THE LATE SIR ROBERT PEEL.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 488, 18 December 1850, Page 3

THE LATE SIR ROBERT PEEL.

We have a full report of the last speech delivered by Sir Robert Peel in the House of Commons — delivered within seventeen hours before the occurrence of the fatal accident. It is perhaps one of the ablest and most statesmanlike speeches ever spoken by him ; and from its own intrinsic merits, as well as from the affecting circumstance that it was the last occasion on which the House listened to that eloquence which had so frequently charmed, guided, and even subdued it, we should have had a melancholy pleasure in transferring it in extenso to our columns ; but its great length — it would fill the entire space in a number of the New Ttealander not usually occupied by advertisements — renders this impracticable. It was on the subject of generaL confidence in the foreign policy of Lord Palmerston, growing out of the vote of censure of the Upper House in relation to the Greek question. Sir Robert opposed the Government on this motion ; but his opposition was conducted in so calm and dignified a spirit, with such entire abstinence from any thing that could give personal offence, and with such cordial expressions of concurrence in the

general policy of the Government in domestic affairs— particularly in their commercial and Irish policy, which he characterised at once as " liberal and conservative" — as to present his own comprehensiveness of view, as well as his high motives and impartiality in the most impressive aspect. With especial force of argument and abundance of historical illustration, he contended for the principle of non-interference with the internal affairs of other countries — which he showed had been contended for by every,) statesman in this country for the last fifty years — in antagonism to the principle of a declaration, to which the mover of the Resolution [Mr. RoebuckJ desired to pledge the House in favour of a "self-govern-ment," — that is, — in favour of the people, who "by their own enlightenment, and confidence in their own powers to. govern themselves, resist that tyranny which' under the name of ' legitimacy' has ever sought to crush them." He proceeded to argue that, if we claim this right for ourselves, we must grant a correlative right to other powers : — to France, which de-. Clares that monarchy is inconsistent with selfgovernment, to introduce its opinions and interference, into a country opposed to republican institutions ;— -and to America in like manner. " If," said Sir Robert, " I enforce my ideas of monarchical constitutional government over a despotic country, what right have I to remonstrate against the United States for introducing into the monarchical colonies of Great Britain — its immediate neighbours — their republican notions of what constitutes self-government." He wound up an admirable peroration thus :— " I have decided to give a reluctant dissent to the hon. and learned member for Sheffield, and I have determined to take that course upon this occasion which I have taken upon every other. I will not evade the difficulty by silence or by absence. I will state the grounds on which I protest against the Resolution, the carrying of which will give a false impression whh respect to the dignity and honour of this country, and establish principles whtch you cannot carry into execution without imminent danger to the best interests of the country." Lord John Russell must have felt how damaging to the character of his Cabinet, as respected its foreign policy, such a speech as this must be ; it is to his honour, however, that when it fell to his lot, almost immediately after, to notice the untimely death of the distinguished speaker, he referred to the •• temper, forbearance, candour, and kindness," of the manner in which the policy of the Government had been opposed by him on that occasion ; while, " in a voice frequently faltering with emotion," he " lamented that hereafter this House will no longer be guided by the long and large experience of public affairs, by the profound knowledge, the oratorical power, and the copious yet exact memory by which that great man was wont to enlighten and instruct it." We proceed now to compile from the papers before us, (chiefly from the Adelaide Observer and the Sydney Herald,) the following interesting statements respecting this great man, whose sudden — and it may be said premature — death has excited so great a sensation through the, civilized world. We omit merely some particulars which were already sufficiently noticed in the columns of the Neio Zeulander, and intersperse our quotations with a few passing remarks, *On the Bth of July, the mortal remains of Sir Robert Peel were