The Catholic Question having been settled, a great change took place in the fortunes of Mr. Sheil. He was made a king's counsel through Lord Francis Egerton. The Duke of Northumberland paid him marked attention; and Sir Henry Hardinge having been appointed Secretary for Ireland, exhibited towards Mr. Sheil a strong predilection, which continued long after Mr. Sheil became vehemently opposed to the party of which Sir H. Hardinge was one of the chief. Sir H. Hardinge told Mr. Sheil that he had been intrusted to award one-third of the patronage at his disposal to Roman Catholics. He did not continue in office sufficiently long to carry this resolution into effect. The Tories were sent out of office upon Sir Henry Parnell's motion, in November, 1830, and Mr. Sheil dined at the Castle on the day on which the news of their defeat arrived in Dublin. It was an exceedingly dismal festivity: a profound depression was spread over the countenances of almost all the functionaries, who were to meet no more in their official gatherings-the Duke of Northumberland himself did not appear to consider his liberation from the Irish royalty of the Castle as a fortunate incident in his life; and so lugubrious was the feeling which diffused itself over this final conviviality, that with all his fine wit, his admirable humour, and mirthful narrative, Sir Philip Crampton, who was there, failed to produce the ordinary results with which his de lightful hilarity is attended.

Upon the change of administration, Mr. Sheil proceeded to London, and received from Lord Anglesea, the new Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, an intimation of his desire to see him. He had been presented to Lord Anglesea in Ireland, and already enioyed his favourable opinion. Mr. Sheil had always done justice to the earnest solicitude of Lord Anglesea for the happiness of Ireland, and Lord Anglesea was anxious in every way to promote the wishes of Mr. Sheil. Having learned that he wished to obtain a seat in the House of Commons, he told him with that fascinating smile by which all are charmed, by whom Lord Anglesea is approached, that he would do his utmost to introduce Mr. Sheil into the House of Commons.

Mr. Sheil has always expressed the highest admiration for the Inany noble qualities by which Lord Anglesea is adorned. He regards him as the most chivalrous and high-minded of all the great aristocracy with whom he has ever had any intercourse, and has never failed to say, that the faults committed during his viceroyalty of Ireland were to be imputed to the predominance

of Lord Stanley, by whom the generous policy of Lord Anglesea was uniformly thwarted and counteracted.

Lord Anglesea brought Mr. Sheil into parliament in March, 1831, for the borough of Milbourne Port, for which he sat for three months. Mr. Sheil made his first speech in the House of Commons on the 21st of March, on the Reform Bill. A great deal of curiosity was excited by his first appearance on a stage so great and so new. Notwithstanding that prejudices had existed against him, in consequence of the extreme violence of his popular harangues, he was kindly received, and a favourable hearing was given him. Mr. Sheil's voice, his small figure, his angular action, and the restless inquietude of his countenance, were observed with surprise: the efflorescence of his style, too, which is in contrast with his manner, was soon noted, and occasioned some unpropitious conjectures regarding his ultimate success as a parliamentary speaker-he committed one or two mistakes in the use of artificial embellishments, which had well nigh occasioned his failure. But at the conclusion of his speech, in which he spoke with a more natural fervour, and warned his hearers against committing the great error, which had attended the Catholic Question, by a delay of justice; he, at last, excited the house, and was considered to have succeeded. Sir Robert Peel spoke of the speech in the terms of liberal encomium, and Lord Grey, a few nights afterwards, told Mr. Sheil at his house, that he had made "an excellent speech." The critics in the newspapers differed-some condemned the speech as a total failure others observed that, with many imperfections, there were evidences of ability to do much more than Mr. Sheil had effected. The following is the criticism in Blackwood, (August, 1831,) in the Noctes Ambrosiana, which are attributed to a celebrated writer. After an exceedingly unfavourable portraiture of Mr. Sheil's exterior, Tickler says: "But never mind—wait a littleand this vile machinery will do wonders.

"NORTH.-We can wait-fill your glass.

"TICKLER.-To make some amends for her carelessness in al other external affairs, nature has given him as fine a pair of eyes as ever graced human head-large, deeply set, dark, liquid, flashing like gems, and these fix you presently, like a basilisk, so that you forget every thing else about him; and though it would be impossible to conceive anything more absurdly ungraceful than his action, sharp, sudden jolts, and shuffles, and right-about twists and leaps, all set to a running discord of grunts and moans, yet, before he has spoken ten minutes, you

forget all this too, and give yourself up to what I have always considered a pleasant sensation-the feeling, I mean, that you are in the presence of a man of genius!"

