The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-15 00:00:00

SATURDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 15, 1856.

METROPOLITAN BOA IW OF WORKS.

A meeting of the Metropolitan Board of Works was held
iu the Court of Queen's Bench, Guildhall, yesterday; Mr.
J. Thwaites in the chair.

NEW STREET-SOUTHWARK.
The Clerk (Mr. Woolrych) read the following letter from
the Chief Commissioner of the Board of Works :

" " ()Ince of Works, &c., Nov. 12.
Sir,—l am directed by the First Commissioner of her
Majesty's Works, &c., to return to you herewith, approved
by him, the plan submitted to him on the 10th inst. by a
deputation from the Metropolitan Board of Works, for a
new line of street between High-street, Southwark, and
Stamford-street, Blackfriars, and to request that you will
be so good as to move the Board to furnish the First Com-
missioner with a copy of that plan, to be retained in this
office.
"The First Commissioner, however, feels it to be his
duty to state that he bad received some deputations, and
had seen several persons on this subject, and that, although
they expressed various views as to the line of street and
some of the features of the scheme, they almost all agreed
that it would be very desirable to remove the bloc of
buildings situated between High-street and Counter-street.
The First Commissioner pointed out that these buildings
were coloured for insertion in the schedule, and that the
Metropolitan Board would therefore have full power to
render the improvement still more complete if they should
find it necessary or expedient to do so.--I am, Sir, your
obedient servant,

