which will be found in the Appendix.
From his general character for ability and his commercial
knowledge, Mr. Porter was selected by Lord Carteret, and
employed on several confidential missions, in matters con-
nected with continental commerce.
Debating societies like tho " Robin Hood "
were at that time a fashion in London, and
the " Robin Hood " Bent almost as many of its
members into public life as the " Speculative
Society" at Edinburgh. There were certainly
more facilities then for men in a low social
level to emerge into political notice than at
present. Knowledge and accomplishments
often to be met with now were then rare, and
for one competitor in the path of a man like
Porter at that time he would now meet half a
dozen.

The most interesting parts of these volumes
are the original portions, which, strangely
enough, the editor has placed in an appendix.
We get some characteristic glimpses of the
King of Prussia, the Duke of Newcastle, Lord
Granville (Carteret), and other celebrities
brought under the notice of Sir James Porter.
We shall extract a scene between the Duke of
Newcastle and Mr. Porter, as described by the
latter, which reads with considerable piquancy,
when we recollect the conduct of another Duke
of Newcastle nearer to our times. Sir James
Porter, after relating his attempt to advance
the interest of his brother diplomatist, Mr.
Robinson, thus proceeds :
Finding, however, that all this reasoning had no weight
with the duke, 1 turned the matter on what 1 thought more
feasible, and in itself just and reasonable; I told him that
as I knew Mr. Robinson's desire, on account of the educa-
tion of his children, was turned towards home. and that,
whenever a general peace should happen, he would seek to
return at any rate ; if, therefore, his grace would intercede
with the King to give him any post or place, or even to
secure him one before his arrival, whenever that should
happen, the reward would be equally agreeable to that
which I had first proposed.
The duke on this point stroked his face, settled his wig,
hesitated, and asked nie, with a slow voice, stooping to-
wards my ear, has he a borough ? can he get into Parha-
ment? I told him I knew of no borough, no interest
which could bring him into Parliament but his grace's;
on which I rose up, took my leave abruptly, with this single
remark, that I supposed, after twenty years' service, the
same question would be put to me, and on such a vague
prospect I was confirmed in my first resolution of staying
at home. His grace followed me on my retreat, begging
and entreating me to return into his closet, which I abso-
lutely refused.
I left him, I confess, with indignation, and, to disburden
my mind of the impressions of so discouraging and unsatis-
factory a conversation, I immediately went to Lord Gran-
ville, who judged by my countenance the effects of my con-
ference with the duke ; he received me with his usual
smile, inclined to a laugh—brought me to a detail of the
whole : the singularity of the negotiation not only amused
him exceedingly, but heightened his spirits to much mirth.
I found, however, by his lordship's asking what the duke
would say to the King, that I had the interview by his Ma-
jetty's command.
Observe the details. "He asked me with a
" slow voice, stooping towards my ear, has he
" a borough ? " and, if the too famous Mr
O'F— shall ever write the history of his
life and times, some curious talk about other
ducal anxieties for boroughs will doubtless be
recorded. Of Carteret, Lord Granville, we get
this striking picture :
Every passion seemed delineated in Lord Granville'a
countenance; his eyes sparkled, he rtised his brows, settled
his wig, sometimes straight, sometimes awry, then, with
all the power of winds and eloquence, ridiculed my cow•
ardice, anti my doubt of being supported at home ; extolled
the importance by the confidential import of the commis-
sion, that I was the depositary of the King's and Ministers'
most secret thoughts and designs that a like commission
was the origin of the late Lord Stanhope's fortune ; he had
traced that ground for me to become as great. He exhorted,
persuaded, and in a set dissertation made use of every pos-
sible argument to move me. Lost to his rhetorical powers,
I remained quiet in my chair as if I had been all attention.
Whilst wrapt up in thought I was reflecting how I could
execute this commission at Vienna with honour and safety.
I considered that I might find some excuse not to take the
audience withont Mr. Robinson ; if he did, which I was
aim. at sore he would, 1 then ran no risk : we were two to
attest all I should say, and, therefore, my words could not
be misrepresented from the ideas they might convey to
him, as well as to our Hungarian Majesty; that if any mis-
understanding, doubt, or jealousy arose in her mind, or

