The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-07-09 00:00:00

(From The 'Times.) •

Strange that on the bloodless field of statesmanship
death should so often come with the suddenness, the
violence, and the anguish of war ! 'Chatham fell fight-
ing. His still greater son sank under the news of
Austerlitz. Perceval was assassinated on the threshold
of the house, his hand filled with papers, and a speech on
his tongue. Castlereagh's end was still more awful.
Romilv, too, was a statesman as well as a lawyer. Lord
Liverpool was struck down in the midst of his duties.
Canning fell suddenly while soaring in the pride of his
might. Huskisson perished terribly in the midst of his
former colleagues. Bentinck died in full health, without
a moment's warning. But who would have thought that
Peel would one day be added to the list ? The hero of a
hundred fights still survives. All around us we see octo-
genarian generals and admirals, surviving countless acci-
dents of battle and of blood, and dying at last of slow
decay. Sir Robert Peel falls by a sudden casualty,
before his strength has begun to fail, or his mind to de-
cline. Did not the thought suggest a murmur at the
dispensations of omnipotence, one might call it a waste of
precious power, a mighty soul lost to the world by the
merest trifle—by the silly panic or momentary impatience
of a brute. How much hzd such a man still to do !
How- many large views carefully elaborated ! What
treasures of observation, and acquisitions of political
lore ; nay, what a mighty part he might still "nave played,
had opportunity again invited, or necessity demanded his
potent intervention ! But in a moment all this is beyond
the grave, and speculations which but yesterday were
real and probable are now become the theme of the
school-boy.
We are authorized to state that the horse from which
Sir Robert Peel received his fall on Saturday last was
bought at Tattersall's, on the 22d of April last, by Mr.
Edmd. B. Denison, and intended to be offered to Sir Robt.
Peel. Mr. Denison rode him daily for a week. He met
the troops with their bands playing, as well as omnibuses
and carriazes in Piccadilly—all which the horse passed
without showing the smallest disposition to shy. Mr.
Denison insisted upon Sir Robert riding him for a week
before he decided upon keeping him. He did so, and then
requested he might have him. The horse had been re-
gularly hunted, was eight years' old, and had been ridden
by Lord Villiers, who thought he would suit his father-
in-law exceedingly well. For the last two months Sir
Robert had ridden this horse regularly.

(From the Morning Herald.)

It was as the avowed champion of. the corn-laws that
he was supported in parliament, and enabled again inlB4l
to assume the premiership. " I resist it," said Sir R. Peel
in reference to Mr. Villiers's motion on the corn-laws,
Feb. 19, 1839, " from the strong conviction in my own
mind that the present system of corn-laws ought to be
maintained." " I should like to know," said Sir R. Peel
on the Ist of June, 1841, " who has stood forward more
than I have done in defence of the existing corn-laws. I
should like to know whether any man, looking at these
debates, can really have a doubt that my desire is to
maintain a just and adequate protection to the agricul-
tural interest." _ _ _

The same sentiments were upheld on the hustings at
Tamworth, June 28, 1841, and even the proposal of a
fixed duty of Bs. repudiated, as not affording "a sufficient
protection" to the English agriculturist !
On the 16th of September, 1841, Sir Robert Peel took
his seat in the House of Commons as prime minister.
How those promises that he made in opposition were ful-
filled, our readers are aware. It is sufficient to say that
by him the corn-laws were first amended, then abolished
—free trade established—and again, as in 1829, the Con-
servative party shattered.
But why was this ? We do not desire to attribute a
wrong or impure impulse for all this. May it not have
been that with all his vast talents and wondrous gifts,
Sir Robert Peel was one of those minds which attaches
more importance to the arguments of others than to its
own reasoning—that giving to every question that which
he was so fond of expressing as his " mature considera-
tion," and then entering into the constant conflict of
debate upon the same question, the strength of his own
conclusions was weakened by repetition—by not finding
them produce an effect upon his opponents ; whilst their
assertions, put into a new form, and presented in a some-
what different aspect from what ho had himself first
viewed them, gained their way with his intellect, and at
length urged him to a conviction the very opposite of that
at which he had originally arrived ? And all this may
have happened without one wrong motive. That he had
no vulgar ambition is certain. He had no desire for title,
or peerages, or orders, or decorations of any description.
He cared not for wealth, and was so cold, and so reserved,
that the exercise of patronage seemed to ipart no plea-
sure to him. He was essentially a member of the House
of Commons, and his great pride and solitary satisfaction
seemed to be, that he should be recognised as its leader.
For five years he held that proud position, the prime mi-
nister of the strongest government since the days of
William Pitt ; and as such, his name must ever be iden-
tified with the history of his country. His policy changed
twice the fortunes of his country. This must be admitted,
whatever opinions may be entertained respecting him.

