tinglass, (an aunt of the first Earl of Aldborough,) had a son named Stratford after his maternal ances. tors, the father of three sons, George, Paul, and Stratford. Of these, the eldest gave birth to the deceased statesman; the second to George, now Lord Garvagh; and the third to a numerous family, including the Right Hon. Stratford Canning. George Canning, father of the departed statesman, was a barrister of the Inner Temple, a good scholar, and much attached to literature. He published "A Translation of Anti-Lucretius," 4to, 1766, a quarto volume of poems in the following year, and composed several fugi. tive productions; among others, the beautiful and affecting poetical epistle of Lord Wm. Russell, supposed to be written on the night previous to his execution, to William Lord Cavendish, who had offered to change clothes in order to faci litate his escape. It appears, how ever, that Mr. Canning offended his father by his marriage to a lady, who, though highly accomplished and of a congenial taste, was his inferior both in rank and fortune. After her husband's death, Mrs. Canning attempted the profession of the stage, and performed Jane Shore to Garrick's Lord Hastings; but her talent was not sufficient to command a London engagement. She afterwards acted in various provincial companies, and successively changed her name by marriage for those of Reddish and Hunn. The education of the future Premier was superintended by his uncle Paul, a merchant in London; but its expenses were sufficiently provided for by a small estate in Ire. Jand, which, though inadequate as a provision for life, was amply suf Canning went to Eton, taking with him that talent for verses which is the great qualification for distinction at that school. At Eton, his most intimate friend was Lord Hen. Spencer, in conjunction with whom, John Hookham Frere, Robert Smith, John Smith, and others, he contributed to that celebrated dis. play of rising talent, entitled the Microscope, published in weekly num. bers, from Nov. 6, 1786, to July 30, 1787. The essays signed B., and a poem, entitled "The Slavery of Greece," are the contributions of Mr. Canning. at For several years a society had a hall periodically met in Eaton, for the purpose of discussion. The masters encouraged the practice, for its obvious utility: it was a little House of Commons. In the miniature senate, the crown and the people had their respective champions; the advocates were as solemn, as eager for victory, and as active in obtaining it, as the more mature debaters of the Parliament itself. Mr. (now Marquis) We!lesley, Mr. (now Earl) Grey, and at a subsequent period, Mr. Can. ning, distinguished themselves in the intellectual warfare of this juve. nile House of Commons. From Eton, Mr. Canning, in Oct. 1787, removed to Christ Church, Oxford. His career at the Univer. sity was a splendid fulfilment of the high promise he had previously given, and his compositions ob tained several prizes. It was at Oxford that his friendship commenced with the Earl of Liverpool; who was only of a few months older standing, baving received his previous education at the Charter House. They were constantly in each other's society, and there acquired that mutual regard, which no occasional political operation at any time seriously interrupted. It was also to Mr. Jenkinson, though not entirely, that Mr. Canning was indebted for his introduction to Mr. Pitt. It has been often repeated, that Mr. Canning was a decided Whig in his youth; but he had scarcely passed that period of his life, when he declined a seat in Parliament, offered him by the Duke of Portland, then at the head of the Whig party, alleging his political opinions as the reason. Not many months after, the Duke of Portland himself, with more than half of the great Whig party, join. ed the banners of Mr. Pitt. This event took place previously to the opening of the Parliament of 17934, which was also Mr. Canning's first session. Mr. Canning, with the view of pursuing the profession of the law, had entered himself of Lincoln's Inn. He took his seat as member for Newtown, in the isle of Wight, to which borough he was introduced through the interest of Mr. Pitt, with Sir Richard Worsley, who retired purposely to make room for him. Though initiated into the arena of debate both at Eton and Oxford, and more parti. cularly in town, at the debating society in Old Bond-street, he was nearly a year in the House before he assumed courage to speak. His maiden effort was in favour of the subsidy proposed to be granted to the King of Sardinia. After this, the member for Newtown was accustomed to deliver his sentiments in most debates of importance; and as the ministers were supposed to have displayed on some occasions more decision than argument, his assistance was more than usually serviceable. In 1796, Mr. Canning accepted from Mr. Pitt