977

any altercation concerning the King's intention, he would
bear his part. In short, I determined to proceed with the
commission, and, without telling his lordship my reason,
coolly desired him to continue dictating.
The King of Prussia in those days played a
more active part in the political drama than
his present successor. We extract at length
the following account of an interview between
Mr. Robinson and Sir James Porter with the
King :
" What is it then you have to offer ?" replied the King.
" First, to make a tender to your Majesty of two mil.
lions of dories which you had proposed giving the Court of
Vienna." " A handsome proposal, indeed," says his Ma-
jesty. " What ! assuredly they think me a beggar ; and
what more will they give?"—" All Ouelderland," replied
Mr. Robinson; "a country which may be of the utmost
advantage to your Majesty by situation and commerce, as
it commands the navigation of the Meuse." On which the
King turned to Count Potiewills, and asked him," Qu'uvons
nous de la Uueldre ?" He answered, " Presque rien, sire."
" What, then, they offer me beggarly scraps and cottages
for my just pretensions !"
• • •

Mr. Robinson, finding matters brought to the last er
tremity, determined to attempt what the mode of expos-
tulation would operate. He therefore began with telling
the King that if all method of negotiation was to cease, he
greatly feared and apprehended, on some grounds, that in
the last extremity the allies of the house of Austria would
exert their utmost powers for its support. The seeds of
passion had been operating in the King's breast on the
unsatisfactory conversation he had already undergone.
Count Podewills, who knew him, perceived that he artfully
suppressed them from expanding, lint on hearing this
reflection from Mr. Robinson they burst forth with great
vivacity. Interrupting him at once, and raising his linger
to the side of his nose, moving it with sonic agitation, he
said, " Ire menaces pas, monsieur."
Mr. Rubinson, with great modesty, replied, " I do not
threaten your Majesty ; I merely intended to mention that
the very nature and situation of things, and the hands of
solemn engagements, must naturally produce." The King
seemed to calm, and more moderately asked, " Who are
then these allies?" The other answered, " The Russians."
His Majesty stopped him short again, and said!
" As to the Russians, I have taken care of them in a
manner I cannot explain ; as for the King of l'oland, he is
not in a condition to stir! and the King of England is my
relation and my all (won tout)—ii he cloth not attack me
I shall not certainly attack him ; if he begins, Prince An-
halt will take care on that side. But in the end," said he
" what securities shall 1 have for the quiet and permanent
possession of those countries they offer me?"
"The King of Great Britain, Russia' Saxony, and the
States General," Air. Robinson answered, " will enter into
solemn guarantees."
"Guarantees," replied the King, "are now-a-days
dwindled to nothing more than waste paper. Are not
France, the King of England, and almost all the other
powers of Europe guarantees of the Pragmatic Sanction;
pray why do you nut all fly to its assist ace ?"
It is interesting to note the opinion on
" guarantees " expressed in this latter passage.
No autocrat of our own time could have been
more peremptory in his tone than the King.
Sir James Porters narrative continues
To bring the matter to a closer negotiation, and more
specific, Mr. Robinson desired his Majesty to suffer that
the proposals he had made might be written down, and
that his Minister should add his last demand. The King
conld not contain his passion any longer, but answered
with some agitation, " I am tired of ultimatums; I have
told you my ultimatum ; carry it back to Vienna. " Your
Majesty," replied Mr. Robinson, " will have all Lower
Silesia, the town of Breslau included." "Yes, T will," the
King answered, " and if they postpone the giving theft six
weeks longer, I shall add four more duchies."
In the last hundred and fifty pages of the
first of these volumes will be found their most
readable portions. We do not learn from
their contents aught that we did not know
before, but unpublished papers always have
corroborative interest. Those readers who
are not conversant with the internal character
of Turkish society will find in these volumes
much compiled matter illustrating the Turkish
question. But it must be recollected that
there are already many able and thoroughly
original works on Turkey accessible to the
reading public. An able publication on
Turkey can scarcely be expected from one
who has not studied its condition on the spot.

