Life of Lord Byron, Vol. 2: With His Letters and JournalsMoore, Thomas
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Life of Lord Byron, Vol. 2: With His Letters and Journals
Moore, Thomas
Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron, 1788-1824; Poets, English -- 19th century -- Biography
"In the debate, or rather discussion, afterwards in the House of Lords
upon that very question, I sate immediately behind Lord Moira, who was
extremely annoyed at Grey's speech upon the subject; and, while Grey was
speaking, turned round to me repeatedly, and asked me whether I agreed
with him. It was an awkward question to me who had not heard both sides.
Moira kept repeating to me, 'It was _not so_, it was so and so,' &c. I
did not know very well what to think, but I sympathised with the
acuteness of his feelings upon the subject."
The subject of the Catholic claims was, it is well known, brought
forward a second time this session by Lord Wellesley, whose motion for a
future consideration of the question was carried by a majority of one.
In reference to this division, another rather amusing anecdote is thus
related.
"Lord * * affects an imitation of two very different Chancellors,
Thurlow and Loughborough, and can indulge in an oath now and then. On
one of the debates on the Catholic question, when we were either equal
or within one (I forget which), I had been sent for in great haste to a
ball, which I quitted, I confess, somewhat reluctantly, to emancipate
five millions of people. I came in late, and did not go immediately into
the body of the House, but stood just behind the woolsack. * * turned
round, and, catching my eye, immediately said to a peer, (who had come
to him for a few minutes on the woolsack, as is the custom of his
friends,) 'Damn them! they'll have it now,--by G----d! the vote that is
just come in will give it them.'"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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