" ALFRED AUSTIN, Secretary."
MAIN DRAINAGE OF THE METROPOLIS.
Mr. CARPOIAEL rose to call the attention of the Board to
the letter which had been received from the First Commis-
sioner of her Majesty's Works, in which he stated that the
plan submitted to him as regarded the outfall of the sewage
of the metropolis was at variance with the intentions of the
Legislature and contrary to the spirit of the statute, and
that he was therefore bound to return it, withholding his
approval. Sir B. Hall, in the last paragraph of his letter,
hadenvited a deputation from that board to troffer with
hieripon the subject of the drainage of the metropolis, and
he (Hr. Carpmael) thought the board might, by having an
interview with that gentleman, come to a better under-
standing on a matter in which both the board and the First
CoMmissioner were equally interested He was of opinion
that a deputation should meet Sir B. Hall and confer to-
gether upon all the plans. Ho trusted t het on the present
occasion gentlemen would reeerain their feelings. Let there
be a conference by which the views of the board on the
subject of the drainage of the metropolis might be made
known to the First Commissioner, and his views thereon
be made known to them. Without intending to Moen ton
his own opinion, still he wished to deal with the subject
in a practical manner. It was said that generally the great
affairs of the world were carried on in the spirit of comp°.
tele°. He believed it was so, and he was willing to act
upon that principle on the present occasion ; and if the
board supported him in that course he had no doubt they
would arrive at a satisfactory result. He therefore begged
to move
" That the Chief Commissioner of her Majesty's Works
having suggested the propriety of a conference between
himself and a deputation of this board, be it resolved that
the chairman and the following members [l2 or 14 as may
be agreed upon], accompanied by the engineer and clerk,
be a deputation to confer with the Chief Commissioner on
the various plans for intercepting the sewage of the metro-
polis."
Mr. DENNIS seconded tho motion. He thought the least
said at that time the better ; he should therefore refrain
from stating his views on the subject.
Mr. TURNER was not opposed in principle to the appoint-
ment of a deputation, but he thought it of great importance
that in going to the First Commissioner it should be
thoroughly understood between the board and the Com-
missioner what were their objects and what were the sub-
jects to be discussed. If he understood the letter of Sir B.
Hall aright, what he proposed was, not that the board
should have a free conference with him on all the plans,
including plan D,' but, that excluding plan B, they should
have a conference with him on the other plans. That Was
a position in which the Board ought not to be placed. They
ought to confer on plan B as well as on other plans.
The CHAIRMAN—As I understood it, the whole question
will be open for discussion with the Chief Commissioner.
Mr.TURNER wished it to be so expressed in the resolution.
The Chief Commissioner objected to plan B, saying that it
did not satisfy the requirements of the act ; "but," said ke,
"you tell me there are other plans, to which I can say
neither aye nor nay until I have seen them; if you have
such other plans I am willing to see you on the subject"—
thus excluding from his own mind plan B. Now, he was
of opinion that the Board should tell the First Commissioner
that they adhered to plan B, bat that he having opposed it
they were willing to have a conference with him on the
whole subject. Let this course be taken, and no misunder •
standing could then arise.
Mr. BitieToW thought the object of the conference de.,
sired by the First Commissioner was to remove all obstacles
in the way of any plan that might be approved of ; and
that the Board was left entirely free, except in so far as
they were bound equally with the First Commissioner by
the provisions of the act of Parliament.
Mr. WILKINSON pointed to the last paragraph of the
letter, in wbich it was expressly said that if the Board
should desire to see the First Commissioner pieviously to
the consideration of any plans (not any other plan) he
would be happy to receive a depat aion. Their conference
with him, therefore, would be unembarrassed by any pre-
vious decision whatever.
r. D'IFFANGER was anxious that those who were in the
min Mority when plan B was adopted by the majority of the
Board should be fairly represented in the deputation. The
whole Board, if they thought proper, ought to be at liberty
to attend.
Mr. H.L. TAYLOR said it appeared to him that the Board
were about to abandon that independent character it was
their duty to maintain, and which was one of the chief ele-
ments of the principle of self-government. They had been
discussing the question of the main drainage of London for
many months past, and had at last come to a resolu-
tion to adopt a plan which the great majority of the Board
believed complied with the act of Parliament. The Minis-
ter, however, rejected it, and immediately every member
appeared eager to wait ou that Minister in order to allay
any angry feeling in his mind. (Oh, oh.) The most inde-
pendent course would be for the Board to stand by that
which they had agreed to, and not be influenced by the
opinion of one individual merely. It appeared to hini that
they were taking a course most derogatory to the interest
