Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 39.djvu/98

 MS. App. xxviii. 1. After serving on a commission to survey the land and fortifications of Calais and Guisnes, commanding a company of artillery at the former place, and inspecting the fortifications of Carlisle in 1532, Morris was in 1535 despatched on a mission to North Germany and Denmark, probably to enlist gunners and engineers in the English service. He visited Hamburg, Lübeck, Rostock, and all the principal towns in Denmark and Zealand, returning on 27 June. In August he was at Greenwich, engaged in enlisting men, and in September was ordered to proceed with three ships to Denmark ; the order was, however, countermanded, and Morris was again sent to Calais. On 8 Feb. 1536-7, he was made master of ordnance, with a salary of 2s. a day for himself, 6d. for a clerk, and 6d. for a yeoman. Before October he was recalled, and was in London ready to march northwards to assist in suppressing the Pilgrimage of Grace. In 1537 Morris was again at Carlisle inspecting the fortifications, which had been declared unsound ; was granted license to be 'overseer of the science of artillery;' appointed master gunner of England, and on 31 July landed at Calais, where in 1539 he was one of the commissioners appointed to receive Anne of Cleves ; on 18 Oct. he was knighted at the creation of the Earl of Hertford and Southampton. In 1542 Morris was in England superintending the artillery, not always with success, for of the pieces despatched for the Scottish war in October 1542 all but one burst (Hamilton Papers, i. 263). In March 1543-4 he joined the Earl of Hertford's expedition to Scotland. Landing near Leith, which was immediately captured, Morris accompanied the army to Edinburgh, where on 7 May he blew in Canongate with a culverin ; the next day he bombarded the castle, without effect, for two hours and was compelled to retreat (cf., iv. 34-6). In the autumn Morris, as chief director of the batteries, was at Boulogne, where on 3 Sept. he received a wound, which apparently proved fatal. He was buried in St. Peter's Church, Cornhill, London.  MORRIS, CORBYN (d. 1779), commissioner of customs, first attracted notice by the publication of 'A Letter from a Bystander to a Member of Parliament, wherein is examined what necessity there is for the maintenance of a large regular land-force in. this island ; what proportions the Revenues of the Crown have borne to those of the people at different periods from the Restoration to his present Majesty's Accession ; and whether the weight of Power in the Royal or popular side now preponderates,' London, 1741-2, 8vo ; 3rd edit. 1743. In this pamphlet he shows that the power of the crown depends upon economic conditions, and, after an elaborate discussion of the relative resources of the crown and the people, decides that 'our tendency at present, unless it be rightly moderated, lies much stronger to democracy than to absolute monarchy' (p. 58). His estimates of national income are based on the mercantilist theory, that 'the whole annual income at any period is greater or less according to the quantity of coin then circulating in the kingdom' (p. 107). He concludes with a eulogy of Walpole's administration, and an appeal for a 'reasonable candour' in the inquiry into his conduct. The 'Letter from a Bystander' was generally supposed to have been written by Walpole or by his direction. On this assumption the author was vehemently attacked in 'A Proper Answer to the Bystander,' &c. (attributed to. William Pulteney), London, 1742, 8vo, and ' A Full Answer to the "Letter from a Bystander "... by R—— H——, esq. [Thomas Carte],' London, 1742, 8vo (Rawlinson MS. D. 89; cf. Carte MSS., Bodleian Library, 10705, f. 3). Morris replied with ' A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Thomas Carte ... by a Gentleman of Cambridge,' London, 1743, 8vo. The controversy terminated with the publication by Carte of 'A Full and Clear Vindication of the Full Answer,' &c., London, 1743, 8vo. (ib.)

During the administrations of Pelham and Newcastle, Morris was employed by them 'in conciliating opponents' (Morris to Charles Yorke, 30 Dec. 1759, Addit. MS. 32900, f. 431). On the suppression of the rebellion, of 1745 he submitted to Newcastle (8 May 1746) several proposals for the regulation of the highlands. He suggested (1) the registration of all lands and deeds at London and Stirling, and the reversion to the crown, of lands not so registered ; (2) the abolition of entail and the vesting in the landowner of absolute property in the land ; (3) the division of the land among the children on the death of the landowners ; (4) the payment of rent only in case of a written agreement between landlord and tenant; (5) the settlement of all forfeited lands with new tenants ; and (6) the universal abolition of the highland dress. He pointed out that, 