Parliament having been dissolved in consequence of Genera. Gascoign's motion having been carried, by a majority of eight, Mr. Sheil was returned again for Milbourne Port; but having been informed by the present Judge Crampton, the then SolicitorGeneral for Ireland, that Lord Anglesea was anxious, provided Mr. Sheil could obtain a seat in Ireland, that he should leave Milbourne Port at his disposal, Mr. Sheil stood for the county of Louth, and was returned with the concurrence of Sir Patrick Bellew, and his brother, Mr. Richard Montesquieu Bellew, the present member for the county. Mr. Sheil stated distinctly at the hustings at Louth, that being returned by a great popular constituency, he should regard the interests of the Irish people as paramount to every other consideration; and that he would never support the government at their expense. There arose a speedy and unfortunate occasion for electing between the Irish people and the ministry. The latter had determined to maintain the abuses of the Irish Church-the people of Ireland insisted on a measure of large and sweeping retrenchment. The excitement in Ireland on the Church Question was as great as that of England on the question of Parliamentary Reform. In a very short time, O'Connell and almost the entire body of the Irish liberal representatives were placed in virtual opposition. They remonstrated with the minister, but the influence of Mr. Stanley, who was devoted to the Irish Church, was predominant. He had exhibited great ability in debate, and his utter incapacity for government had not yet been signally proved. But his ser vices as a public speaker were more than counterbalanced by the hostility which his demeanour had produced. Abrupt, peremp tory, jeering, sardonic, alternately scolding and mocking, heedless of giving pain, reducing every man by whom he was addressed in his own estimation, and giving way, in the midst of the most important discussions, to a kind of harsh puerility, Mr. Stanley contrived to centralize in himself the antipathies of almost every Irishman to whom the Whig government should naturally have looked for support. It was determined by a large body of Irish members to remonstrate with Lord Grey on his Irish policy, and a document, signed by upwards of thirty members, was laid before the Prime Minister, in which a strong expostulation on the course which his government were pursuing was contained. Lord Grey appointed a meeting in Downing-street, at the close of the

session of 1832, almost immediately before the dissolution of par liament, with the Irish members by whom he had been addressed More than thirty attended. The scene was remarkable. The Irish members entered in a body, and bowed to Lord Grey with great and unaffected respect. Mr. O'Connell was not only polite. but deferential in his deportment. No intention was entertained of giving offence to the eminent person whom they had approached and Mr. O'Connell took care to convey that assurance before a word was uttered by him. Lord Grey was cold, iofty, and aus · tere. He drew himself up to his full height, and stood, at first, erect before the Irishmen who were gathered before him. In his fine countenance, displeasure and sorrow were associated; and his voice quivered as he desired the great agitator and his retinue, afterwards known by a more ignominious appellation, to sit down. Lord Grey also sat down, and still holding himself in as much altitude as his position would permit, stated that he had read the address of the Irish members with great pain, and that he was surprised that after all he had done and sacrificed for Ireland, he should have been so ungenerously used. He adverted, with a good deal of genuine emotion, to his long labours in the cause of Irish liberty, and complained of the manner in which he had been requited. Mr. O'Connell said, with great submission in his manner, but with a voice, of which the intentions were not in accordance with his deportment, that the Irish members were fully sensible of the services of Lord Grey, and that nothing but a sense of duty could have induced them to expostulate with so eminent a man, upon what they conceived to be the principles of his government in reference to Ireland. Lord Grey, after hearing Mr. O'Connell for a short time, intimated some impatience, and said that the Irish Catholics were taking such a course, that they would drive the government to the necessity of adopting measures of severity for their suppression. He added, however, this remarkable declaration-" that he would rever be the minister by whom those measures, however necessary, should be proposed." The meeting almost immediately after broke up. The first Reform parliament was called, and the first measure proposed was the Coercion Bill. His engagement with himself was not kept by Lord Grey.

Parliament having been dissolved in 1832, and Mr. Sheil hav ing by his marriage with the daughter of Mr. John Lalor c Crenagh, in the county of Tipperary, the widow of Mr. Edward Power, of Gurteen, become connected by property with the county of Tipperary, he stood for that great county, and was

returned the first parliament held after the Reform Bill, with the Honourable Cornelius O'Callaghan, the eldest son of Lord Lismore. The Coercion Bill was brought forward at the com mencement of the first session. It was vehemently opposed by Mr. Sheil, by whom several of the ministers were more deeply galled than by any other of the antagonists of that odious measure. He quoted passages from the speeches of almost every one of them, reprobatory of the policy on which they were proseeding to govern Ireland. Great hostility was created by this

urse, and an incident occured which proved how much animosity was entertained towards Mr. Sheil. Mr. Matthew Devonshire Hill stated at Hull, that an Irish member who had denounced the Coercion Bill in the House of Commons, had himself recommended the government to bring it in. It was mentioned in several newspapers that it was to Mr. Sheil that Mr. Hill alluded. Suggestions were made to Mr. Sheil that he ought to send " friend" to Mr. Hill, who had declared that he would answer the interrogatory of any Irish member to inquire whether it was to him that Mr. Hill referred. Mr. Sheil feeling that a formal encounter with Mr. Hill would not confute Mr. Hill, determined that the matter should be brought before the House of Commons, and to compel Mr. Hill to prefer and prove his charge. Mr. Hill did make the charge against Mr. Sheil in a very full and excited house, and Lord Althorp declared that Mr. Sheil spoke in one way in the house, and in another out of it, Mr. Sheil said, that he should make no observation on what Lord Althorp had said; but the Speaker having declared that he collected from Mr. Sheil's manner that he meant to send a challenge to Lord Althorp, Mr. Sheil and Lord Althorp were called on to promise that no hostile meeting would take place. With this requisition Lord Althorp and Mr. Sheil refused to comply, and both were committed to the custody of the Sergeantat-arms. Lord Althorp, after a few hours of imprisonment, being pressed by his friends, agreed to give the undertaking which had been demanded, and he and Mr. Sheil were discharged. Sheil insisted that he was entitled to a committee, to ascertain the truth of the accusation; and Sir Robert Peel strenuously contended that the greatest injustice would be done, if it were refused. A committee was moved-Sir Robert Peel and Sir Henry Hardinge attended the committee. Mr. Devonshire Hil' was examined by Mr. O'Connell-after stating that his infor. mant was Mr. Silk Buckingham, who now denied that he had ever meant to convey such an impression to Mr. Sheil, and an

Mr.