not only of that Board, but of the public at large. It might
be thought by some simple-minded men that they were
going to Sir B. Hall to discuss with him on the scheme 8,
which hail been adopted by them, but the e never was a
greater mistake. In his letter the First Commissioner ob-
served, " It appears that at every time up to the Gth Oct.
last, when plan B was before the Board, it was set aside,"
and he added these words The First Commissioner
agrees with the Board in the several decisions arrived at,
which lie considers to have been quite correct. In those
two lines he had stated his views upon the very plan which
the Board ought to set their heart and mind upon. He
defied the Minister to maintain the veto which he had so
incautiously and inconsiderately placed upon a plan
than which no bettor plan could tee suggested with the ad-
dendum that was placed against it—viz , that if the plan
were to be carriee further down the river the Board had
no objection, provided the funds for defraying the ex-
tpiel
enrseefowreeraed
vfiuserntihseh eßdoabryd ttho eaiGhoolveertnomtehneti.rwould
ile
plan, and let
Sir B. Hall, if he pleased, confer with Lord Palmerston,
who, as Prime Minister, had the power to say that tie
amount required for conveying the sewage further down
the liver should be forthcoming. He, as a member of
the Board, felt himself degraded by the course proposed
to be pursued,—that of placing themselves on their
knees before a Minister of the Crown, and offering
to become his creatures. (Oh, oh.) Was it a course
becoming an independent body of men to pursue? Every
plan having hitherto been rejected, the only alterna-
tive left to the Board appeared to be that of resolving
to take the sewage down to Sea Reach, with a proviso
that the money should be furnished by the Government.
This appeared to him to be the only way left by whioh
they could maintain their own views, and at the same time
coreply with the wishes of the Minister.
Mr. bonurorr said it was not correct to state that a de-
mthe:Bboearred-rt.eoeefoonllteinwuetd, will
if they
putation waiting on the Chief Commissioner c.eild not
d
ialetdawohdereetloaton.bpnelYtahnpei3r(aice.;itueraa4leili.i.jeoisinu lt. If the advice of the hon.
noto
f th,,were to say, " We will
fore he was anxious that
ad deputationtpresey st hh udl dignity
ng
iot y
up;
carry
Boardout
itself. any tihieer
wpilsahne,
o
‘t
riej
,0 r IjytooNbeadionpvtoeldvecevery
Chief Commissiouer. T
stand by plan B, suet if plan B
the hat was the only way by which
-Y on It was his,unpreeei
y could rot out of the difficulty in which they all felt
there-
fore etrhe
part from it / ewno out rlhdda
tti
ahot aht teb e
Boardapda sfallen fherttol
thmoe
would say, pass
large majority trilthis at all. It had been decided by a
*aitathat was the best plan ; why then do-
up to tht. corn •
conviction t were they to discuss when they went
:ontrary to the act of Parliament—what use
Tour Plan ? Would he not say to them,
it would be theasd
hen. member for
; be altionce told them that the plan was contrary
.1-1":71a.0 di tn:tto talk about what I cannot accept 1"
not the Board, mnin his letter say that he was open to
said that if they should fail in this case
had got into a
I to the amt. It °w
as
of the Board itself but the
that it was possible Sir B. k4ll, and
that he wished t7ll':n
point, then indeed it
difficultypiny'
and not they. If Sir B. Hall had
wamsighlit be a proper course to appoint a
sole object of Sir B. Hall
of othavions from the whole tenor of his
Mr. Orion. agreed in tphe hisp
was to discuss something on which
letter that nothing
propese by which in one constaL
u:indid.some magnificent plus t sort was meant, and that the
he had already made
sea • ut flow the sewage might be
carried down to the North
tion, because, if Sir B. H.Silli°j°,l-14Y of appointing a dcputa-
to
to be made acquainted with it the Board eught by all means
neither violated the equity, as it •Re contended that plan B
of the act of Parliament Thantglit be calledor the words
would go perfectly unfettered to being so, the deputation
to learn from him why it was that with Sir B. Hall, and
which a large majority of the leejci' ikon Objected to a plan
and so good, The deputation would t"u-ht so reasonable
the Beard, but on their return they would nee power to pledge
be all better informed, and then they c f el themselves to
they would adhere to pat..
or
adopt could co nsider whether
Mr. WARE said in his opinion there vvoulOdther Plan.
to their independence or their dignity in be •
be no detriment
with Sir B. Hall. On the contrary, it woulvdint? an intsrview
captiousness and spleen on their part if, aftere evidence of
done themselves, they were to decline the what they had
tained in eqr B. Hall's letter. e invitation con-
Mr. CRELLIN said it was well known that his
the disposal of the sewage was that it should notopinion as to
river at all. He knew not what the views of Sir, into the
that subject might be, inasmuch as the matter had
bit Ball on
been fairly placed before him. An opportunity
00,shot yet
t o
afforded to the First Commissioner to form an opinTo that important point. n upon
Mr. Few thought the moat natural course they eeuldn
was to send a deputation to the Chief
The Commissioner,
letter of Sir B. Hall made no allusion whatever to the
0. sec, of
the Board to carry the sewage further down the river,
pro-
vided Government would pay for it. That part of theiilc
solution was left unanswered, and instead of answering it Sir

