The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-27 00:00:00

DEATH OF THE MARQUIS OF
WELLESLEY.

This illustrious statesman, after a short illness, ex-
pired at Kingston House, Brompton, yesterday morn-
ing, at four o'clock. Few public characters can be
named, who have acquired greater distinction by
their services, in a variety of situations, than the
Marquis of Wellesley. No one can fail to be struck
with the extraordinary nature of his career, and by
the brilliant qualities which he brought to bear upon
the civil administration of India.
Richard Wellesley, Marquis of Wellesley of Norragh,
Earl of Mornington, Viscount Wellesley, of Dangan
Castle, and also of Ireland, was born June 20, 1760.
He was the eldest of four other brothers, and one
sister, by his father Garret, who was born in 1735,
and elevated to the rank of Viscount Wellesley, of
Dungan Castle, and Earl of Mornington, in 1760.
His brothers alluded to are William created Baron
Maryborough ; Arthur, Duke of Wellington; Gerald
Valerian, who is in holy orders, D.D. a Prebendary of
Durham, Chaplain to the Queen, and formerly, Rector
of Chelsea ; Henry, created Lord Cowley ; and Anne,
who married, first the Hon. Henry Fitzroy, and
secondly, her former husband dying in 1794, Charles
Cullen Smith, Esq.
The Marquis of Wellesley was sent at an early age
to Eton. Here, it is said, he distinguished himself
by a display of those talents among his fellow stu-
dents which gave a strong prognostic of the eminence
he was destined to obtain on the great theatre of the
world. To the last he retained his taste for pro-
ducing those classical pieces of skill, which came in
a Latin form with peculiar grace from his pen, and a
very beautiful specimen of which appeared in the
Quarterly Review, about two years ago. Other speci-
mens are to be met with in the " Musw Etonenses."
Having finished his studies at Eton, he removed to
Cambridge ; but the death of his father inducing
him to enter early on public business, "he returned
home before completing his residence, and was ap-
pointed a member of the Irish Privy Council, and a
Knight of the newly-instituted Order of St. Patrick.
In addition to these honours, he was chosen one of
the representatives of the Royal borough of Windsor,
and in this situation took an active part in the impor-
tant debates which the disturbed state of Europe oc-
casioned in both Houses of Parliament. His views
and expressions were both calculated to inspire the
Ministry towards pursuing the warlike counsels which
had been proposed. •
In the year 1797 he entered on that wide and mag-
nificent scene of action which his appointment as
Governor. General of India led him into. The Indian
Government at this time presented difficulties which
talents of the first order were required to control.
Party spirit had not only begun to show itselfin a variety
of forms, but Tippoo Sultaun ofMysore, the most power-
ful enemy of the British authority, had again re-
covered force and resolution. His Lordship instantly
adopted measures for the firmest resistance. France
had entered into union with this wily Indian, and his
first movements were to counteract their junction.
Bonaparte having landed in Egypt, Lord Mornington
dispatched a considerable part of the Indian army,
under Sir David Baird, to join Sir Ralph Aber-
crombie, who had the command of that from England.
The bold design of sending these forces up the Per-
sian Gulf having succeeded, his Lordship saw his
counsels crowned with triumph. Orders were next
issued to obtain possession of Perim, a small island
situated at the entrance of the Gulf of Combay, which
forms a communication between the straits of Babel-
mandeb and the Red Sea. By the possession of this
place, he saw that the passage of the invading army
would be effectually stopped, and India, in conse-
quence, be provided with a permanent and sure de-
fence. The Indian army, in the meantime, having
assembled under General Harris, received directions
to proceed against Seringapatam, the seige of which
city was accordingly commenced in April, 1799.
History has few recitals of a military nature more
horrible than this war furnishes. But for the press-
ing and energetic letters of the Governor-General, the
attacking army would have raised the seige. But,
urged by the strong exhortations of Lord Wellesley,
General Harris carried on his exertions with renewed
vigour, till the fortress was stormed by a desperate
assault, and Tippoo himself slain ; intelligence of the
important event was immediately communicated to
the Government at home, and the Earl of Morning-
ton was created, as a reward for his services, Marquis
of Wellesley.
Further to commemorate the distinguished services
which he performed in India, he received, in addition
to his title, the honour of having his family arms aug-
mented, with an allusion to the scene and circum-
stances of his exertions. The addition to the former
bearings were, in the language of heraldry, " an es-
cocheon purpure, charged with an estoile vert, bor-
dered and radiated or, between eight stripes or spots
of the Royal tiger, in pairs, salterwise gold." To the
dexter supporter, which is a lion, was added, " In the
paw, the French Republican tricoloured flag de-
pressed, and the staff broken." The sinister supporter
was also ordered to be altered from a lion to the Royal
titter of Tippoo Sultaun, vert striped, ducally collared,
and chained or, holding in the paw the standard of
Tippoo depressed, and the staff broken. To the crest
of IVellesley was added "the standard of Tippoo Sul-
taun," and to the crest of Colley, which was a man's
arm grasping a sword, instead of the sword " a flag-
staff with the union standard of Great Britain, sur-
mounting the tricoloured flag of France, and the
standard of Tippoo."
In the year 1805, his Lordship returned to Eng-
land. Opinion, however, was not universally in his
favour. He was said to have been extravagant in his
Government, and guilty of oppression towards the
native Princes. Articles of impeachment were pre-
ferred against him in the House of Commons, but
these dropped, and a vote was given in his favour.
Among others who were violently adverse to him
on his return were many of the Directors of the East
India Company, several of whom strongly remon-
strated with him on the expense and extravagance of
his Government. His answer was short and sarcastic.
" Gentlemen," said he, " I can't govern kingdoms by
the Rule of Three."

