Year: 1868

member OF Harllament, no one saw I'D her
manner or appearance anything of the coun-
try lass who had stepped her fair arms,
many time, in her husbands dye pots,
She did not live to see the greatness Of her
son. The stupid custom of the English in
eating their dinner at seven or eight clock,
and turning night into day, did not agree
with her country constitution, aud she died
before her son Robert had completed his
education.


Harrow, the most aristocratc of the pub
lie schools Of England was the one selected
by the great cotton-spinner for his fayorite
son. Among the lads fellow-pupis was
Lord Byron, who says Of him, in one of his
letters


There were always great hopes Of Peel
among us all, masters and scholars, and he
has not disappointed them.


Others Of his schoolfelIows tell US that he
was a steady, industrious boy, the best
scholar in the school, and was always ready
to assist the dull ones in writing their YER
ses aud learning their lessons. They say,
too, that his school fellows forgaye his mani
fest and striking superiority, and that he
was not unpopular among them. / regret
to add that he was somewhat too fond Of
s1olliug off by hinIselfin the country and
did not much relish the joyous and health
/ giving games Of the playground


From Harrow he went, at the age Of six
teen, to Oxford University, whore be enter
ed the most aristocratic college, and on the
aristoeratie footing Of a gentleman common
er. He was most diligent student, and
won, at the end of his University career,
the most splendid triumph ever before ac
corded to a student OF an English Universe
ty. At the end of the course there are two
separate examinations Of great severity aud
long continuance-one in Latin and Greek
and the other in Mathematics Robert Peel
was the first student who ever won the first
prize at both Of these examinations. The
Unprecedented event excited universal inter
est in England, aud when the young student
presented himself upon the platform to pro-
nounce the usual Grafton the audience, and
especially his fellow students gave him a re-
cepGon which would have overwhelmed a
person Of ordinary temperament and char
aeter This student, however, acknowledge
ed the vociferous cheers of his friends with
equal serenity and modesty, and seemed
afterwards to attach no great importance to
what had occurred He was no nervous,
dyspetc student While working hard at
his books be took care to strengthen and ex-
ercise his tall and vigorous frame by walk
ing, riding, rowing and shooting.


With all his great abilities and great ac-
quiremeuts, his was not a criticalo or ques-
tion asking mind His father was an ex-
treme and enthusiastic Tory, who had edu-
Gated this admirable youth in the fond ex-
pectation of seeing him one day the leader
Of the Tory party in England The son i'm
bibed his father opinions, and warmly ac.
quiesced in his fathers plans. In 1909,
which vas the twenty-second year of his
age, his father brougt him into Parliament
for one Of those small boroughs Of the olden
time which rich men bought, sold and gave
away at their pleasure. Lord Palmerston
entered Parliament at the same time Pitt,
Fox and Burke were dead, and Sheridan
was about 20 pass from the scene; but Can
uing, Willberioree, Wyndham, Grattan,
Perceval, Castlereagh, Macintosh, Romil-
ly, Horner and Brougham were members,
and Canning was in the fresh luster ofhis
talents. The new members own father sat
conspicuous upon the Tory benches, behind
Castlereagh and Canning.


introduced into this scene so captivating
to the Imagination, so stimulating to the
talents Of young Englishmen, Robert Peel,
whose splendid university triumphs made
him marked person and excited the high
est expectations, sat for a whole session
without making a speech. Two or three
times he uttered a remark or two upon
some uuimportant matter, as if to get used
to the sound of his own voice, but attempt
ed nothing ike a speech At the begin
( ming Of the second session, however, he was
appointed by the Tony ministry to second
the address in reply to the Kings speech
/ duty usually assigned to some promising
| young member of the party in power lie
1 acquitted himself well, and from that time
forward he was an active and leading mem
Der Of the House, never ceasing as long as
he lived to grow in knowledge, power and
/ influence.


He had one great advantage During
7 the last fifty years. men of his mental cali
brc, in all countries, have generally inclined
to what is called the liberal side Of poll
/ tics, so that when we say Of man that he
is Tory, we usually mean that he is a fool.
I THIS young giant, inheriting Tory principles
from his father, easily took the lead (after
! Canning DEATH in party which young
men Of ability instinctively avoided His
advance was both rapid and steady. When
be was twantv-fopr years Of ago he was in
Office, and from that time to the close of his
life he held a place in the administration
whenever the Tories were in power.


Such a man, however, cannot be a mere
Tory, or a blind follower Of any party what
ever The work which he did in his life
was this Ho liboraiized the Tory party;
he taught them the necessity of yielding to
the best demands of the people, and the
wisdom Of doing 50 before they were com
PEELED Thus he repealed the Corn Laws
and emancipated the Irish Catholics, in op-
position to all that was blind and bigoted in
England. lie originated the Police system
of Great Britain, which We have copied in
America


On the 29th of June, 1850, while riding
in one Of the London Parks, he was thrown
from his horse, and was injured so severe
ly that he died four days after, in his sixty
third year. Few men have been more sin
cerely, more universally, Or more justly
| mnnrned than he