It was their duty,

Ben.jamin invited them to a conference.
therefore, to accept the invitation.
Mr. Theocoo asked how they would begin their letter to Sir
Benjamin Hall, supposing they agreed :to a conference ?
Would they say " The Board having had this matter before
them, they desired to see the First Comnissioner ? "Why,
they did not desire any such thing. (Hem-, hear.) They bad
adopted a plan for the drainage of London which they be-
lieved to be the very best that could be devised, and they
intended to adhere to it. ( d ear, hear.) He believed Sir B.
Hall would decline all discussion on plan B, and would ask
the deputation whether they had any other pl in to propose.
He hoped, in that case, the answer of the deputation would
be, " No, unless you intimate to us that the cost shall be
paid by the Government." •
Mr. LESLIE objected to the resolution, because it did not
comply with the terms of Sir B. Hall's invitation. All the
plans, A, B, C, and D, had been rejected, the two former by
the First Commissioner, and the two latter by that board
itself. They were therefore not prepared with any plan to
lay before the Commissioner.
Mr. Deputy HARRISON, in supporting the motion that a
deputation be sent to Sir B. Hall, took the opportunity of
pointing out the course he thought it likely the deputation
woul take in reference to plan B. The &lief Commissioner
had rejected that plan because, in his opinion, the outfall
was at variance with the intentions of the, Legislature. In
this instance ther6fore he had given a reason
,for the rejection
of the plan. Again, he said that it was contrary to the
spirit of the statute. That was a second reason. Now,
when he should come to talk with Sir B. Hill on the subject
—he would not do it disrespectfully, but he should do it
firmly—he would. tell Sir Benjamin that the words ,of the
act of Parliament were equally binding on him and on the
board, and that it was not for him to be the interpreter of
We intentions,of the Legislature, nor was it for him to say
that the plan was contrary to the spirit of the act, He
(Mr. Deputy Harrison), on the contrary. maintained that the
p'an B was within the provisions of the act. He repre-
sented upwards of 1,00'1,000/, sterling of rateable value,
and he had to consider whether he was justified in con.
senting to an outlay beyond what was for the benefit of
those who were the owners of that property. The aet only
gave. the Board power to execute works fog, kbe benefit of
the metropeliton .distriets. He thought they might safely
have an interview with -Sir B.' Hall without compromising
themselves in any way, and it was poseible they might con-
vince him that they Were right in the conclusion at which
they had arrived. The difficulty in which the Board was
placed arose from the 135th clause, by the introduction of
the Words "iu or near the metropolis." If those words
could be erased there would be no difficulty at all. He should
rejoice to see the noble work which had been intrusted to
them completely executed, but nothing should induce him
to consent to do anything beyond what they were empowered
to do by act of Parliament.
Mr. HAWKES did not think there was any difficulty in under-
standing the act. It was perfectly clear that, in saying the
sewage was not to fall " in or near the metropolis," it could
not be meant that you should merely take it one mile off in
a tidal river. He thought that to be the most valuable por.
tion jot' the act, and he trusted Sir B. Hall would not discuss
that'question with the deputation. The whole money that
might be expended would be thr own away if the sewage were
only. to be taken that insignificant distance beyond the limits
of the metropolis.
Mr. NICEIOLAY said, as it was admitted they were in a diffi-
culty, it was a matter of policy and expediency that they
should go before the Chief Commissioner to remove that diffi-
culty ; but he believed the Chief Commissioner was in as
great a difficulty as themselves. If, therefore, it were found
that' they could not properly fulfil their duty, they ought to
ask Parliament for enlarged powers to enable them to accom-
plish the work set before them.

Mr. CARPMAEL, in reply, said that what he proposed was,
that the deputation should meet Sir B. Hall and discuss with
him !the various plans of intercepting sewage which had been
befe the Board. There were only plans A, B, C, and D.
These, therefore, constituted the whole pith of the question.
He thought his friend Mr. Taylor bad fallen into a mistake in
callibg the Board an independent Board. They were acting
in cdneert with another Board—namely, her Majesty's Board
of Works. The Metropolitan Board had the power of origi-
natifig plans—her Majesty's Board of Works had not that
powbr, but it had the powerto veto the acts of the Metropolitan
Coaid. Therefore, whenever a difference arose between these
two boards, he could not conceive a better course to pursue
than that they should have a conference together. It was
folbwing a very high example, for it was the practice of the
two Houses of Parliament when they differed on some par-
ticular provisions of a measure, which they were otherwise
desirous of carrying, to have a conference, and so Adjust the
matter.
The motion was then put agreed and to.
A discussion then ensued as to the number of members
that# should constitute the deputation. Various itiembers
werb proposed and rejected; but finally it was agreed, by a
dirthion of 25 for, and 13 against, that the deputation should
consist of the chairman, 12 members of the board, the en-
gineer, and clerk.
Almost every member who spoke on this point availed
hiOself of the opportunity of rearguing the propriety of ap-
poiating any deputation at all.
Mr. H. L. TAUT?, said that every member who represented
a lai•ge constituency ought to be present at the interview,
and observed that if Sir B. Hall had adopted the course which
Lold Seymour would have done, and had, before ignoring
their plans, had' a conference with the board, all the diffi-
culty that had occurred might have been avoided. It was
well to havo a giant's strength, but it was tyranny to use it
like a giant.
Mr. D'INTANGER expressed his gratification at the tone of
respect which bad been observed by almost all the speakers.,
tontards Sir B. Hall on the present occasion. Ho did not
aprehend that any inconvenience would arise from a full
attendanceo crowdin
gmembersanyfollowing theconference.wereboard
then
proceeded to nominate the deputation,
Howe, Major
14) on, Captain Ba • inett, Mr. Bristow, Mr. Seeley, Mr.
Wright, Mr. Turner, Mr. Few, and Mr. Carpruael.
appointed :
Me. Harrison, Mr. Nicholay, Mr. Doulton, Mr.

