The Express.
London, England, 1850-07-03 00:00:00

THE • EXPRESS,• WEDNESDAY

The late Ms Robert Peel, the subtlest et this DOCIIIN
was bent en the sth of Peltreary, 1788. lalteritim
his father's talents and aptitude for bluing's, be Ind
all the super-added advantages of an early, sound,
and eomplete education. He was first seat to
Harrow, where be was form-fellow with Byron. The
poet, in a letter since published by Tom Moore, says
There were always greet hopes of Pool amongst as
all, masters and scholars, and he has not disappointad
them. Asa scholar he was greatly my supencr
a declaimer and sa actor I was reeltosed at least his

equal ; as a schoolboy, eat of wheal I wu always in
ursine and he never, and in school he always knew
his lesson and I rattly." Frem Harrow the future
statesman went to the University of Oxford, where
he entered u a gentleman commoner of Christ Church.
The qualities he evinced at his public ichool west
with him to his college. He displayed the same
application and proficiency that had distinguished
him at Harrow, and took a first-class degree both in
mathematics and chunks.

No sooner had he taken Ws degree than hie
father secured for him a seat in parliament, and
he was returned, in his 21st year, for Cashel.
Upon taking his seat, he adopted the political party
of his father, and spoke and voted with the Tory
party. He at once displayed great capabilities foe
debate, and made several speeches of great promise.
He spoke without any hesitation, and with taste,
clearness, and discretion. Indeed, so highly did mi-
nisters regard his talents, that in 1810 he was chosen
to second the address to the throne on the opening

of the session; and in the same year hi wit'
appointed Under-St orstary of State for the
Colonies. The rfficial career thus commecced,
and fated to lead to the highest offices of the
state, did not linger on its early stages. From as
Under-Secretaryship in Downing-street Mr. Peel was
promoted in 1812 to the onerous post of Chief Sre-e-
-tary for Ireland during the Viceroyship of the Duke
of Richmond. In this position he soon displayed
capabilities for administration, and detecting one
great deficiency in the social arrangements of
the sister country he brought in a bill,
subsequently carried, for establishing the Irish
constabulary force—a corps which has since bean of
the greater crevice. The success of this experiment
in Ireland subsequently suggested the embodiment
of a similar force in this country; and had the
deceased baronet done nothing she he would beg
be remembered, bath in England and Ireland, as
the originator of our present system of police.
Having changed his constituency from Cashel to
Cnippenham, he sat for a few years for the
latter borough, when a vacancy occurring, in 1817, in
the representation of the University of Oxford, upon
the elevation of Abbot to the peerage, his Alms Mater
paid him the great compliment of electing him to fill
the vacancy. Having resigned the Irish secretaryship,
he had more leisure for taking a prominent part in
the dimensions of the English parliament ; and on the
17th of January, 1822, his diligent and talented
support of hie party was rewarded. Lard Std-
mouth having retired on that day, Poet
was appointed Secretary of State fet the Homo
Department, a past which he held till the ad-
vent of Canning, in 1827. When Canning became
premier, Peel and some of his colleagues resigned,
but the death of that minister occurring in Augu t of
the same year, caused another change in the position
of parties.

The Duke of Wrllington being called to the cone-
eels of the king in the ennui -g January, 1828, Peel
was once more in place u home secretary, and held
that. important post during the troublesome period
that preceded the dissolution of the tory minietrr in
1830. Before he took office with the Duke of Wel-
lington, he had staunchly opposed catholic emancipa-
tion, uit became an university representative in old
tory dap to do, but he entered upon his official
career in 1828 knowing that the Duke meant to grant
relief to the catholic.. His voice ; red his vote being
used against his old friends of the "no popery party,"
and in favour of political prog us, gave mortal
offence to many of his supporters. In vain he declared
that his feelings on the subject remained as they had
been, but that emancipation " could not any longer be
safely withheld." Oxford would have him no longer;
he was opposed and belteu by Sir Robert Harry
Inglis, and compelled to find his war into parliament
through the convenient borough of Wewbury.
The memorable three days of July, 1830, that gave
Liuie Philippe a throne, lent an impu!se to Europe
which, amongst other things, turned the twin cnec
more out of office in England, and let in the whigs to
carry. the Reform Bill. Sir Robert served his party
during the debates on this measure by speaking long
and frequently and cleverly in favour of rotten bo•
roughs, and against the proposed changes in our
representative system. But in vain. The people
were in earnest, and the long required changes were
made.

