fure, railed against British influence, contended for place and penfion-bills, and laboured, with much energy and effect, to obtain a fimilar conftruction of the navigation-act in both countries. But, alas! the hour was approaching when he was no longer to grace the oppofition bench, tease a lord-lieutenant's fecretary with patriotic motions, or embarrass the financier with the Cocker-like allufions of arithmetical eloquence !

The Marquis of Buckingham affumed the viceroyship of Ireland in 1787, and having difmiffed a very confiderable number of officers in the different departments for neglect and peculation, it became neceffary to replace them with gentlemen poffeffing the public confidence. With his lordship, fkill in accounts was a first-rate qualification; who, therefore, could be a fitter object of his favour than Mr. Corry ? Mr. Corry was accordingly nominated to a poft in the ordnance, of one thoufand pounds per annum. The viceroy, affecting popularity, thus appointed to office a popular representative; and the popular rcpresentative, wishing to ferve himself and the country, accepted the appointment.

From the days of the Marquis of Buckingham, Mr. Corry has exhibited himfelf, during a feries of viceroys, one of the beft fervants of administration, and has enjoyed a fucceffion of very lucrative places in the ordnance, revenue, and treasury; in the last of thefe departments, he obtained the office of one of the lords commiffioners, in addition to the ftill more important one of chancellor of the exchequer.

But although Mr. Corry has, in fome degree, relinquifhed the love and applaufe of his countrymen for the fmiles of the court, and the emoluments of office, it is yet but juft to fay, that he was not, during feveral years, the forward advocate of the ancient fyftem; nor has he ever, with the fhameless zeal of moft profelytes, become either the flanderer or the perfecutor of the party which he deferted. He has borne himfelf with a meeknefs and temperance which difarm refentment, and preferve to him the regard and eftcem of thofe with whom he formerly acted. In many inftances he has voted against the minifier on queftions which, in his patriotic days, he had fupported; and in others, he has modeftly withdrawn on a divifion, in order to preferve at once his place and his confifiency. In the late conteft between the court and the country party, he has, however, been an advocate for the coercive fyfiem, and acceded to all the fevere laws which were enacted previously to the infurrection.

Mr. Corry's perfon is manly, and his countenance expreffive of fpirit and good fenfe; thofe fcenes of gaiety and diffipation in which part of his juvenile days was spent, and which contributed to give to his manners that polifh which we admire, have alfo impreffed on his face fome of the indications of the bon vivant. He is ftill unmarried, having hitherto fcorned the trammels of wedlock, and enjoyed the delights of love in the lefs moral way of a man of fashion.

There was not a more influencing speaker in the

Irith Houfe of Commons. His voice is firong and mellow; his diction correct; and his ftyle fluent, copious, moderately ornamented, and always above mediocrity. On moft topics he is capable of fpeaking in a manner which always pleafes, and fometimes inftructs; but it is principally upon fubjects connected with finance, revenue, or commerce, that he appears to the greateft advantage. To thefe he feems chiefly to have directed his attention, and in thefe he has acquired very extenfive and ufeful knowledge. Indeed, wherever clearnefs and ftrength can recommend a speaker to his auditory, Mr. Corry is calculated to command applaufe, for his underftanding is of the first clafs. From imagination he derives little aid; his fancy is either fterile, or he repreffès its exuberance, for in his fpeeches are to be found few of thofe flowers which decorate the barren track of investigation, or beautify the field of dry difquifition." His ornaments confift in extreme neatnefs of diction, fmoothness and fluency of periods, and well-judged arrangement of matter. Thefe, added to the correct animation of his manner, the round fullness of his voice, and the effect of a good perfon, procure for his opinions a great degree of attention and refpect.*

Mr. Corry is just returned a member of the Imperial parlia ment, and will doubtless diftinguish himself in a fhort time, in confequence of his intimate knowledge with the finances of Ire

land.

Bb 2

Ed.

THE

372

THE RIGHT HON. JOHN BERESFORD.

MR. BERESFORD is a younger branch of that family, whofe head is the Marquis of Waterford. Educated for the bar, he was called to it fo early as 1761, and fome years practifed with tolerable fuccefs. He was, however, at laft induced to quit that laborious profeffion, where reward can only be obtain by the moft rigid industry, for the golden profpects which opened to him in the field of political adventure. Thofe profpects he has abundantly realized, having raised himself to high office, and fill higher influence in the state, spread his branches over the land, and ftruck his roots too deep in the foil to be fhaken even by thofe dreadful ftorms which have lately agitated Ireland. Such is his influence, that he is reported to have procured for himself, and his various family connexions, places, falaries, &c. to the amount of above forty thousand pounds per annum.

For many years back, Mr. Beresford has been at the head of the Irish revenue, in which fituation he is faid to have acquired and difplayed a very profound and extenfive knowledge, not only of the affairs of that department, but of the general commerce of the country. That he is a man of business, and indefatigable induftry, cannot be denied; and that he poffeffès talents of fome kind, is fully proved by the fuc. ccfs which has crowned his endeavours.

The obtaining from parliament a fum of money, not less than half a million, for building, under the name of a cuflom-house, a palace, part of which he

himfelf

himself was to inhabit, establishes, beyond controverfy, the extent of his power, and the fuccefs of his addrefs; while the judicious difpofitions which he has made, as one of the commiffioners for widening the ftreets of the capital, give him an indifputable title to the praise of great forefight and skill.

Of a long fucceffion of viceroys, with a fingle exception only, Mr. Beresford is fuppofed to have had the ear; they have been governed in a great measure by his councils, and they have not proved ungrateful to their advifer. The influence of a man thus circumfianced, muft neceffarily have become extenfive; it has accordingly infinuated itself into every department of the flate, and given to that family a degree of ftrength which enables it almon to dictate to any adminiftration. One viceroy alone (Lord Fitzwilliam) has attempted of late, to.govern without the Beresfords, and the confequence was, that he was driven from the helm. Had Lord Cornwallis prefided as a civil magiftrate, and thwarted their plans, he too, probably, would have felt their power.

Poffeffing fuch weight in the councils of the country, it is not to be fuppofed that Mr. B. ever attempts to quarrel with a measure recommended by adminiftration. In fact, the British cabinet is faid to patronife no project, which has not, in the first inftance, been approved by him, and a few other men of business who know the country. The celebrated commercial propofitions of Mr. Ord, in 1785, however, form an exception. The alterations which were made in thofe propofitions in England, had not Mr. E b 3

B.'s