ission to Portugal, however, and was in Lisbon when Napoleon returned
from Elba. In 1816, as has been seen, he became president of the board
of control, but, having been formerly one of the queen's advisers, he
declined to have anything to do with her trial and remained abroad
during its continuance. In December, 1820, he returned, but persisted in
resigning his place at the board of control on the supposed ground that
further parliamentary discussion of the queen's case was inevitable. On
this occasion he received a special vote of thanks from the directors of
the East India Company for his services on the board. The king objected
to his readmission after the queen's death, and he was a private member
of parliament when he was offered and undertook the governor-generalship
of India in March, 1822. But his departure was delayed until August, and
he was on his way to bid farewell to his constituents at Liverpool when
Castlereagh destroyed himself. It was generally felt that no other man
was so well qualified as Canning to succeed him. But the king declared
his "final and unalterable decision" to sanction no such change. Though
he afterwards relented, on the remonstrances of Wellington, he did so
with a bad grace; but there was no delay on Canning's part in accepting
the foreign secretaryship thus offered. From his acceptance may be dated
the most remarkable part of his career.

The accession of Peel to the Liverpool ministry, in the capacity of home
secretary; was only less important than that of Canning. Hitherto, Peel
had mostly been known to the British public as chief secretary for
Ireland, and as chairman of the committee which, in 1819, recommended
the early resumption of cash payments. In both these posts he displayed
a certain moderation and independence of mind, combined with a rare
capacity for business, which marked him out as a great administrator.
This promise he amply fulfilled as home secretary. He was the first
minister of the crown who took up the philanthropic work of Romilly and
Mackintosh, largely reducing the number of offences for which capital
punishment could be inflicted. He was also the first to reform the
police system of London, and to substitute for a multitude of decrepit
watchmen, incapable of dealing with gangs of active criminals, a
disciplined body of stalwart constables, which has since been copied in
every county and large town of Great Britain. Above all, while he cannot
be said to hav