the post of Under Se. cretary of State; and at the general election in that year, he was re. turned for the treasury borough of Wendover. At the same period he was appointed Receiver General of the Alienation Office; and in March, 1799, one of the Commissioners for managing the affairs of India. On the eighth of July, 1800, he increased his fortune and interest by marriage with Joanna, youngest daughter and co-heir of Gen. John Scott, of Balcomie, an officer who had acquired great wealth in the East Indies. In 1801, on the retirement of Mr. Pitt from power, Mr. Canning resigned his situations; and in the following year was returned for the borough of Tralee. Both in and out of Parliament, he was a powerful enemy of the Addington administration. He inveighed against that minister in the House of Commons, and ridiculed, or perhaps, to use the proper phrase, lampooned him through the press. He had joined Mr. Gifford in the "Anti-Jacobin Review," and largely contributed to that periodical. His most striking compositions were those satirical effusions of his muse, in which he openly denounced or contemptuously ridiculed the most notorious of his political adversaries. The poem of "New Morality," written in 1798, is dis. tinguished by strength of expres sion and harmony, which we in vain look for in any of his other poetical pieces. If he condescended to be the Pasquin of his day, in such compositions as the "Grand Consultation" and "Ode to the Doctor," he approved himself the modern Juvenal in the spirited satire of "New Morality." The song of the "Pilot that weathered the Storm," is the most popular of the poetical effusions which he published through this medium. With these produc. tions Mr. Canning has often been taunted, as if he had committed himself by them. He showed, how ever, no disposition to retract them, and adhered with constancy to the declaration made in Parliament, in a debate, in 1807-" that he felt no shame for the character or princi. ples of the 'Anti-Jacobin;' nor any other sorrow for the share he had in it, than that which the imperfection of his pieces was calculated to inspire." In 1803, when Mr. Pitt returned to the helm, Mr. Canning succeeded Mr. Tierney as Treasurer of the Navy, being then also admitted to the Council board. He conti. nued to hold that office till Mr. Pitt's death, in 1806, when he again went into the Opposition, being returned M. P. for Sligo. But his talents rendered him 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, having in 1807 joined the Duke of Portland and Mr. Perceval, as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and taking his seat for the borough of Hastings. It was in this capacity that he made his famous speeches on the bombardment of Copenhagen and the seizure of the Danish fleet. He also fought a duel, on a dispute arising out of the conduct of the Walcheren expedition, with the late Marquis of Londonderry, then Lord Castle. reagh, who was the Secretary for War and Colonies, which terminated in Mr. Canning's being wounded, and in both going out of office. Lord Castlereagh gave the challenge; and at six o'clock on the morning of the 21st of September, 1809, the parties met near the telegraph, Putney heath. After taking their ground, they fired, 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, the seconds interfered. Mr. Canning was conveyed to his house, Gloucester lodge, at Brompton, where he 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 office, as did Lord Castlereagh also. The quarrel excited a conside rable sensation among the friends of both parties at the time; and it was understood that the late King expressed his strong disapprobation of the practice of settling ministe. rial disputes by sword or pistol. Mr. Canning addressed two letters to Earl Camden, (which were pub lished,) 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 demonstration in favour of quently, 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 in 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 on the illness of the Earl of Liver. pool, when it was his fortune to attain that high station for which his talents pre-eminently qualified him. popular principles, by offering him. self as a candidate for the representation of Liverpool, for which place he was elected in 1812. Mr. C. stood four times for Liverpool, and was each time elected, but never without a strong opposition. On the first occasion he had four antagonists, and his majority was 500; the numbers being, for Mr. Canning, 1631; for Gen. Gascoyne (the second member,) 1532; for Mr. Brougham, 1131; for Mr. Creevey, 1068; and for Gen. Tarleton, 11. At the second election, very great exertions were made to throw him out; but he was returned after a struggle of three days, by the retirement of his opponent, Mr. Leyland. The third election, of 1818, was distingnished by an