This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 edition. Excerpt: ... men of the time--Burke, Fox, the younger Pitt--he never, in the most acrimonious debate, allowed his temper to be rufiled. Placid, always good-humoured, blinking short-sightedly, awakened by the pushes of his colleagues from a short nap in his seat on the Treasury Bench, he would rise to answer his ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 edition. Excerpt: ... men of the time--Burke, Fox, the younger Pitt--he never, in the most acrimonious debate, allowed his temper to be rufiled. Placid, always good-humoured, blinking short-sightedly, awakened by the pushes of his colleagues from a short nap in his seat on the Treasury Bench, he would rise to answer his opponents cheerfully and sensibly. He was the eldest son of the Earl of Guilford, and until his father's death, in 1790, sat in the House of Commons. As a minister his only fault--it was a very grave one--was a certain want of energy. He was industrious and conscientious, but not strenuous or firm, and during his ministry certain departments, like the War Office, were incapably managed. In private life he was entirely estimable, and never happier than when living with his family in the country at Wroxton Abbey. His views on government were not those of to-day; he believed in governing the people, not in letting them govern. Just before becoming Prime Minister, he said he had voted against all the ' popular ' measures of the last seven years. This showed the absence of ambition in him, for, as he said, ' there is rarely an ambitious man who does not try to be popular '. 1 Mahon, History of England, v. 390. '-2 Ibid. 392. Wilkes. It was not so much Lord North, however, but his master that was becoming unpopular. The feeling against the King's intervention in politics was increased by the actions of the famous Whig John Wilkes. This man was born in 1727, the son of a distiller in Clerkenwell. He received a good education at private schools, and became known as a young man for his wit, his literary taste and ability, and also for his fast living. He belonged to a famous drinkingclub called the Monks of M...
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