Lord Grey again retired to private life. In 1817, his lordship reappeared, and moved an amendment to the parliamentary address to the throne, urging rigid economy, retrenchment, and an inquiry into the state of the nation. In the same year he brought before the House of Lords, the notable circular of Lord Sidmouth for the prosecution of libels by magistrates. "It is a singular fact," observes an acute historical writer,[5] "that Lord Grey, on this occasion, made an able and erudite law argument; which all the law lords, including Lord Ellenborough, made vain efforts to refute; and which Lord Ellenborough had the manliness to eulogize;" notwithstanding which Lord Grey's motion for a copy of the opinion of the law officers of the crown was negatived. [5] Life and Reign of George IV. By W. Wallace, Esq. 3 vols. 1831. During the trial of Queen Caroline, the wisdom-tempered zeal of Lord Grey ranked him amongst the most efficient, as he was the most eloquent, of her defenders: his lordship, in conjunction with Lord King, also made successive attempts, by motions, to quash the investigation. To the administration of the Earl of Liverpool, it need scarcely be added, Earl Grey was thoroughly hostile: his aversion to the policy of Mr. Canning was equally decided; and the same independent spirit urged him to oppose the measures of the Wellington cabinet, except the memorable measure of Catholic Emancipation, by the proposal of which he had lost office in the year 1810. His lordship's eloquent efforts in this cause must be alive in the recollection of the reader. We are now fast approaching the consummation of one of the grand objects of his lordship's political life. By the dissolution of the Wellington cabinet, in 1830, Lord Grey became at the head of the present administration. His first act was the introduction of the grand measure for parliamentary reform, which, for sixteen months past, has interested the whole population of this mighty empire. His lordship's emphatic expressions, on this occasion, are "familiar as household words." "He made it a condition on accepting office, that Parliamentary Reform should be introduced as a government measure. That condition having been assented to by his most gracious sovereign, by this measure he was prepared to stand or fall." Gratifying as would be the task, we need not detail the incidents of the last few months of his lordship's career. Our eulogium would be poor indeed, while nine-tenths of the journals of our country are perpetuating his good deeds; while his political integrity has become exemplary to every cabinet in Europe; and millions are about to burst forth in "the loud festivity of mirth" to celebrate the virtue of their popular minister.