extraordinary quantity of electioneering manœuvre, eighteen 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 gentleman of the name of Crompton, who succeeded only in obtaining 345 votes. In 1814, on occasion of congra. tulating the Prince of Brazil on his return to Europe, Mr. Canning was appointed Ambassador to Lis--that from 1822 to the hour bon. This was considered a job by the Opposition, and formed the subject of a motion in the House of Commons; but Mr. Canning most ably defended himself and colleagues. There are three great eras in Mr. Canning's political life. The first comprehends his pupilage under, and friendship with, Mr. Pitt, and extends from the period of his coming into parliament, in 1793, to the death of his great patron in 1806. In the second, which reaches to 1822, he was occasionally in place by the force of his abilities, and as often out of office from a struggle of his principles-differing from his old colleagues, (who claimed to be exclusive interpreters of Mr. Pitt's policy,) upon many vital questions, and kept, upon the whole, in subordination to men very much his inferior in talent and acquirements. The third and last period of his death, was a career of progressive triumph, during which he gradually obtained an ascendancy for liberal principles in the cabi net; and, finally, thrust out those few remaining members who clung to a dark and servile policy, to make room for men whose princi. ples had, for several years, been completely identified with the great objects of his administration. In this real, but bloodless revolution, he necessarily had to encounter the most virulent hatred; for, "it was not only in the Roman customs, but it is in the nature and constitution of things, that calumny and abuse are essential parts of triumph." There never was a more remarkable illustration of the character of the English people, than the effect produced by the accession of Mr. Canning to power, in 1822. In some particulars, his principles and intentions were doubtful. He had been the colleague of men, who had many acts of weakness and oppression to answer for; and though it was known that he was distinctly opposed to their views on some of the most important questions of foreign and domestic policy, it could not be felt how many evils he had averted, or how much good he had enforced. But he had been the avowed rival of Castlereagh, and that circumstance alone gave hope. In a few months, the whole temper of the country was altered. From the peace of Paris up to the moment of Mr. Canning's acceptance of high office, in 1822, the govern ment had been in almost constant collision with the people. It was Mr. Canning's glory to show the people, by a few simple acts, that their position was changed. They at once abandoned the belief, that the administration had a settled purpose to destroy the rights of the subject. A new era was arrived: and they read a new determination to make the happiness of the many an object of importance in the deliberations of the few. Mr. Canning's most distinguish. ed, because most characteristic, post as a minister of state, was that of Foreign Secretary. He took, in some respects, an enlarged view of the position which Great Britain ought to occupy with relation to the other nations of the world. Whilst he was premier, the eyes of the world turned to him with alternate hope and dread. He was enthusiastically cheered by the friends of liberty every where. They regarded not so much the fortuitous causes that had unexpectedly invested him with so high and perilous a championship, or the motive, or even sincerity, of his allegiance to its tenets, as the good that he might achieve whilst exercising it, de facto, with a fearless spirit and a giant's arm. He was a Briton, through and through-British in his feelings, British in his aims, British in all his policy and projects. It made no difference whether the lever that was to raise them was fixed at home or abroad, for he was always and equally British. The influence, the grandeur, the dominion of Britain, were the dream of his boyhood To establish them all over the globe, even in the remote region where the waters of the Columbia flow in solitude, formed the intense efforts of his ripe years. For this he valued power, and for this he used it. Greece he left to her melancholy fortunes, though so much alive to all the touching recollec tions and beauties of that devoted land, because the question of her escape from a thraldom so long, so bitter, so unchristian, was a Turkish and European, not a British question. For Britain's sake, exclusively, he took the determination to counteract France and the Continent, in Spanish America. With the same view, he invariably watched, and was as invariably for counteracting, the United States. He had saga. city to see into the present and latent resources of our commercial, |