TII'S REPT.
Mr. LESLIE took R
occasion to remark that the size of the
reservoirs as originally proposed by the engineer had been
altbred since the plan had been decided upon by the board.
It was first agreed that the reservoir on the north side of the
metropolis should be 3 i acres, and the reservoir on the south
side 15 acres. These had been greatly reduced in their di-
mensions, and he wished to have some explanation from the
engineer on the subject.
Mr. BazAtosTrE said there was no ground for the state-
ment made by the hon. member, and then read from his re-
port the following passage :
" 1 recommend that for 11 months in the year the dis•
charge of the sewage into the river should take place at high
water, and during the first half of the ebb tide ; and that for
the remaining 20 or 30 days of heavy rain the discharge of the
then diluted sewage should also take place one or two hours
before high water, by which means a reduction of the size of
the covered reservoir from 15 to 4 acres might be effected,
and an increase of it obtained, so that it would contain about
2,500,000 cubic feet. In other words, it would not more
than half full during nine mouths in the year, and would
leave the other half of the reservoir free for the storage of up-
wards of a million cubic feet of rain during the remaining
three months. This will be found sufficient, probably, for
the next 15 or 29 years, and it would be better hereafter, if
necessary, to enlarge the reservoir rather than new to spread
its contents over a more extended surface.
" The foregoing instructions, however, direct -the pre-
paration of a plan for the discharge of the sewage at and after
high-water only. I therefore beg to report, so sudden and
unequal are the quantities of rain that fall, that, to avoid the
discharge of the sewage before high-water .on the 20 or 30
days per annum, would necessitate the construction of a
reservoir of double the size now proposed, at au increased
estimated cost of about 40,0001."

MR. M`CLEAN'S PLAN.
By Mr. M'Clean's plan it is proposed to take the sewage
from the West Ham station, in Essex, through the river
Crouch into the German Ocean. Sir S. M. Peto is an advo-
cate of this mode of disposing of the sewage, and the follow-
inc, letter from that gentleman, addressed to Mr. Thwaites,
the chairman, on the subject, was read by the clerk :
"My dear Sir,—l wrote you some time since on Mr.
M'Clean's plan, and so strongly
am I impressed that it is the
right thing to do, that, with the hope that the Chief Commis-
sioner, yourself, and your colleagues, will yet adopt it, I
Lave, with my friends, directed Mr. Day, of 43, Parliament-
street, to give the Parliamentary notices, so that if you should
approve we may be in time for this next session.
" I should be prepared to execute it for a fixed sum, and
if you will pay 4 per cent, on it, and let' us have the manure
from the sewage, I will guarantee its being carried out.
" I believe you will find it the best plan in every point of
view, and leave the purification of the Teams not a matter
of doubt, but of certainty.
" I am, my dear Sir, truly and faithfully yours,
" New Lowestoft, Nov. 8." " S. MORTON PETO.
After the disposal of some routine business the Board
adjourned.

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THACKERAY'S TRIED LECTURE.

