XVII. 1737. 66 CHAP. "have made this infamous murder a point of con"science. One of the actors went straight away "to a country church, where the sacrament was given to a vast crowd of people, as the fashion is "here, and there boasted what he had done. All "the lower rank of the people who have distinguished themselves by pretences to a superior sanctity, talk of this murder as the hand of God 66 66 doing justice; and my endeavours to punish mur"derers are called grievous persecutions. I have "conversed with several of the parsons......; "and, indeed, I could hardly have given credit "to the public reports of the temper of these "saints if I had not myself been witness to it." Thus was all search impeded, nor was any discovery made. Even at the present time, the origin of this singular conspiracy remains as much a mystery as ever. We can only conjecture that the ringleaders, whoever they might be, took care to leave Edinburgh, and even Scotland, as soon as their crime was perpetrated, and did not venture to return for some years; and we learn from Sir Walter Scott, that, in his younger days, the voice of common rumour pointed out certain individuals, though without any proof, who had returned from the East and West Indies in improved circumstances, as having fled abroad on account of the Porteous Mob. + * To Sir Robert Walpole, October 16. 1736. Tales of a Grandfather, Third Series, vol. ii. p. 177. 1737. But though there had been no discovery, who CHAP. could tolerate that there should be no punishment? XVII. In the next Session, a Bill was brought in for this object, framed in a violent and vindictive spirit, far unlike the usual moderation of the minister, and probably the effect of the Queen's resentment. Having found no other victims to strike, it aimed its blow at the whole City of Edinburgh. It proposed to abolish the City Charter, rase the City gates, disband the City Guard, and declare the Provost, Mr. Wilson, incapable of again holding any public office. To support these angry enactments, witnesses were examined at the bar of both Houses; but no new fact of importance appeared. Some carelessness was certainly proved against the Provost, who had slighted previous warnings of the riot: but how unjust to condemn, how unwise to insult, the citizens at large! The Scottish Peers, however, and Members of Parliament, with that high national spirit which has ever so nobly marked the character of the Scottish people, combined almost as one man on this occasion. In the House of Lords, the Duke of Argyle made an eloquent speech, in which, after his usual panegyric on himself, he denounced the measure as contrary both to law and justice. In the Commons, the Lord Advocate (the celebrated Duncan Forbes) was not withheld by the trammels of office or the attachments of party from declaring similar sentiments. He was earnestly supported by Mr. Lindsay, member for Edinburgh, and by Lord CHAP. "have made this infamous murder- 1737. "to a country church, where 66 given to a vast crowd of peop 66 66 doing justice; and my e mont, he fore e more exdham want s it deserved, committee, was of the chairman. pole, who, we may pproved of the most asented to recede from ere plucked out of the length, into an Act disholding any future office, "saints if I had no city a fine of 2,000l. for the Thus was all searrteous's widow. And thus, it covery made. Ev he time, all these fierce debates of this singularing the fortune of an old cooktery as ever. ving been the original calling of ringleaders, however, was added to the Bill, comministers of the Scottish Church to mation from the pulpit, once every the ensuing twelve, calling on their conto exert themselves to bring to justice greatly murderers of Porteous. This order was by many of the clergy, who complained were thus indecorously made the their pulpits the proclamation mention "the Lords Temporal seme of a hue and cry; while others, again, finding wand Spiritual in Parliament assembled," feared that they might thus seem to acknowledge the and charitable without ostentationunduly claiming kindred with the great, et veiling a secret envy under an apparent ain, — he always maintained that calmness and elf-command which is the essence of true dignity." His speeches were, like himself, full of sterling worth if his language was not always the most eloquent, his arguments never failed to be the most weighty. "In all matters of trade," says Speaker Onslow," he had more sagacity, acuteness, force, "and closeness of reasoning, better and more prac"ticable notions, than almost any man I ever knew, "with a disinterestedness as to himself that no "temptation of the greatest profit, or very high "stations (for such he might have had), would "have drawn him from the very retired and humble Benjamin Constant, in his remarkable production, "Adolphe," most truly describes :-"je ne sais quelle fougue destructive "de la considération qui ne se compose que du calme." (p. 173.) XVII. 1737. CHAP. Polwarth, son of the Scotch Earl of Marchmont, a young nobleman beginning to shine in the foremost ranks of Opposition; nor was the more experienced skill of Barnard and of Wyndham wanting. The measure speedily grew, as it deserved, unpopular, and on one occasion, in committee, was carried only by the casting vote of the chairman. Under these circumstances, Walpole, who, we may presume, had never heartily approved of the most obnoxious clauses, wisely consented to recede from them one by one they were plucked out of the Bill, and it dwindled, at length, into an Act disabling Mr. Wilson from holding any future office, and imposing on the city a fine of 2,000l. for the benefit of Captain Porteous's widow. And thus, it was remarked at the time, all these fierce debates ended only in making the fortune of an old cookmaid such having been the original calling of the worthy lady. A clause, however, was added to the Bill, compelling the ministers of the Scottish Church to read a proclamation from the pulpit, once every month for the ensuing twelve, calling on their congregations to exert themselves to bring to justice the murderers of Porteous. This order was greatly resented by many of the clergy, who complained that their pulpits were thus indecorously made the scene of a hue and cry; while others, again, finding the proclamation mention "the Lords Temporal "and Spiritual in Parliament assembled," feared that they might thus seem to acknowledge the |