consigned to their last retting place in the small church of Drnyton Basset, two milei and a half from Tarn worth. According to the desire of the deceaied the funeral ceremony was divested of those attribute! of pomp which usually accompany great national political celebrations. All ordinary business was suspended, and a Sabbath like stillnrss prevailed. The roads were thronged with I peasantry clad in their best attire, and wearing badges of mourning, while from the ancient keep of Tamworth floated the Royal standard half-mast high. Sir Robert Feel (the present Baronet), who had arrived in comi pany with the Bishop of Gibraltar, after an absencs of four years, had as yet become nowise familiarized with ! the acuteness of his bereavement, and the poignancy of his grief was exceedingly vivid, from his comparative unacquaintance with the mournful details wuich preceded his father's dissolution. The body of the deceased statesman was deposited in a massive leaden coffin, enclosed in an open shell, which was again enclosed in an outer coffin covered with crimson velvet and ornamented with gilt mouldings and the usual emblazonments. On the centre plate, beneath the arms, was inscribed— The Right Honourable Sir Robert Peel, Bart., M.P. Born: Feb. sth, I7Bi, Died : July 2nd, 18 50. Aged 62 years. Over the external coffin was thrown a black velvet pall. At about 12 o'clock a special train arrived from London, bringing those relatives and immediate friends who were to take part in the funeral obsequies, among whom were his three sons and two brothers, beitries the Earl of Aberdeen, Viicouut Hardinge, and Sir James Graham, and several other eminent personages. Much to the derangement of the undertakers' paraphernalia, the rain fell in torrents during the progress of the procession from the house to the chuich ; but all sense of personal discomfort seemed absorbed in the melancholy conviction that external nature accurately adumbrated the emotion "that passeth show," and a dense concourse accompanied the cavalcade throughout the entire distance. When the Bishop ol Gibraltar alighted to receive his mournful charge ai the churchyard-gale, the rain d.scended in a perfect flood, and amid this gloomy accompaniment the coffiu was boms to its la->t "narrow bed," the p elate reading with impressive fervour the affecting service. Attheclose of the ceremonial the mourners were deeply affected, Sir Robert Peel in particular being intensely agitated. The weather, too, which had hitherto been so inaus,>i. cious, brightened up immediately, the sun shining forth with midsummer brilliancy. The mourners,

having^e urued to the Manor House, speedily v. for Tamnrorth, en ionic to London ; attd ia aa hour ihe mansion was completely deserted. A public meeting of the merchants, bankers, trader?, and inhabitant! of London was held at the Egyptian Hall, in the Maniion.house, ou Monday the 15th July, for the purpose of promoting a subscription to raise a national testimonial aa u tribute ot respect to the memory of the late departed statesman Sir Robert Peel, Among other indications of the very general respect entertained for the late Sir Robert Peel, we have to record that a " Working < Man's Monument" is about to be railed to his memory. At a special meeting of a committee at tl»e " Belvidere Tavern," at which Mr. Hume presided, resolutions to that effect were adopted, and it was alia determined that the subscribers should be from one penny upwards, and not limited at all in respect of amount. On 12th July in the House of Commons, on the* 'motion of Lord Juhn'RuB3el], it was resolved nem, con', that on address should be presented to her Majesty* praying her to direct that a monument should beerected in Westminster Abbey to the memory of Sir • Robert Peel, wi<h an inscription expressive of the nation's sense of it's loss. The addre«s was alao to assure her Majesty that the House would make good the expenses attendant on tfie erection of the proposed monument.; / Her Majesty's gracious Ansvver to this Address was then communicated to the House •. Lord M. Hill, Jp-tne House of Commons, on the 18th Julyy-appeared at the bar, and said— l have hud the honour of submitting to her Majesty the address of this honourable House with respect to a monument to the late Sir Robert Peel; to which her Majesty has been graciously pleased to return the .following answer :— ' • I have received your address, praying that I will give directions that a monument shall be erected in the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, "Westminster, to the memory of Sir R. Peel, with an inscription expressive of the public sense of so great and irreparable a loss, and assuring me that you will make good the expenses attending the same ; and I shall