lectful of self, and solicitous only for the establishment of truth. There was nothing narrow in his views. His policy was marked by a generous philanthropy, that contemplated man every where as a fellow being; and knowing that we were intended for other purposes than those which arise out of warfare and enmity, he sought to establish a brotherhood of nations, that could not fail to promote universal happiness, and increase still farther the greatness of his own country. For what he has accomplished, the benedictions of the intelligent portion of the world will follow him to the grave; and while men will bless his memory, the commercial world will lament that his life was not longer spared to consummate the great work he had so nobly began." On his retirement from office in 1801, Mr. Huskisson received a nominal pension of £1,200, but netting only £900 a year (contingent upon his not holding any office of that value), with a remainder of £615 to Mrs. Huskisson, to commence from his death. He was subsequently appointed colonial agent for the island of Ceylon, the salary of which was at first £800 a year, but was afterwards raised, by the voluntary act of the island, to £1,200, as a special remuneration of his valuable services. When placed at the head of the Board of Trade, he considered an agency as incompatible with that high appointment, and resigned it.* Before Lord Liverpool's political demise he had, unsolicited, given instructions that Mr. Huskisson This was done long before the suggestion was started (which was carried into effect in 1826), of giving him a separate salary as President of that Board. should be designated for one of the six pensions of £3,000, which, by Act of Parliament, the Crown is empowered to bestow on persons who have served particular offices for a certain period, and on his final removal from Government in 1828, he entered upon the receipt of this pension, in which his former one, of course, merged. In private life, Mr. Huskisson's character will challenge the closest scrutiny. There, even calumny is silent. Those who profess not to number themselves among his political admirers admit the kindness of his nature, the integrity of his conduct, and the purity of his mind, while they bear undisputed testimony to the charm of his manners in social intercourse. There was, nevertheless, in ordinary society, if nothing arose to call him forth, a degree of restraint, almost of coldness, in his demeanour, which did not, at first, prepossess in his favour, and which caused many to feel a difficulty in making his acquaintance, and led them to a wrong estimate of his character and of his disposition. But this difficulty once mastered,— the ice once broken-place yourself once at ease with him, no one was more delightful, no one possessed greater attraction, and all impressions of reserve or of indifference vanished before the rapid transitions of intellectual expression which lit up his countenance as he conversed, the tone of his voice, and the peculiar sweetness of his smile. Constitutionally averse from all display, his manner was chiefly captivating from the indulgent kindness, the easy gaiety, and the unaffected simplicity with which he laid aside all traces of the statesman, and identified himself with the pursuits, the interests, and the feelings of others. Fond of society, he was courted and esteemed by all who knew him, and he lived in habits of intimacy and friendship with the most eminent persons of all parties, uninterrupted by any differences of political opinion. But it was in the narrowest and inmost circle of domestic life, in the company of his most intimate friends, and around his own fireside, that all the beauties of his mind, and all the charms of his nature, could alone be appreciated. It was there that the feelings of affection towards him were sublimed (if the expression may be pardoned) by the admiration of his superior endowments; it was there that the sweetness of his temper, and the benevolence which beamed in his eye and marked every sentiment which fell from his lips, were irresistibly felt and acknowledged. Whether estimated as husband, relation, or friend-as a magistrate, a landlord, or a master, he deserved and secured unbounded love, respect and confidence. Charitable without ostentation, his purse was ever open to the calls of distress. No misery was suffered to exist in the village where he resided: the President of the Board of Trade, or the Secretary of State, never refused his assistance or advice towards adjusting the disputes, or arranging the difficulties of his humble neighbours. None ever left his door unrelieved, and none ever received from him a harsh word. Such was he whom it has been attempted to paint in the most repulsive colours, to represent as indifferent to the wants and sufferings of his fellow-creatures, as ready to view the misery of thousands unmoved for the sake of an experiment in political economy! We will only add, that "if ever there was a man, raised above his fellows by station and ability, who was formed to conciliate the affection and secure the esteem of those who were his inferiors in both, it was he who is now the object of our just and deserved regret.”* From a sermon preached at Liverpool, on the Sunday after the funeral, by the Rev. Augustus Campbell, one of the rectors. |