Part 28

[370] The ordinary composition of the Cortes was a three-chamber assembly consisting of clergy, nobility, and commons. The Central Junta, in whom the power of calling together the Cortes rested, decided that as a compromise with the extreme party of reform, only two chambers (the higher clergy and nobility sitting together in one) should be summoned to assemble early in March. The advance of the French, however, postponed the meeting, and the supreme government was placed in the hands of a Regency of five. These took good care to keep the power as long as possible, and when the Cortes was at last found necessary, only one chamber could be elected, and that within the boundaries of Cadiz, for the French were almost at their gates. See Appendix B, p. 297.

[371] General Sir Robert Wilson (1777–1849), author of _The History of the British Expedition to Egypt_. He served both in the British army and in various continental corps. He was dismissed the service in 1820 for his supposed conduct at Queen Caroline’s funeral, but was reinstated by William IV.

His Lusitanian Legion was amalgamated with the Portuguese army during its reorganisation.

General Drouet joined Masséna with the Ninth corps, forcing Wilson across the Mondego, from fear of being surrounded.

[372] Sir Robert’s affair at Puerto de Baños was an attempt to check Ney, at the head of a large force, with a number of Spanish and Portuguese levies. He lost a thousand men in the attempt.

[373] Huskisson resigned his post at the Treasury in 1809, and followed Canning into retirement. His pamphlet entitled ‘The Depreciation of the Currency’ received much notice.

[374] One of the gentlemen in attendance on the Prince of Wales. ‘That warlike scaramouch Macmahon,’ of Peter Pindar. He died in 1817.

[375] The Committee of the House of Lords was appointed by ballot, each Peer having the right to send in a list of twenty-one names. That of the House of Commons was named by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

[376] The report of the Bullion Committee, of which Horner was President, was that paper issues were liable to depreciation unless convertible at any time into money.

[377] The appointment was not filled up till 1812, when Lord Hertford accepted the post.

[378] Gustavus IV. (1778–1837), who succeeded his father as King of Sweden in 1792. His tactless and inconsequent behaviour so irritated his people that they deposed him in 1809, and gave the crown to his uncle. After leaving Sweden Gustavus lived chiefly in Switzerland.

[379] Lucien Bonaparte’s second wife was Madame Jouberthon, the widow of a stockbroker. He quarrelled with his brother over this marriage, and after the Duc d’Enghien’s death went to Italy. He attempted to reach America, but was captured by an English ship, and after a detention at Malta, was brought to England. There he remained until 1814.

[380] William, fourth Duke of Queensberry (1724–1810), the celebrated courtier and _roué_, known as ‘Old Q.’ The larger portion of his money was left to Lord and Lady Yarmouth, the latter being Maria Fagniani, whom the Duke always considered was his daughter. George Selwyn believed that this lady was his child and not the Duke’s, and also left her money.

[381] Henry, Duke of Buccleugh became fifth Duke of Queensberry; Sir Charles Douglas, Marquess of Queensberry; and Lord Wemyss, Earl of March.

[382] The Duke of York had been compelled to resign this post in 1809, owing to the scandalous charges brought against him by Mrs. Clarke.

[383] See _Further Memoirs of the Whig Party_, p. 39.

[384] Grenville.

[385] Lord William Cavendish Bentinck (1774–1839), second son of William Henry, third Duke of Portland, who saw much service in various parts of the world and rose to the rank of major-general in 1808. He was appointed Envoy and Commander-in-Chief in Sicily in 1811, and for three years was practically governor of the island. His sudden departure, after a stay of only ten days, had the desired effect of alarming the Sicilian Court, which became much more amenable, after his return, to the reforms he proposed to introduce. The King was notoriously incapable of reigning, and the power was in the hands of the Queen, who detested the English, and was intriguing with the French.

[386] They were imprisoned for a protest against the illegal taxation which was being enforced by the Court, but were released and recalled in January 1812.

[387] Hon. Frederick James Lamb (1782–1853), who was created Lord Beauvale in 1839, and succeeded his brother as third and last Viscount Melbourne in 1848.

[388] Afterwards Admiral Sir George Cockburn (1772–1853). He took Napoleon to St. Helena in 1815, and remained there for a year as Governor until relieved by Sir Hudson Lowe.

The Commission was to attempt to mediate between Spain and her American Colonies. The Cortes, however, proved intractable, and the expedition returned to England in August 1812.

[389] See _ante_, i. 130.

Transcriber’s Notes:

1. Obvious printers’, punctuation and spelling errors have been corrected silently.

2. Where hyphenation is in doubt, it has been retained as in the original.

3. Some hyphenated and non-hyphenated versions of the same words have been retained as in the original.

4. Italics are shown as _xxx_.