give directions in accordance with your desire." Under the heading "Surgical treatment of Sir Robert Peel," the Lancet gives some interesting particulars respecting the nervous temperament of the deceaied baronet, which appears, like that of Demosthenes, Cicero, and other reuowned orators, to have been most exquisitely sensitive : — "Only thtee weeks before his death he was visiting the Zoological Gardens in the Regent'i-park, wiib one of his daughters, when a small monkey jumped suddenly upon his hand ; he immediately fainted, and remained much affeited by the incident during two or ihice hours. On another occasion his thumb w<s injured by being squeezed through the shutting of a door; and the pain, though not m3re than is commou in such cases, caused him to faint several times ia succession. With such a condition of the nervous and vascular systems we need not wonder that serious results should have been apprehended on the late unlortunate occasion. It is not surprising that Sir Robert should have beeu unable to bear the ordinary bandages, or that a minute manipulation of the injured parts was not thought advisable." Sir Benjamin Brodie and Mr. Hodgsoa, who attended him in his last moments, were well acquainted with his physical constitution from prior professional services, and it seems were guided by that knowledge in their treatment of their illustrious patient on the recent occasion. The subscription for Ihe erection of a monument to Sir Robert Peel had reached in Manchester on the 13th July i 3,082, and was contributed to by the leading American, Greek, German, and other foreign houses, as well as by a ,large number of warehouse clerks and workpeople of almost every class. In Salfo.d £iOQ had been subscribed, and in Bury £\,7OQ. In addressing the House of Commons on the subject of erecting a monument to the memory of the laic Sir Robert Peel, Lord John Russell communicated a fact which, if it proved a stunner to many of his personal friends and admirers, must be no less so to our colonial aspirants after aristocracy. Jt seems the deceased statesman had left a special direction to his family, desiring that no member thereof should, after his death, accept any title as a public reward on account of any services which he might be supposed to have rendered to the public. The Adelaide Observer says, vinous reasons are assigned for this extraordinary behest. Among others it is stated that he was anxious lo preserve his progeny from that mediocrity of intellect which seemi a' no remote consequence of aristocratic assumption. It was also said that the dying: charge was an act of homage to ibe geniu* of the age, which rather tolerates than approves the aristocratic institution." We must say we think our Adelaide con - temporary is ultra-democratic here. It is well known indeed that Sir Robert Pbel did himself decline more than once the offer of a peerage, and that, for many years past, that 1 honour was easily within his reach, had he thought fit to seek for or accept it. But how • ever it may have been his boast that he was from and of the people, he understood too well the genius and spirit of the well-balanced British constitution to regard its " aristocratical " element without feelings far removed from those of republican democracy. It is almost superfluous to add that the House of Lords presents now, as it has always presented, abundant living proofs that " mediocrity of intellect/ is not necessarily connected with high station. I An address of condolence had been presented by the people of Titnifforth and its neighbourhood to (he bereaved widow and family of the deceased baronet. Among the evidences of ihe profound regret en ertained by foreigners for the laic Sir Robe.it Pat], we have to mention that a motion by M. Dupin, President of the Pteuch Legislative Assembly, tor enuring in the records of that body a memorial oF ita regret, was unanimously supported. Right and Led seemed to vie with each other in attt sting iheir veneration for the deceased statesman. A leading artiole. of La Preste, extending to more than four columns, and signed b> M Giradin, is devoted to a panegyric on Sir Robert Peel, lietwteu whou> and Colbert and Turgot a parallel is instituted. It gives us pain to state, however, tint notnithttanding ihe all hut universal regret at the demise of Sir Robert Peel, some heartk-is demonstrations of joy were made on the occision. Tne bells of the paiish of Bures St Mary rang forth a merry peal, at the expanse of a rich farmer iv the neighbourhood, who adopted this mode of testifying his joy ut the event. / An aitempt was also made in another loc.ilhy, \a a n auieufc | of excitomeut, to send round the ciier with the news, I (but the farmeri' enemy was at ihe point of dea h.