strenuous opposition. He still insisted that the true course for the Government to pursue was to persevere in the course of parliamentary and economic reform, which they had originally marked out for themselves. It was in no small degree owing to his efforts that the clauses of the Traitorous Correspondence Bill depriving the prisoner of the means of defence were modified in the House of Lords. The question, he said, was not one that might affect the life of one or two individuals, but the lives of many. Great as had been the alarm about treason, and of treasonable intentions, he owned he knew of neither; and as to the present measure avowedly framed for the purpose of affording protection in that respect, he owned it appeared to him to be a "hodge-podge," in order to supply, at the end of the session, all the want of evidence of the treasons with which the people had been alarmed at the commencement of it. The present reign had been remarkable for mildness in this respect, not one act having been declared to be treason that was not so by the ancient law of the land: but now the Ministers seemed determined to make up for their remissness and ready to declare many things to be treason which were in themselves innocent. He had at all times been disposed to uphold the majesty of the Throne; and he was still more disposed to do so, when the tide of Democracy was running so strongly against royalty; he was ready therefore to give his support to any Bill calculated to give greater security to the Crown, and insure the personal safety of the King; for such purposes he was willing to extend the Statute of Treason; but he could not bear to think that the selling of a pair of shoes to the French should be made in the eyes of the law as criminal an act as the murder of the Sovereign; not to mention that it was a true general maxim that excess of punishment for a crime brought impunity along with it.[1]
The relations between Lord Lansdowne and Fox were steadily improving during these events. "In regard to what you say," the latter wrote to Lord Holland
- ↑ Parliamentary History, xxx. 728, 733.