A Gazetteer of the Territories under the East
India Company, and of the Native States, on the
Continent of India. By Edward Thornton.
London : Allen and Co.

[Second Notice.)
THE conclusion of our previous notice of this
work brought us to the period when the first
Government of Lord Cornwallis closes; and,
passing over the nbscure career M Shore, we
arrive at the moment hen the most il-
lustrious Governor-General that ever ruled
over India comes upon the scone.

--~~

The Earl of Mornington was the head of a
family which in his generation did more
to illustrate the councils and the arms of Eng-
land than any single generation of any of the
illustrious families whose names adorn our
annals. He had early distinguished himself
at Eton, being a better Grecian than even the
celebrated Porson, and he had made a very
successful debut in Parliament. The intimate
friend of Pitt, he was chosen by that great
Minister to fill the post of Governor-General at
a period when the war with France rendered
danger to our Eastern possessions peculiarly
imminent ; and of such importance did Pitt
feel it to have a man of the highest energy
and ability at the head of affairs there that,—
as we have heard the late Lady Wellesley
state, on the authority of her husband—he
had at one time thought of going to India
himself, placing his friend the Earl of Morn-
ington in the Cabinet of England. Of course
such intention could have had but a momen-
tary existence; but it shows how important in
his estimation was the crisis, as a similar idea
uttered half a century afterwards by Welling-
ton to Napier showed in like manner what the
great duke thought of the danger then im-
pending over our Eastern empire.
In selecting Wellesley for the governor-
generalship Pitt certainly selected one who
was only second to himself, if at all inferior, in
the qualities fitted to make or adorn a states-
man. With a wonderful grasp of intellect, and
a courage which no danger could dismay—
with an extraordinary sagacity in the selection
of instruments to carry out his views, and that
facility of attaching great minds to him which
seems an inherent element in the characters
of truly great men—fired with an ambition in
which all was pure and noble, and into which
no particle of alloy entered of what was sel-
fish and base—the very soul of honour,
and formed by nature to stamp something of
his own glorious spirit on the members of
• iery service with which he might be con-
nected--there could not, perhaps, in all Eng-
land have been chosen one more fitted to
purify and elevate the character of the admi-
nistration of a dependency which had been so
entirely leavened with grovelling principles
and habits of the grossest personal corruption.
It was Wellesley who instilled into the Com-
pany's services in India those noble instincts
which have never since departed from them.
Under Wellesley the empire which Clive
had founded was consolidated and enlarged ;
Tippoo Sahib was conquered, and his territories
partitioned among the British and the allies ;
Oude, which had loins been a source of danger
to the Company, was reduced to a state that
rendered it ever after innocuous ; the Nuwab
of Surat, the Rajah of Tanjore, and the Nuwab
of Arcot were deposed, their conduct having
rendered their existence in their then state
incompatible with the stability of British rule.
But Lord Wellesley, though never hesitating
to prefer the safety of our empire to the
convenience of the native princes who were
inimical to us, was influenced by no sordid
considerations in these and similar proceed-
ings ; but, on the contrary, while depriving
them of the powers of government—or, in
other words, of mischief—conferred on them
and their families personal privileges and
• personal incomes at least equal to those which
they had enjoyed in their former state
In 1802 Lord Wellesley sent in his resigna-
tion of the governor-generalship, in conse-
quence of the Court of Directors having, to
use his own words, offered him " the most
" direct, marked, and disgusting personal in-
" dignity which could be devised.' They had,
indeed, grounded their interference with his
arrangements on a pretended desire for econo-
my and regard for the public good ; but the
real cause of their enmity was one as base as
it was personal. It was, that, in opening the
trade of India to Indian-built vessels, ho had
" . interfered with the profits of that fraction of
the shipping interest which was connected
with the Company, and who were the most
powerful members of the body. In fact, he
,had committed the crime of preferring the
interests of England and of India to the rigid
enforcement of their monopoly in its most
odious and most injurious features, and so
furthering, at the expense of both countries,
the interests of the proprietors private trade.