Parliament was prorogued on Friday, October 27th. At the last
sitting of the House of Lords, Lord Hardwicke did his best to make the Assembly to which he belongs ridiculous by inducing the few Peers present to condemn the erection of a statue of Cromwell,—six voted with him and four against. Cromwell's statue was placed on its pedestal on Tuesday. It was specially maladroit of Lord Hardwicke to take the action he did. His distinguished ancestor and the founder of his house, Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, won high honour by his courtesy to the grandson of Cromwell at a time when it was held not only unpopular, but almost impolitic, to show respect. for the Protector's memory. Lord Hardwicke was trying a case in which one of the last male representatives of Cromwell was concerned, and noticed that he was not being treated with proper respect by the audience in Court. The great Whig lawyer and statesman at once invited Mr. Cromwell to sit on the bench beside him. Lord Hardwicke seems to have forgotten this courteous tradition,—one eminently honourable to his family.
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