(From the Record.)

On tho night of Friday last Sir Robert Peel concluded
a powerful speech in the House of Commons amidst
" loud and long-continued cheering." Little was it then
imagined, amidst the applause which was wont to inspire
his eloquence, that his course was run, that his political
career was terminated, and that instead of once more
heading a new government either in person or by proxy,
he was within a few hours to be stretched on the bed of
death. Little was it then imagined by that "listening
Senate," that within so brief a period, the knell of his
departed spirit would be heard within the precincts of
that House, which had been for more than forty years the
theatre of those brilliant efforts by which he hoped to
build for himself a lasting monument of posthumous
renown.

Little was it imagined when ho resumed his seat, that
the hour of his departure from this busy scene of worldly
ambition was at hand ; that his work for good or for evil
to his country was done ; and that he was about to give
in his last account to God the Judge of all. Even now
it seems like a dream, and the nation is scarcely prepared
to realize the fact, that the great leader of the once
powerful Conservative party is no more.

(From the Morning Chronicle.)

The right honourable baronet was the eldest son of Sir
Robert Peel, Bart., who amassed an immense fortune as
a cotton manufacturer. The position of the elder Sir
Robert Peel gave him influence, and his political abilities
and personal probity rendered him an influential member
of the House of Commons, in which assembly he repre-
sented Tamworth for eight-and-twenty years. He
reached his 80th year, and lived to see his favourite son,
in whom he had, at an early period, beheld the future
statesman, holding the important and responsible office of
Secretary of State for the Home Department. In the
year 1773, in conjunction with Mr. Yates, he established
a large cotton manufactory at Bury, in Lancashire. The
establishment soon attained extraordinary prosperity. It
is stated that by the year 1803 the firm had in their em-
ployment no fewer than 15,000 persons, and that their
contribution to the excise in the shape of duty on printed
goods amounted to no less than £40,000 a-year.
In the year 1787 Mr. Peel married the daughter of his
partner Mr. Yates, and the subject of our memoir
was the eldest of a family of six sons and five
daughters. Mr. Peel soon became a landowner on a large
scale in the counties of Warwick, Lancaster, and Stafford ;
and in the year 1790 he was first returned to the House of
Commons for Tamworth. He was one of the warmest
supporters of Mr. Pitt's policy ; and his admiration of tnat
statesman and of his system was carried almost to the
point of devotion. He felt very strongly on political,
questions. Shortly before he was returned to parliament,
he published a pamphlet entitled " The National Debt
Productive of National Prosperity ;" of which the title
alone indicates the quality and character. Mr. Peel's
loyalty to his country and to his political principles took a
more substantial shape than even that of consistent par-
liamentary support ; for when, in 1798, the government
appealed to the community for pecuniary suppport in the
war against France, the firm of which he was the head
gave no less a sum than £lO,OOO. In 1800 he was created
a baronet. In 1812 he was made a privy councillor. Some
notion of the wealth amassed by this gentleman in the
course of many years of manufacturing enterprise may be
formed from the fact that when, in June, 1830. his will
was proved, the personal property was sworn at £1,200,000.

(From the Hull Packet.)

