Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 20.djvu/133

 bill for the abolition of capital punishment in cases of stealing, took part in the debate on the state of the nation and the king's illness (27 Dec.), and led the opposition to the proposal to establish the regency by legislation (4 Jan. 1811). He moved for a return of all informations issued ex officio by the attorney-general between 1 Jan. 1801 and 31 Dec. 1810. The motion was negatived after a prolonged debate. On 21 May he energetically opposed Sidmouth's measure for licensing dissenting ministers. In the debate on the orders in council (28 Feb. 1812) he urged the expediency of an immediate rescission of the order of November 1807 prohibiting the trade with France to all the world; later on he supported the catholic claims, proposed to regulate the law of ex-officio information, and was in favour of treating with Napoleon as emperor. He vehemently attacked the treaty with Sweden (2 April 1813), by which England agreed, in consideration of some commercial concessions, to abet the Swedish designs on Norway. He visited Murat at Naples in 1814. On 8 April 1816 he vigorously opposed the bill for the detention of Napoleon as a prisoner of war, arguing that the detention must be justified by the law of nations or not at all. In 1817 he moved for papers relating to Napoleon's treatment at St. Helena. After the insurrection in Barbadoes, he moved (28 June 1816) for an inquiry into the condition of the negroes. He energetically opposed the various repressive measures which were carried out by Lord Sidmouth in 1817 and 1818. He also opposed the Foreign Enlistment Bill, introduced in order to prevent persons being enlisted on British soil for the service of the insurgent Spanish colonies. Lord Holland took comparatively little public action in the case of Queen Caroline beyond expressing emphatically (7 June 1820) his disapproval of the ministerial plan of investigation by a secret committee, and supporting a regular legal procedure. During the following period he consistently supported the whig policy in regard to domestic and foreign affairs. He supported the cause of the Greeks, proposed forcible intervention in favour of Donna Maria on the usurpation of the Portuguese throne by Dom Miguel in 1828, and strongly condemned ministers in 1830 for preventing her adherents who had sailed from Plymouth from landing at Terceira. When at last the whigs were restored to power by the reform agitation, Lord Holland became chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster (25 Nov.) in Lord Grey's administration. He held the place, with the exception of the brief interregnum in 1832 between Lord Grey's resignation (10 May) and his recall (18 May), until the dismissal of Lord Melbourne's administration (14 Nov. 1834). He accepted the same place on Lord Melbourne's second administration (23 April 1835), and held it until he died, after a short illness at Holland House, on 22 Oct. 1840. He was buried on 28 Oct. in Millbrook Church, near Ampthill, Bedfordshire (the family seat). The following lines were found in his handwriting on his dressing-table after his death:—

A portrait of him (half-length) by Leslie is at Holland House, and another, by the same artist (full-length, with Lady Holland and John Allen), is in the possession of Earl Grey. At Holland House also are his portrait by Fabre and his bust by Nollekens; his statue by Watts is in the grounds. Greville, who knew him well, speaks of his ‘imperturbable temper, unflagging vivacity and spirit, his inexhaustible fund of anecdote, extensive information, sprightly wit,’ and ‘universal toleration and urbanity’ (Mem. 1837–52, i. 341). Brougham is equally complimentary to his engaging social qualities as well as to his high statesmanship and political magnanimity (Statesmen of the Time of George III, 1843, iii. 329, 340; Memoirs, iii. 446). Sydney Smith declares that ‘there never existed in any human being a better heart, or one more purified from all the bad passions, more abounding in charity and compassion, and which seemed to be so created as a refuge to the helpless and the oppressed.’ In his premeditated speeches, though closely reasoned and occasionally witty, he never escaped from his early defects; he was, however, more effective in his replies (, Statesmen of the Time of George III, 1843, iii. 329, 332, 340; Memoirs, iii. 446;, Essays, 7th ed., iii. 213; , Memoir of the Rev. Sydney Smith, i. 282). Lord Holland had lawful issue by Lady Holland, two sons, viz. Stephen, who died in 1800, and Henry Edward, who succeeded to the title and estate; and two daughters, viz. Mary Elizabeth, who married in 1830 Thomas Atherton, third baron Lilford, and Georgiana Anne, who died in her tenth year. Lord Holland appears to have had rather more than the ordinary dilettante's appreciation of art, but no ear whatever for music. He was an accomplished scholar not only in the classical but in the modern languages, and made some trifling contributions to literature. These are:  ‘Observations on the Tendency of a Pam-