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the eyes of the strict laissez faire English Radical, and colleagues on whom the influence of the Manchester school was great. In the amazing good fortune which has hitherto followed the footsteps of Greater Britain no single man would appear to have been indispensable. Nevertheless, in that most sacred and pathetic corner of the Pantheon of history which commemorates the fates of those who, like Marcellus, have been snatched away before the complete fulfilment of their promise, Molesworth will always remain a conspicuous and honoured figure.

June, 1903.

HUGH E. EGERTON.

[graphic]

BUST OF SIR WILLIAM MOLESWORTH, BY BEHNES, IN THE LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT, OTTAWA,

[To face p. 1.

SELECTED SPEECHES

OF

SIR WILLIAM MOLESWORTH.

ON LORD GLENELG'S COLONIAL
ADMINISTRATION.

MARCH 6, 1838.

[Great excitement was aroused in political circles by this motion. Parties in the House of Commons were fairly evenly divided, and a coalition between Tories and Radicals might have resulted in a defeat of the Ministry. Lord Sandon, however, moved an amendment directed against the Canadian policy of the Government. Upon the original resolution having been withdrawn, this was defeated, on a strict party division, by a majority of twenty-nine. Molesworth abstained from voting, being unable to support or to condemn, on the lines of the amendment, the Government's action with regard to Canada. Although, of course, Sir W. Molesworth's procedure in picking out Lord Glenelg for censure was severely criticised by Ministers on the constitutional ground that the Government as a whole were responsible for the conduct of each single department, we now know from the Melbourne Papers and C. G. Greville's Journal how deep was the dissatisfaction with Lord Glenelg's administration of colonial affairs felt by his colleagues. In the following February he resigned ("turned out," according to Greville), and was succeeded at the Colonial Office by Lord Normanby.]

No member of this House ever more required indulgence than I do on this occasion The subject

M.

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