We have it upon the authority of a member of the
House of Commons,—a gentleman intimately acquainted
with the late Sir Robert Peel, that the lamentable acci-
dent which resulted in his death is erroneously described
in the London papers. We are assured that Sir R. Peel
fainted while on horseback, and was seen to fall forward
upon the horse's neck ; this caused the animal to start
aside, when its rider fell to the earth, and, unconsciously
retaining hold of the bridle, dragged the horse down upon
him. Some time ago, we are informed, upon the same
authority, Sir Robert suddenly fell down in a fit, but it
was thought desirable to keep the occurrence secret.
Should any inquiry into the particulars of Sir Robert
Peel's death be instituted, we are assured the above facts
would become known ; and our informant adds it is
thought Sir Robert will be found to have suffered from
disease of the heart. We may add that the horses ridden
by Sir Robert Peel for many years past, have been chosen
at his request, by Mr. E. B. Denison. " The favourite
old bay mare," of which the London papers speak, was
selected by that gentleman. Sir Robert, it is well known,
was not a skilful horseman.

The career of the statesman whose death we this day
record affords another instance of a man springing from
the ranks of the people to occupy the highest position in
the country that an English subject may enjoy.
The father of Sir Robert Peel was, as is well known,
one of the enterprising men who helped to lay the foun-
dation of our present enormous and important cotton
manufacture; and who, whilst establishing a channel for
the employment of thousands of his fellow countrymen,
won for himself a princely fortune. He was born in 1750,
and in 1773 embarked in a cotton factory at Bury, in Lan-
cashire, in partnership with a Mr. Yates, whose daughter
he afterwards married. In fourteen years—so rapidly was
money made by cotton spinning in those days—he bad
amassed enough to purchase a large landed estate in
Yorkshire, to which be subsequently added others in
,Staffordshire and Warwickshire. At Tamworth, then
fa,`Uni into decay, he setup an extensive factory, and, by
restOn ng. its business actiy4y, and giving employment to
its inh:bitgato, gained political influence, which afterwar42

secured him the seat for that borough—a seat subse-
quently enjoyed by his son.
The late Sir Robert Peel, the subject of this notice, was
born on the sth of February, 1788. Inheriting his father's
talents and aptitude for business, he had all the superadded
advantages of an early," sound, and complete education.
He was first sent to Harrow, where he was form-fellow
with Byron. From Harrow the future statesman went to
the University of Oxford, where he entered as a gentleman
commoner or Christ Church. The qualities he evinced at
his public school went with him to his college. He dis-
played the same application and proficiency that had dis-
tinguished him at Harrow, and took a first-class degree
both in mathematics and classics.

