The Sun.
London, England, 1827-08-09 00:00:00

' invaluable to any Ministry which could obtain
his assistance ; and it was not long before he
found himself again in power with an accession
of rank, laving joined the Duke of Portland, as
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. It was
in this capacity that he made his famous speeches
upon the bombardment of Copenhagen and the
seizure of the Danish fleet. And he also fought
a duel, upon a dispute arising out of the conduct
of the \Valcheren expedition, with the late Mar-
quis of Londonderry, then Lord Castlereagh,
who was the Secretary for War and Colonies,
which terminated in Mr. Canning's being wound-
ed, and in both parties going out of office. It
was Lord Castlereagh who gave the challenge ;
and at six o'clock on the morning of the 21st of
September, 1809, the parties met near the tele-
graph, Putney-heath. Lord Castlereagh was
attended by the present Marquis of Hertford,
and Mr. Canning by Mr. Ellis. After taking
their ground, they fired by signal, and missed ;
but no explanation taking place, they fired a
second time, when Mr. Canning received his
adversary's ball in his thigh. He did not fall
from the wound, nor was it known by the seconds
that he was wounded, and both parties stood
ready to give or receive further satisfaction, when
Mr. Ellis, perceiving blood on Mr. Canning's
leg, the seconds interfered. Mr. Canning was
conveyed to his house, Gloucester-lodge, at
Brompton, where be was for some time confined ;
but as the bone of the thigh was not fractured,
he recovered sufficiently to attend the levee on
the 11th of October, and resign his seals of of-
fice, as did Lord Castlereagh also.
The quarrel excited a considerable sensation
among the friends of both parties at . the time ;
and it was understood that his late Majesty ex-
pressed his strongdiSapprobation of the practice
of settling ministerial disputes by sword or pistol.
Mr. Canning addressed two letters to Earl Cam-
den (which were published), defending the part
which he had taken in the affair ; but the result
was, his separation from the party with which he
had acted ; and not long after he made that
which may be considered as his first demonstra-
tion in favour of popular principles, by offering
himself as a candidate for the representation of
Liverpool, for which place he was elected in
1812. Mr. Canning stood four times for Liver-
pool, and was each time elected, but never with-
out a strong opposition. On the first occasion
he had four antagonists, and his majority was
500 ; the numbers being for Mr. Canning,
1,631 ; for General Gascoyne (the second Mem-
ber), 1,532 ; for Mr. Brougham, 1,131 ; for Mr.
Creevey, 1,068 ; and for General Tarieton, 11.
The second election took place after Mr. Can-
ning's embassy to Lisbon, and very great exer-
tions indeed were made to thrdw him out ;
.but
he was, nevertheless, returned after a struggle of
three days, by the retirement of his opponent,
Mr. Leyland, whose name, indeed, had been set
up by the hostile party, in spite of his personal
declaration that he was desirous not to serve.
The third election, of 1818, was distinguished
by an extraordinary quantity of electioneering
manoeuvre, 18 nominal candidates having been
set up, on one side and the other, in addition to
the four real ones ; the majority, however, of
Mr. Canning was greater than on any occasion
before. The last election of 1820 was less
warmly contested, his chief opponent being a gen-
tleman of the name of Crompton, who succeeded
only in obtaining 345 votes. During the latter
years of his life, the termination of Mr. Canning's
political career seemed problematical, though
few persons, even but a short time since, would
have anticipated its coming so early to a close.—
In 1818 he came into office as President of the
Board of Control; but left England and aban -
.doned his place, in preference to taking part
in the proceedings against her Majesty the late
Queen. Subsequently in 1822, he was named
Governor of India ; and was on the point of
again quitting the country, having actually taken
leave of his constituents at Liverpool, for the
purpose of proceeding to Bengal. At that very
moment, however, the death of the Marquis of
Londonderry suddenly opened the situation of
Secretary for Foreign Affairs to him, a post
which he accepted, and held until the change
consequent upon the recent illness of the Earl of
Liverpool, when it was his fortune to attain that
high station to which his talents pre-eminently
entitled him ; and in which a long list of valu-
able services to his country, have, we feel little
doubt been cut short by his premature and regretted
death. It is a curious circumstance, Mr. Can-
ning died in the same house in which Mr. Fox
breathed his last: and, like that distinguished
statesman, but a few months only after his last
acceptance of office. Be has left two eons alive,
and a daughter. The latter is the present Mar-
chioness of Clanricarde ; the elder son is a Cap-
tain in the Navy ; the younger a lad still at school,
who was brought from York during his father's
illness. As Mr. Canning has been repeatedly
attacked upon the subject of the pensions granted
to other members of his family—to his mother
and sisters—it becomes fair to add what he has
said in his defence. His answer to this ehasge
was, that when he first retired in 1803 from the
office of Under Secretary of State, he was en-
titled to a pension of 5001. a-year : and that, in-
stead of taking that sum himself, he requested to
have it settled upon his relations.

Mrs. Canning, whose eyes were never averted
from her husband's countenance, was the first to
perceive the change which it had undergone.
The effect upon her was terrible. She fell into
a hysteric fit, and in that state was conveyed to
another apartment, where she still remains unin-
formed of the termination of Mr. Canning's life,
but probably too conscious that he has ceased
to exist.

It is stated that Mr. Canning, in one of the
intervals when pain was less acute, and he could
address himself to those near him, expressed a
fervent hope that his Majesty would adhere to
the line of policy now adopted, and which has
been found so advantageous and honourable to
the country. Nothing authentic has transpired
here on this subject, but the statement is believed ;
and, it is added, that special messengers were
sent to the King at Windsor to communicate the
wishes of his noble-minded and talented Minister.

The King, with his usual quickness, was the
first to perceive the dangerous state of Mr. Can-
ning. We understand, that almost immediately
after Mr. Canning quitted him, on Monday, his
Majesty observed to Sir William Knighton, that
Mr. Canning appeared very unwell, and that he
was in great alarm for him. On Tuesday, Sir
William repaired to town, at the express com-
mand of his Majesty, to see Mr. Canning. At
the interview with him at the Treasury, Sir Wil-
liam made particular inquiries into the state of
his health. Mr. Canning was then troubled
with a cough, and he observed to Sir William
that he almost felt as if lie were an old man ;
that he was much weakened ; but had no idea
of there being anything dangerous in his con-
dition, and that he trusted that rest and retire-
ment would set him to rights. Sir William bent