* CLARENDON, GEORGE WILLIAM FREDERICK viLra ERS, fourth Earl of, born 12th of January 1800; is eldest son of the late Hon. George Villiers, by Theresa, only daughter of the first Lord Boringdon. He succeeded to the title on his uncle's death in December 1838. The founder of the Villiers family was a favourite of James L, whose descendants became ultimately earls of Jersey. About the middle of last century a younger son of the then Earl of Jersey married a daughter of the Earl of Essex, whose countess was heiress of the Ilydcs, formerly earls of Clarendon and Rochester. [HYDE.] This gentle man, who was successively joint postmaster-general, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and ambassador at the Court of Berlin, was ultimately created Earl of Clarendon in 1776; and it is his third son who was the father of the present peer.
Lord Clarendon was educated at Cambridge. He entered the civil service at au early age; and iu 1823 was appointed to a commissioner ehip of the excise in Dublin by the late Marquie of Anglesey. The ability, intelligence, mental activity, and general knowledge displayed by him in this capacity, recommended him to the home government for some higher employment. Accordingly, in 1831 he was employed by the government in arranging a commercial treaty with France; and, when a crisis arrived in Spanish affairs in 1833, he was sent to the Court of Madrid as British Envoy and Minister Plenipotentiary. 'Here again, though his stay was prolonged through a period of more than ordinary civil strife and confusion, be was so fortunate as to secure the confidence of the government which he represented, and at the same time the good opinion of the inhabitants of the Spanish metropolis. Soun after his accession to the earldom, in 1838, he returned to England. He had not long taken his seat in the House of Lords, when a speech which he delivered on the question of Spanish affairs attracted the public attention ; and, on a re-arrangement of the Melbourne Cabinet taking place in January 1840, Lord Clarendon was appointed Lord Privy Seal, an office to which the chancellorship of the Duchy of Lancaster was added on Lord Holland's death in the same year. In 1841 Sir Robert Peel came again into power, and
Lord Clarendon's Official duties ceasing, he remained in opposition for fire years. On the seoeselen of Lord John Russell to the premiership in 1846, he became President of the Board of Trade. This position however be did not long retain, as on the death of the Earl of Bess borough, be was sent to Ireland as Lord-Lieutenant in May 1847. lie entered on his vieeregel duties at a period of considerable agitation.
Famine and fever bed brought on great national distress and suffering, and the death of O'Connell, which had been announced in Dublin a few days previously. was just beginning to cause much popular excite ment ; the Repeal Association were holdiog larger meetings and using stronger language than ever; and the partial rebellion of 1848 was beginning to east its shadow before it. The following extract from Lord Clarendon's answer to an address presented to him by the Roman Catholic prelates, state. in few words the spirit in which he entered on hie duties as viceroy there :—"The eternal principled of justice and morality can never be violated with impnnity, and the unrighteous legislation of I7egone times has left in Ireland traces which must be long and severely felt. By penal enactments, doubt less, Industry was discouraged, property was unequally distributed, the growth of a middle class was retarded, the people were demoral ised, and the whole fabric of society rendered hollow and insecure.
The remedy for such a state of things has of necessity been slow and diffieult; but it is for the legislature and the government, and for all those who, living In better times and exercising authority, have at heart the true interests of Ireland, to efface the memory of the past, and by equal laws, impartial justice, and forbearing patience, steadily to carry on the great work of social regeneration, and to place the people of Ireland in the position which they are entitled to occupy." In spite however of this declaration, Lord Clarendon was obliged before the end of the year to proclaim several disaffected districts.