Whilst these political contests were in prpers, Sir
Robert Peel, the father, died, leaving his son to suc-
ceed to the baronetcy, and to an amount of property
that rendered him one of the wealthiest commoners iu
England. On his parent's demise he gained also
the seat for Tamworth, which he occupied till his
death.
In 1834 Earl Spencer died, Lord Althorp resigned,
the Melbourne ministry was broken up, and the
Duke of Wellington was again sent for. Sir
Robert Peel was at the time in Italy
with his family seeking amusement and the
improvement of his health. The duke, by
this time, seems to have fully appreciated the
value of the absent statesman to the conserva-
tive party, for he despatched, at once, a mes-
senger to offer Sir Robert the Premiership.
The crowning point of his official ambition was
gained. He returned to England, formed a
ministry, and dissolved the parliament. Peel was
now to show his quality as a statesman. He
had his choice of colleagues, and many favour-
able circumstances for his great experiment.
He had secured a reputation for official apti-
tude, for power in debate, and for services
as a law reformer. He had, moreover, taken
very decided stepe by his bill of 1819, and in
other ways, for influencing the currency and mone-
tary arrangements of the country. In executive go-
vernment, in legislatorial conflict, in the modification
of our jurisprudential system, he had made hie in-
fluence felt throughout the country. The country
was now more than ever in his hands, and the people
looked on with natural solicitude to know what the
new conservative minister would do.
It was on the 9th of February, 1835, that the new
parliament assembled. In this parliament Sir It.
Peel's government was beaten on more than one
question. Oa the Bth of April, he and his colleagues
resigned, and the whip returned to power, which
they retained until 1839, but with gradually dimi-
nishing majorities. until at length they were virtually
defeated on the Jamaica Bill, and retired from office.
This was in 1838. Sir R. Peel was once more en-
trusted with the task of forming a ministry. This
is perhaps the most inglorious episode of his
public life. If his former efforts to carry on the go-
vernment were ineffectual. he had at least made the
endeavour to sustain himself, and only fell through
the instrumentality of an adverse House of Commons.
But on this occasion he never completely formed his
ministry, not because he distrusted the country, or
feared the opposition of the popular branch of the
legislature, but because he was not to be at liberty to
change not only the Queen's cabinet, bat also the
Queen's household. The celebrated bedchamber
plot is yet too fresh in the minds of most
men to require any detailed notice here. It ap-
peared that Sir Robert fancied that the Queen had
given him the most ample authority to surround her
both in her political and domestic capacity, with par-
ties of his choosing, and submitted a list to her
Majesty containing the names of an entirely new
household. The Queen was surprised at the propo- '
sition, and intimated her disinclination to let political
changes reach her in her domestic relations.
Bat Sir Robert was inexorable, and insisted
upon the proposed changes in the household, not as
a domestic but as a political necessity. Not succeed-
ing in his object, he earns down to the House of Com-
mons, and informed the representatives of the peop'm
that he had abandoned the intention of forming a cabi-
net, on the ground that he had had the misfortune to
misunderstand the wishes of her Majesty on a matter
of great importance. Sir Robert was again in oppo-
sition, having on this occasion abandoned the Trea-
sury bench ere he had scarcely taken possession of it,
on grounds which some affected to regard
as good, but which others treated as a mere
pretext for relinquishing office, at a time when it was
inconvenient in a party point of view to accept it.
The apologists of his conduct, on this occasion, find it
necessary to magnify the political influence of the
immediate personal attendants upon her Majesty and