SIDMOUTH, HENRY ADDINGTON, 1ST VISCOUNT (1757-1844), English statesman, son of Dr. Anthony Addington, was born on May 3o, 1757. Educated at Winchester College and Brasenose College, Oxford, he was elected, by the favour of William Pitt, member of parliament for Devizes in 1784. By close attention to his parliamentary duties, he obtained a wide knowledge of the rules and procedure of the House of Commons, and this fact, together with his intimacy with Pitt and his general popularity, secured his election as Speaker in June '789. Like his predecessors, Addington continued to be a partisan after his acceptance of this office, took part at times in debate when the house was in committee; and on one occasion his partiality allowed Pitt to disregard the authority of the chair. He en joyed the confidence of George III., and in the royal interest tried to induce Pitt to withdraw his proposal for the removal of the disabilities suffered by Roman Catholics. Rather than give way on this question Pitt resigned office early in 1801, when Addington formed a government. The new prime minister had the loyal support of Pitt; and the conclusion of the treaty of Amiens in March 1802 made him popular in the country. But Pitt, dissatisfied with the ministry for ignoring the threatening attitude of Napoleon, and making no preparations for a renewal of the war, withdrew his support. Addington then took steps to strengthen the forces of the crown, and made unsuccessful over tures to Pitt that both should serve under a new prime minister, or, later, that he himself should serve under Pitt. When the struggle with France was renewed in May 1803, it became evident that as a war minister Addington was not a success; and when Pitt became openly hostile, the continued confidence of the king and of a majority in the House of Commons was not a sufficient counterpoise to the ministry's waning prestige. Although careful and industrious, Addington had no brilliant qualities, and his mediocrity afforded opportunity for attack by his enemies. He resigned office in April 1804, and became the leader of the party known as the "king's friends." Pitt, who now returned to office, was soon reconciled with his old friend; in January 1805 Adding ton was created Viscount Sidmouth, and became lord president of the council. He left the cabinet in July 1805. In February 1806
he became lord privy seal in the ministry of Fox and Grenville, but resigned early in 1807 when the government proposed to throw open commissions in the army and navy to Roman Catho lics and Protestant dissenters; in 1812 he joined the cabinet of Spencer Perceval as lord president of the council, becoming home secretary when the ministry was reconstructed by the earl of Liverpool in the following June. The ten years during which he held this office coincided with much misery and unrest among the labouring classes, and the government policy, for which he was mainly responsible, was one of severe repression. In 1817 the Habeas Corpus Act was suspended, and Sidmouth issued a circular to the lords-lieutenant declaring that magistrates might apprehend and hold to bail persons accused on oath of seditious libels. For this step he was severely attacked in parliament, and was accused of fomenting rebellion by means of his spies. Although shaken by the acquittal of William Hone on a charge of libel the government was supported by parliament ; and after the "Manchester massacre" in August 1819 the home secretary thanked the magistrates and soldiers for their share in quelling the riot. He was mainly responsible for the policy embodied in the "Six Acts" of 1819. In December 1821 Sidmouth resigned his office, but remained a member of the cabinet without official duties until 1824, when he resigned owing to his disapproval of the recognition of the independence of Buenos Aires. Subse quently he took very little part in public affairs; but true to his earlier principles he spoke against Catholic emancipation in April 1829, and voted against the Reform Bill in 1832. He died at Richmond Park on Feb. 15, See Hon. G. Pellew, Life of Sidmouth (London, 1847) ; Lord John Russell, Life and Times of C. J. Fox (London, 1859-66) ; Earl Stanhope, Life of Pitt (London, 1861-62) ; Sir G. C. Lewis, Essays on the Administrations of Great Britain (London, 1864) ; Spencer Walpole, History of England (London, 1878-1886).