GRATTAN. 225 cause he gave me an influence in his councils. It is non sense to say, a man is not to support his own council; but the next administration took another direction, and they did not give me any influence in their councils. What was the consequence? I did not give them support. Was there any thing more fair? I felt myself a man of too much situation to be a mere placeman. If not a mi nister to serve my country, I would not be the tool of salary. What was the consequence? I voted with them in matters of importance, when they were clearly right; I voted against them in matters of importance when they were clearly wrong; and in matters of small moment I did not vote at all; and why I scorned, by voting for them in such matters, to seem to pay court. To vote against them in such matters would have been absurd. What remained 2 Not to vote at all. If you call that absconding, going behind the chair, or escaping into the corridore, call it what you please, I say it was right, This is my plain way of dealing; it is common sense. I told Lord Buckinghamshire I would not attend the cabi net councils of the sage Mr. Heron. Was that duplicity I think not. I did more; I sent my resignation to Eng land, to the same friend through whom the first commu nication was made to me on the subject of office; but, from the ideas of friendship to me, he took time to con sider, and at length declined to deliver my resignation. I have said something of the middle period, I shall now come to the third, viz. Lord Carlisle's administration, in which, my conduct has been slandered as the conduct of an in cendiary. When that idea took place in some minds I. cannot tell, but this I am sure o f , that the right honourable gentleman who censured me, was called a n incendiary a that time, and s o perhaps might I
but I am sure the right honourable gentleman a t that time, did not think me a n incendiary more than himself. There was not a single instance i n which h e did not co-operate. I f I am a n incendiary, I shall gladly accept, therefore, o f the society o f that right honourable gentleman under the WOL. II, Q
