The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey to Elizabeth Ord, 18 April 1823
“April 18th.
“You never saw such confusion and consternation as
was produced in the Ministerial row by Burdett’s speech [on Catholic emancipation]. . . . In the
midst
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| 68 | THE CREEVEY PAPERS | [Ch. III. |
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of the debate arose that alarming episode between
Brougham and Canning. . . . Brougham
was laying about him upon Canning’s
‘truckling’ to Eldon for his
late admission into the Cabinet,* when the latter sprung up in the greatest
fury saying—‘that is
false!’ Upon this we had the devil to pay for near an hour, and
Wilson had at last the credit of
settling it by a speech of very great merit, and to the satisfaction of all
parties. Brougham, I think, was wrong to begin with; he
was speaking under the impression produced upon him by
Canning’s blackguard observation to Folkestone the night before, viz. that
‘if he had truckled to the Bourbons, as
stated by Folkestone, at all events he would never
truckle to him.’
Brougham was going on like a madman, but
Canning was much worse in his rage, and in his
violation of the rules of the House. . . . The House generally was decidedly against Canning, as it
had been the night before upon his passion and low-lived tirade against
Folkestone, saying ‘he spoke with all the
contortions of the Sibyl without her inspiration.’. . . In short,
Canning’s temper is playing the devil with him,
as I always felt sure it would.”
William Pleydell- Bouverie, third earl of Radnor (1779-1869)
Son of the second earl (d. 1828); educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, he was Whig MP
for Downton (1801) and Salisbury (1802-28), and an associate of Sir Francis Burdett and
Samuel Whitbread.
Henry Peter Brougham, first baron Brougham and Vaux (1778-1868)
Educated at Edinburgh University, he was a founder of the
Edinburgh
Review in which he chastised Byron's
Hours of Idleness; he
defended Queen Caroline in her trial for adultery (1820), established the London University
(1828), and was appointed lord chancellor (1830).
Sir Francis Burdett, fifth baronet (1770-1844)
Whig MP for Westminster (1807-1837) who was imprisoned on political charges in 1810 and
again in 1820; in the 1830s he voted with the Conservatives.
George Canning (1770-1827)
Tory statesman; he was foreign minister (1807-1809) and prime minister (1827); a
supporter of Greek independence and Catholic emancipation.
John Scott, first earl of Eldon (1751-1838)
Lord chancellor (1801-27); he was legal counsel to the Prince of Wales and an active
opponent of the Reform Bill.
Sir Robert Thomas Wilson (1777-1849)
Soldier, author, radical Whig MP for Southwark (1818-31), and diplomat; he wrote
History of the British Expedition to Egypt (1802) and was governor
of Gibraltar (1842).