No sooner had he taken his degree than his father se-
cured 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 for debate, and made several speeches of great
promise. So highly did ministers 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 he
was appointed Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies.
The official career thus commenced, and fated to lead to
the highest offices of the state, did not linger in its early
stages. From an Under-Secretaryship in Downing-street.
Mr. Peel was promoted in 1812 to the onerous post of
Chief-Secretary for Ireland during the Viceroyship of the
Duke of Richmond. In this position he brought in a bill,
subsequently carried, for establishing the Irish constabu-
lary force. The success of this experiment in Ireland
subsequently suggested the embodiment of a similar force
in this country. Having changed his constituency from
Cashel to Chippenham, he sat fora few years for the latter
borough, when a vacancy occurring, in 1817, in the re-
presentation of the University of Oxford, upon the eleva-
tion of Abbot to the peerage, his Alma 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 discussions of
the English parliament; and, on the 17th January, 1822,
his diligent and talented support of his party was rewarded.
Lord Sidmouth having retired on that day, Peel was ap-
pointed Secretary of State for the Home Department, a
post which he held till the advent of Canning, in 1827.
When Canning became Premier, Peel and some of his
colleagues resigned, but the death of that minister occur-
ring in August of the same year, caused another change
in the position of parties.
The Duke of Wellington being called to the counsels
of the king in the ensuing January, 1828, Peel was once
more in place as Home Secretary, and held that impor-
tant post during the troublesome period that preceded
the dissolution of the Tory ministry in 1830. Before he
took office with the Duke of Wellington, he had staunchly
opposed Catholic.emancipation, but he entered upon his
official career in 1828 knowing that the Duke meant to
grant relief to the Roman Catholics. His voice and vote
being used in favour of Roman Catholic emancipation, his
old friends who were opposed to that measure, of course,
withdrew their support from him, and he was beaten, as
a candidate for the University of Oxford, by Sir R. H.
Inglis, and compelled to find his way into parliament
through the convenient borough of Westbury.
In 1830, the Conservatives having quitted office, and the
Whigs let in to carry the reform bill, Sir Robert Peel
opposed that measure with great ability.
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 Conservative party, for he des.
patched, at once, a messenger to offer Sir Robert the
premiership. He returned to England, formed a ministry,
end dissolved the parliament. It was on the 9th of
February, 1835, that the new parliament assembled. In
this parliament Sir Robert Peel's government was beaten
on more than one question. On the Bth of April, he and
his colleagues resigned, and the Whigs 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 1839. Sir Robert Peel was once more en-
trusted with the task of forming a ministry. Sir Robert
submitted to her Majesty a list of a new household, on
the ground that the proposed changes were politically
necessary. The Queen declined agreeing to the suggested
alterations, and Sir Robert having, therefore, declined to
form an administration, was once more in opposition, and
the Whigs carried on the government until 1841. The
events in Sir Robert Peel's life since that time are too
recent to need minute recapitulation. We need only
state briefly that, in 1841, Sir • Robert strongly opposed
the proposition for the abolition of the corn laws. Du-
ring the electoral contest of that year he appeared as the
head of the country party, against the free traders.
Protection and free trade met face to face on the electoral
field, and the battle was chiefly fought between these an-
tagonistic systems. In this first pitched battle between
them, free trade was worsted, and the Whigs, in the
autumn of 1841, met a parliament in which there was a
majority of nearly 100 against them. As soon as they
made this discovery they resigned, and Sir Robert Peel,
the champion of the country party, and the leader of the
Conservatives, was once more summoned to form an
administration. From the manifestoes which he uttered,
and the speeches which he delivered, as well as from the
form in which the issue between the two parties went
to the country, it could not be doubted that Sir
Robert acceded to power as the avowed enemy of free
trade, and the declared protector of the corn laws.
In less than a year, Sir Robert proposed a modification
of the sliding scale of corn duties. The principle was
adhered to, but the general scale of duties from the high-
est to the lowest was reduced. About the close of the
session of 1844, Sir Robert most positively disclaimed any
intention on the part of the government to disturb the
settlement of 1842.

Shortly after the opening of the session of 1845, the
government, with Sir Robert at its head, proposed one of
the most sweeping alterations in the tariff of the country
that has ever been effected. It was a decided advance
towards free trade. Hundreds of articles were swept away
from the list of dutiable articles, and hundreds of imposts
abolished. Sir Robert Peel was frequently questioned
during the session as to his intentions with regard to the
corn laws. His answer was invariably that it was not in
contemplation to interfere with them.

Then came the potato failure of 1845, and the agitation
of the Anti Corn Law League ; and in December. 1845,
the country was informed that the Peel Cabinet was at an
end. The ministers left town for Osborne, and returned
as private individuals to London. Lord John Russell,
now a declared free-trader and corn-law repealer, was sent
for by the Queen on Sir Robert's recommendation.
The Whigs did not succeed in forming a government.
Personal disputes prevented them from completing their
cabinet. After a week spent in vain efforts to reconcile
differences, Lord John abandoned the task, and Sir
Robert Peel was once more reinstated in the post which,
on this occasion, he can scarcely be considered to have
quitted.
Speculation was now rife as to the policy which the
restored minister would pursue. It was not until shortly
after the opening of the session of 1846 that the country
was made fully aware of the principles on which he had
reconstructed his cabinet. He then formally announced
his intention, not of modifying, but of entirely repealing,
the corn-laws—a resolution which ho soon afterwards
carried into effect. Sir Robert was for but a brief time in
office after this. He was placed in a minority on the
Irish Coercion bill ; Lord John Russell was again sent
for; and the Whigs have since that time held the govern-
ment.

