The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey to Elizabeth Ord, 23 November 1820
“Brooks’s, Nov. 23, 4 o’clock.
“No! I have seen many things in my life, but, in
point of atrocity, nothing equal to our proceedings of to-day in the H. of
Commons. Brougham wrote a note last night
both to the Speaker and Lord Castlereagh, telling them he should have a
communication to make to the H. of Commons from the Queen. Castlereagh did not answer the
note; but the Speaker wrote him an answer that he would take the chair at ½
past 2, provided there were members enough present to make a house. We were
there, of course, in great force, and he took the chair at the time appointed;
but, after swearing in two new members, and when Denman was upon his legs, just opening the Queen’s
communication, the Usher of the Black
Rod knocked at the door. . . . You may suppose we all made a
lusty holloa of ‘Mr. Denman! Mr.
* Holland House disapproved of the activity of
“the Mountain” in the Queen’s defence; while Creevey and the rest of the
Mountain resented bitterly the deference shown by Holland House to
the King’s party. |
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| 342 | THE CREEVEY PAPERS | [Ch XIII. |
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Denman!’ The Speaker, however, left the
chair, upon which Bennet called out with
a loud voice—‘This is scandalous!’ As the Speaker
walked down the house, followed by Castlereagh, Vansittart and a few others, we holloaed
out—‘Shame! shame!’ that might have been heard in
any part of Westminster Hall. Certainly such a scene has never occurred in the
H. of Commons since Charles the 1st’s
time. There were 150 members present. The villains dared not shew this specimen
of their low and pitiful spite in public: the galleries were
closed; but Lambton has just given
the editor of the Traveller an account of what passed. Canning was not in the House. . . . After all,
there was no Speech from the Throne, quite contrary to all practices. If there had been one, the Speaker must have come back
to report it to us; but this was the thing meant to be avoided; so, after being
literally hooted out of our House, after going from the Lords he found his way
the nearest road home, leaving us to find out as we could that we were actually
prorogued.”
Henry Grey Bennet (1777-1836)
The son of Charles Bennet, fourth earl of Tankerville; educated at Eton and Peterhouse,
Cambridge, he was a Whig MP for MP for Shrewsbury (1806-07, 1811-26) and a legal
reformer.
Henry Peter Brougham, first baron Brougham and Vaux (1778-1868)
Educated at Edinburgh University, he was a founder of the
Edinburgh
Review in which he chastised Byron's
Hours of Idleness; he
defended Queen Caroline in her trial for adultery (1820), established the London University
(1828), and was appointed lord chancellor (1830).
George Canning (1770-1827)
Tory statesman; he was foreign minister (1807-1809) and prime minister (1827); a
supporter of Greek independence and Catholic emancipation.
Queen Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1768-1821)
Married the Prince of Wales in 1795 and separated in 1796; her husband instituted
unsuccessful divorce proceedings in 1820 when she refused to surrender her rights as
queen.
King Charles I of England (1600-1649)
The son of James VI and I; as king of England (1625-1649) he contended with Parliament;
he was revered as a martyr after his execution.
Thomas Creevey (1768-1838)
Whig politician aligned with Charles James Fox and Henry Brougham; he was MP for Thetford
(1802-06, 1807-18) Appleby (1820-26) and Downton (1831-32). He was convicted of libel in
1813.
Thomas Denman, first baron Denman (1779-1854)
English barrister and writer for the
Monthly Review; he was MP,
solicitor-general to Queen Caroline (1820), attorney-general (1820), lord chief justice
(1832-1850). Sydney Smith commented, “Denman everybody likes.”
Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt (1762-1833)
The nephew of the scholar of the same name; he was educated at Eton and Christ Church,
Oxford, and was MP for Okehampton (796-1802), Portarlington (1802-06) and Plymouth
(1806-12), private secretary to the Duke of Clarence, and Black Rod.
Nicholas Vansittart, first Baron Bexley (1766-1851)
Educated at Christ Church, Oxford, he was a Pittite MP for Hastings (1796-1802), Old
Sarum (1802-12), East Grinstead (1812), and Harwich (1812-23); he was Chancellor of the
exchequer (1812-23).
The Traveller. (1801-1822). A London daily newspaper edited by Edward Quin and Walter Coulson; Leigh Hunt was a
contributor.