(From the Scotsman.)
Last night (Tuesday) Mr. Thackeray delivered the third
lecture iu the Music-hall to a crowded audience. The reign
of the Third George was his subject, and he introduced it
by observing that, in the long period of sixty years over
which this reign extended, "England had to undergo the
revolt of the American colonies; to submit to defeat; tc
shake under the volcano of the French Revolution ; to
grapple and fight for the life with her gigantic enemy N .-
poleon ; to gasp and rally after that tremendous struggle ;
the old society, with its courtly splendours, had to pass
away ; generations of statesmen to rise and disappear ; Pitt
to follow Chatham to the tomb ; the memory of Rodney
and Wolfe to be succeeded by Nelson and Wellington's
glory ; the old poets who unite us to Queen Anne's time
to sink into their graves ; Johnson to die, and Scott and
Byron to arise ; Garrick to delight the world with his
dazzling dramatic genius, and Kean to leap on the stage
and take possession of the astonished theatre. Steam
had to be invented; kings to be beheaded, deposed, re-
stored; Napoleon to be but an episode; and George 111. is
to be alive through all these varied changes, to accompany
his people through those revolutions of thought, govern•
ment, society, and survive out of the old world into ours.
When I first saw England she was in mourning for the
young Princess Charlotte—the hope of the empire. I came
from India as a child, and our ship touched at an island on
the way home, where my black servant took me a walk
over rocks and hills till we passed a garden where we saw
a man walking. That is he, said the black man, that is
Bonaparte; he eats three sheep every day, and all the
children on whom ha can lay hands. There were people in
the British dominions besides that poor black Who had an
equal-terror and horror of the Corsican ogre.
It is from the correspondence addressed to George Sel-
wyn that the fullest and most intimate acquaintance with
the manners of the time of the Third George is to be de-
rived. Selwyn was a fine gentleman and a wit ; but
there must have been something really attractive about
him that made him the correspondent and confidant of so
many men of such apposite characters. His letters had not
the affectation of Walpole's, and were not so terrible in
their revelations as Harvey's Memoirs ; they were more
natural than " Horace's dandified treble or Sporus's ma-
lignant whisper." The " fine gentleman" who was unceas-
ingly represented in them, with more than a hundred of
whom we might still make acquaintance through George
Selwyn, is almost vanished off the face of the earth. We
have not now children who stand in reverential awe of
their parents, and go down on their knees to beg their
blessing; servants who are saying "your honour" and
" your worship" at every word ; or chaplains who say
grace, and retire with the pudding. We cannot now fancy
Mr. Pitt's Under Secretary not daring to stand in the
presence of his superior, or the same Mr. Pitt, as Earl of
Chatham, kneeling before the King while transacting bu-
siness with him, and bursting into tears because his Majesty
deigned to be kind. Fancy Lord John Russell or Lord Pal-
merston on their knees while their sovereign is reading a
despatch, or beginning to cry because Prince Albert has said
something civil. These letters make us see Charles Fox
cursing over the cards, Lord March calling the odds at
Newmarket, Burgoyne gaily tripping off from St. James's
to conquer America, and sneaking back somewhat abashed
without having accomplished that business, the Prince of
Wales stepping into a club and hurriedly asking a thou-
sand questions about other people's affairs. • From these
letters he drew the portrait of Dr. Warner, a chaplain,
who confessed that he did not believe in his religion, bat
thanked Heaven he was not so bad as alawyer who talked
of having come home from "a hard day's christening"—
a boisterous and uproarious parasite, who revelled in the
thoughts of ox cheek and Burgundy, who licked the
blacking from the Duke of Queensberry's shoes with a
gusto, liking it almost as well as the best Claret in old
Queensberry's cellar, bat was goodhearted withal, bene.:
volent, and is recorded to have occasionally delivered good
sermons. The commencement of this reign was the most
dissolute period our country ever knew. George the Se-
cond's bad morals bore their fruit in George the Third's
early years, as I believe a knowledge of that godly man's
(George the Third's) good example, his moderation, his
frugal simplicity, his God-fearing life, tended infinitely to
improve the morals of the country, and purify the whole
nation.