Sir Robert Peel has expired at the age of 62. He occu-
pied a seat in parliament for 41 years. Without being
less of a debater, he was more of the orator than Lord
John Russell—his speeches always evincing a comprehen-
sive grasp of his subject, and a wonderful command of
details. He was married on the Bth of June, 1820, to
Julia, the youngest daughter of General Sir John Floyd,
and had issue five sons and two daughters. One son has
enjoyed diplomatic employment, a second is in the navy,
a third in the Scots Fusilier Guards, a fourth occupies a
place in Parliament. One of Sir Robert's daughters was
married in July, 1841, to Viscount Villiers, eldest son of
the Earl of Jersey.
In 1809 when Peel had turned 21 years of age, there
were some remarkable men in the House of Commons—
Tierney, Sheridan, Wilberforce, Wyndham, and Whit-
bread, were amongst the most conspicuous of those who
had shared the campaigns of the great leaders of the
parliamentary strife of past days, and who were now
descending from the stage ; whilst Canning was in the
vigour of life and the maturity of his brilliant powers ;
Grattan, Romilly, Burdett, the idol of the mob ; Lord
Henry Petty (the Marquis of Lansdowne), James Aber-
crornby, afterwards the Whig speaker of the house, and
now Lord Dunfermline ; Croker, of official and literary
celebrity; Charles Grant, (Lord Glenelg), Francis Home,
Sir Henry Parnell, not forgetting Castlereagh. Brougham
entered public life at the same time with Mr. Peel, as did
Lord Palmerston and Frederick Robinson, now Earl of
Ripon.
Mr. (now Sir Robert) Peel arrived on Saturday at Do-
ver. It is supposed that he will succeed his late father in
the representation of Tamworth.
On Friday night the inhabitants of Tamworth met in
the Town-hall, to agree to an address of condolence to the
family of the deceased. The place, as might be expected,
was crowded. The grief which pervaded every mind was
visible in every countenance, as well as expressed in the
tone and manner of the speakers. The Mayor having
called the meeting, 'presided over it. Among those pre-
sent were Sir Charles Clarke, Bart., General A'Court, and
the Rev. Mr. Harston, vicar of the parish. The latter
rev. gentleman read the letter of condolence to the family
of their late representative, the adoption of which was
moved by Sir Charles Clarke. It is unnecessary to say
that it was unanimously adopted.
men of Birmingham, that, on the day of Sir R. Peel's
funeral, all the church bells should be tolled, all the shops
It has been proposed by some of the rnostsinfltil
working l'he Ti
shut, and business be entirely suspended, as ad. mark of
respect for the memory of the illustrious deceased.
The
classescomonument to Sir
raising a
Robert Peel, by penny subscriptions.
have voted an address
The Manchester Town Council
of condolence to Lady Peel.
to
sisatn
iandvertisement, calling upon the
The first Sir Robert Peel was born at Peel Close, in
in eldest the year 1750. His son,
and
suc-
cessor died in the year 1850, exactly a century after-
wards, ;—a strange coincidence !
Several of the principal mercantile
establishments in the
west end manifested,
on Wednesday, their
Lancashire,
city and at the
high respec
premature demise, by closing their windows,
a proceeding almost universally adopted in the neighbour-
hoodt for the
of Whitehall. lamTehneteflelagd
se coeafsmeda,nyanvdesstehlesirondethep
regret at his e
half-mast high, as a mark of respect to the memory of the
deceased•
river, and also on many public buildings, were hoisted
The intelligence of Sir Robert's death has been received
oroughouc the oowitry With a deep feeling of regret, At