members were scarcely awake to hear it, and when some of the
outstretched members were aroused by their neighbours to listen to
him! 'When people perceived that it was not a set speech,' says Miss
Edgeworth, 'they became interested.' He stated his doubts just as they
had occurred as he threw them by turn into each scale. After giving many
reasons in favour of what appeared to be the advantages of the Union,
he unexpectedly gave his vote against it, because he said he had been
convinced by what he had heard one night, that the Union was decidedly
against the wishes of the majority of men of sense and property in
the nation. He added (and surely Mr. Edgeworth's opinion should go for
something still) that if he should be convinced that the opinions of the
country changed, his vote would be in its favour.

His biographer tells us that Mr. Edgeworth was much complimented on his
speech by BOTH sides, by those for whom he voted, and also by those who
found that the best arguments on the other side of the question had
been undoubtedly made by him. It is a somewhat complicated statement
and state of feeling to follow; to the faithful daughter nothing is
impossible where her father is concerned. This vote, I believe, cost Mr.
Edgeworth his peerage. 'When it was known that he had voted against the
Union he became suddenly the idol of those who would previously have
stoned him,' says his devoted biographer. It must not, however, be
forgotten that Mr. Edgeworth had refused an offer of L3000 for his seat
for two or three weeks, during that momentous period when every vote was
of importance. Mr. Pitt, they say, spent over L2,000,000 in carrying the
measure which he deemed so necessary.


IV