Next to Dr. Warner, perhaps the best drawn character
in Selwyn's correspondence was Lord Carlisle, the grand-
father of the present Viceroy of Ireland, who had been
well nigh ruioed by the awful debauchery and extravagance
then in fashion. The dissoluteness of society was terrible.
It had swarmed over Europe after the peace. It brought
singing women and dancing 'women from all the operas in
Europe, on whom my lords lavished thousands, while they
left their honest wives and their honest children pining in
lonely splendour in the castle and park at home. Lord Car-
lisle was one, however, who, after passing through a sea-
son of riotous pleasure—in which he never altogether forgot
that he had a good wife and children—finally settled down
into a sober country gentleman. It was different with
Lord March, afterwards Duke of Queensberry. The le-
gends about old Queensberry were awful,lbut almost in our
own time, the gambling, wrinkled, paleiod old Don Juan
had died as wicked and unrepentant as in his hottest days
of youth and passion. It is to the middle classes we must
look for the society of England ; the working educated
man, away from Lord North's bribery in the senate ; the
active clergy, not corrupted into parasites by hopae e,f. pre-
ferment; the tradesmen rising into opulence ; painiCrs
pursuing the gentle art ; men of letters in their quiet study
—these are the men we love and like to read of in these
days. How small the grandees and men of pleasure look
beside them ! How contemptible the story of George the
Third's court eqsfabbles beside the recorded talk of dear
old Johnson ! In their nights at the club, their modest
caps never ended in riots. There was Goldsmith so odd
and natural, Burke the finest talker in the world, Gar-
rick flashing in with a story from his theatre, with Percy,
and Langton, and poor Bozzy at the table. Not
merely how pleasant, and how wise, but how good the
men were ! Relating how Johnson carried an old woman
on his back down Cheapside, and how Burke, in returning
from the club, encountered a poor Magdalene to whom he
spoke in his kind, wise way, and whose tears so moved bins
that he took her home to his wife and family, until lie
could find her an honest way of living—" Oh ! you fine
gentlemen," said the lecturer, " you March, Selwyn, Ches-
terfield, how small you look by the aide of these great
men." Johnson, more then a whole bench of bishops, more
than Pitt, North, and the great Fox hieoself, had the ear
of the nation, and his great voice recioneilet: it to autho-
rity. When George the Third talked to hint, and when
the nation heard Johnson's opinion of the sovereign, a whole
generation rallied to the throne. Ho was regarded as ,2 sort
of oracle ; and when he declared for church and king, ti:'
people followed him. What a humanity the good old man
had. He was a fierce foe to all sin, but a gentle enemy to
all sinners. He had the "liberty of_the scenes," as he called
it at the theatre, and occasionally made use of it. " The
actresses know me," said he, " and drop a curtsey as
they pass." What a picture this would make, the lecturer
thought—" Gaiety so tenderly surveyed by wisdem's mer-
ciful pure eyes."
Introducing a brief sketch of Lord Bute, hated with a
rage of which there are few examples in English history,
hated because he was a favourite, " and shall I say it,
because he was a Scotchman"—the butt for Wilkes's de-
vilish mischief, and Chatham's slashing satire—he deli-
neated in strong terms the shrewd, hard, domineering
mother of George the Third, who acknowledged her son
was a dull boy, but kept continually croaking in his ear,
" George, be a king." Of the character of that monarch
Mr. Thackeray then entered upon an elaborate sketch.
George inherited his mother's bigotry and hatred, with
the obstinacy of his race ; but he was a firm believer
where his fathers were unbelievers, and he supported the
church, of which he was the titular head. He did not
like Fox, Reynolds, Nelson, Chatham, nor Burke ; he
loved mediocrity ; Benjamin West was his favourite
painter, Beattie his favourite poet. He lamented in after-
life that his education had been neglected, that he was a
doll lad brought up by narrow-minded people. The clever-
est tutors could have done little probably to expand that
small intellect, though they might, perhaps, have improved
his taste, and taught his perceptions more generosity. He
admired as well ae he could. To Hannah Lightfoot, the
actress, he was said to have been married, although I never
knew of any one who had seen the register ; and there was
laughing, black-haired Lady Sarah Lennox, who used to
make hay at him on the lawn of Holland House, and who
died in our own time, the mother of the heroic Napiers.
He married the Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz ,
although it was said he winced a little when first he saw
her—and for years they led one of the happiest and sim-
plest of lives ever led by married couple. Their time was
spent in the most regular ma nner. In the evening they
would have a country dance., at which the king would
dance for three hours to ont tune, after which deli-
cious excitement they would go to bed without any
supper. He vets fond of n:111970, and the theatre was
alwsys his delight. The smallest jokes would set him off
laughing, and when the clown swallowed a carrot or a
string of sausages, he would roar and hullaballoo so out-
rageously that the lovely iprincess tut his Bide had to say,
" My glorious monarch do compose yourself ; " and . ho
continued to laugh as long as. his Mao w its were left him.
The simple, stubborn, affectionate, bigoted man earnestly
triad to learn, and succeeded in joerfectly acquiring
all the routine parts of the royal' business. Who
could wonder that with such 3 Luau to rule and lead
the people, tc declare war, and to decide who his mil-
lions of subjects were to slay, and who they were to be
friends with, humiliation and failure should be tho result.
George the Third was always at war with the aristocracy ;
it was he and the people that carried on the American