On resuming his seat in the House of Lords, the
Marquis Wellesley again became a frequent speaker ;
and, in the year 1807, on the Duke of Portland be-
coming Minister, he was selected to accept the office
of a Minister of State, but declined it.

In 1809, he succeeded Mr. Frere as Ambassador to
the Court of Spain, and had the fortune to land at
Cadiz on the very clay in which the battle of Talavera
was fought, and, amid the rejoicings which were
made to celebrate the surrender of Dupont's army to
the patriot forces. His arrival was attended with

every demonstration of public respect. A French flag
was spread upon the ground for him to walk on ; his
carriage was drawn by the people to the Town-house ;
and what was a more singular proof of the heartiness
of his welcome, they refused the gold which he pre-
pared to scatter among theft'.

On the Marquis of Wellesle.y's return from Spain,
Lord Grenville, on the 30th of March, 1810, moved
for the appointment of a Secret Committee, to whom
the papers relative to Spain should be referred, that
those documents might be prepared for publication.
The Marquis of Wellesley, on the occasion, implored
the House not to interrupt the acceding to this mo-
tion, or to obscure, by their own acts, the lights ne-
cessary for the full and clear knowledge of the ques-
tions involved. " A most material part of the cor-
respondence consisted of Ins own dispatches during
his late embassy." He begged the House not to rob
the public of the advantage of an open manifestation
of his conduct, and that the record of his transactions
in Spain might be preserved to the world whole
and entire.

On the Bth of June, in the same year, the Marquis
made a full vindication of the several acts with which
he was charged. Before proceeding to answer the
grounds of objection against himself, he laid before
their Lordships a brilliant sketch of the plan of Bri-
oepesrapatnioisn as
Spanish
peninsula.
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as
ss,
delivered, had a magnificent effect. He reviewed the
motives of Bonaparte in a masterly manner, and laid
open to his audience the vastness of his designs, and
his unprincipled means to carry them out. " 'Co him,"
said he, " force and fraud are alike--force that will
stoop to all the base artifices of fraud—fraud that will
become armed with all the fierce violence of force.
Every thing which the head ofsUch a man could con-
trol, or the arm execute, would be combined and con-
centrated into one vast effort, and that effort would
be strained for the humiliation and destruction of this
country."
In answering those who cried out that Spain was
in desperation and lost, he spoke thus :—" For my
part, my Lords, I can discover nothing in the aspect
of Spanish affitirs that wears anything like the hue
or complexion of despair. If, indeed, it had ap-
peared that the spirit of courage had began to lan-
guish in the breast of the patriotic Spaniards, then
might it be believed that further assistance to the
cause would be unavailing. But fortunately there
was not only life in Spain still, but her patriotic
heart still continued to beat high. Our generous
and exalted sentiment should be, still to stand by her
in her moment of resistance. The struggle in which
Spain was engaged, was not merely a Spanish strug-
gle, but one in which the fate of Eiigland was insepa-
rably blended. Should we not, therefore, stand by
her to the last—should we not at such a moment, if
she appeared to be at the crisis of her fate, extend
over her a more anxious care ? For in nature, and,
in Spain, how often have the apparent
abote all,symptoms-
of dissolution been the presages of new
life. Therefore, my Lords, continued the Noble
Lord, " I would cling to Spain in her last struggle :
therefore I would watch her in her last agonies : I
I would receive
wytuld wash and heal her woup4i