war, denied justice to the Roman Catholics, and on these
questions beat the patricians. He bribed and bullied,
and darkly dissembled upon occasion—beat North and
Fox, and even bowed the stately neck of the younger
Pitt by his indomitable determination. In all this he was
perfectly honest; for it was by persons thoroughly believing
they were right thatnine-tenths of the tyranny of the world
had been perpetrated. Persecution of all kinds had always
been popular—in Algiers, in Spain, in Italy, as in Eng-
!and. .George 111. wished nothing but the good of his peo-
ple, and, as he declared to Lord Bute, he regarded all who
opposed him as the bad men and bad subjects.
Returning from an excursion amongst questions of policy
to the bumbler court gossip, Mr. Thackeray, from Miss
Burney's description of her miserable life in the Queen's
household, portrayed the life at Kew and Windsor, the
little Queen surrounded by her stout sons and fair daugh-
ters, the household frugal and orderly, but the whole thing
stupid to a degree one shudders now to contemplate—,
quieter house or a more prosaic life could not be imagined.
But it was the fashion of the times, although there were
strange differences between now and then. Peeping into
quiet cottageat Olney, Mrs.lJuwin and Lady Hesketh, two
high bred ladies, were seen sitting listening to the gentle
Cowper reading to them the life of Jonathan Wild. The ad-
mirers of George the Third had filled volumes with stories
Of his homely ways—riding about and talking with every
one he met about their crops, or their families, or the rents
of their houses. It was thus that our fathers liked their
old King, and magnified him as the great representative of
the regal character. Gilray represented him, like a King
of Brohlignag, holding a lilliputian Napoleon in the palm
of his hand, and surveying him through an opera-glass.
"I had once thought," said Mr. Thackeray, " of making a
collection of the lies that the French had invented against
us, and that we had published against them during the
war." The life of tie Princess Amelia, the darling of the
old King, her father, made a beautiful episode of the lee-
lure, and the last scene presented him heart-broken athm
death. With her death reason deserted him, and from the
10th of November, 1810, George the Third ceased to reign.
Mr. Thackeray concluded—History presents no sadder
picture than that old man, blind and deprived of reason,
wandering through his palace, haranguing imaginary
Parliaments, and reviewing ghostly troops. He became
utterly deaf too. All sight, all reason, all sound of human
voices, all the pleasures of this world, of God, were taken
from him. Some slight lucid moments he had, in one of
which the queen, desiring to see him, entered the room and
found him singing a hymn and accompanying himself on
the harpsichord ; when finished, he kneeled down and
prayed aloud for her and for his family, and then for the
nation, concluding with a prayer for himself that God
would avert his heavy calamity from him, but if not, that
He would give him resignation to submit to it. He then
burst into tears, and his reason again fled. What preacher
need moralise on this story ? What words, save the
simplest, are requisite to tell it? It is too terrible for
tears. The thought of such misery smites me down
in submission before the Ruler of kings and men—
the Monarch supreme over empires and republics, the
inscrutable dispenser of life, death, happiness, victory
Oh brothers, I said to those who heard me first in Ame-
rica—Oh ! brothers, speaking the same dear mother
tongue —Oh ! comrades, enemies no more, let us take a
mournful hand together as we stand by this royal corpse
and c .11 a truce to battle. Low he lies to whom the proud-
est used to kneel once, and who was cast lower than the
poorest, whom millions prayed over in vain. Driven off
his throne, buffetted by rude hands, with his children in
revolt, the darling of his old age killed before him, old Lear
hangs over her breathless lips, and calls—Cordelia, Corde-
lia, stay a little.

Tex not his ghost, 0 lot him pass, he hates him
That would upon the rack of this rough world
Stretch him out longer.
Hush strife and quarrel over the solemn grave ! Sound
trumpets a mournful march! Fall dark curtain upon hi,
pageant, his pride, his griefs, his awful tragedy !