CANNING, (JEORGE ( 1770-I827). A dis tinguished British statesman and orator, born in London April 11, 1770. His father. who died in poverty when his son was a year old. came of an ancient Bristol family, whose ill-will he in curred by marrying beneath his station. Ms mother earned a precarious subsistence on the 'cage, and married twice again, first an actor, and after his death a Plymouth linen-draper. Through Catming's filial affection, she subse quently lived in comfort and participated in his success and good fortune. When eight years of age, his uncle, Stratford Canning, a banker, pro vided for his education and sent him to Eton, where he soon distinguished himself. lie founded a school magazine, The Microcosm, for the copy right of which a publisher paid him £50, an un paralleled remuneration for a sehool-boy author. In 1788 he proceeded to Christ Chureh, Oxford: the following year, he won the Chancellor's prize with his Pi/grin/aye to Mecca, and in 1790 gradu ated B.A. He entered Lincoln's Inn and studied law. At school and college he made influential friends, notably the Hon. Charles Jenkinson.after ward; Lord Liverpool. and at his lun•e's house met Fox and Sheridan, and through them Burke and other well-known men. Burke persuaded him to abandon law for a Parliamentary career, and, under the aegis of Pitt, he entered Parliament as member for Newport, Isle of Wight, in 179:1. In 1796 he became Under-Secretary for Foreign and in 1798 acquired fame as an orator and statesman by his speeches for the abolition of the slave trade, and against making peace with the French Directory. In debates on other important questions lie supported the Ministry, not only by voice. but also by his pen in a sa tirical paper ealled the Anti-Jacobin. which lashed the 'new philosophy,' promulgated by the French Republicans. In ISO° he made a happy marriage with time wealthy heiress Joan Scott, sister to the Duchess of Portland. In 1801 Pitt resigned and Canning joined time opposition against the Addim.don Ministry. but excited serious and life-long enmities by his eaustie wit and criticisms. In 180-1 Pitt, returned to power, and Canning became treasurer of the nary. een tinning in ofliee until l'itt's death in 1806. Lord Grenville offered him an office in the All-the Talents Ministry, but Canning &dined. In 1807 he was appointed Foreign Minister in the Portland Cabinet, and displayed brilliant qualifieations. Ile originated Nebion's secret expedition and gei.
zure of the Danish fleet at Copenhagen, up set !another!' einitedcracy. Differences,
running through seN eral years, with Lord Castle reagh, culminated in 1809. aml led to a duel, in which both were hit, though neither was serious ly injured. In 1812 Canning's eloquence was en listed in favor of Catholic emancipation. The same 'year Liverpool sent him to Parliament, and repeated the honor three successive times. In 1514 lie was ambassador at Lisbon, and in 1810, on 16: return, became president of the Board of Contra He supported the Liverpool :Ministry in their repressive measures until 1820, when he resigned in consequence of the govern mental action against Queen Caroline. lle was on the eve of departure for India as Governor General in 18•2, when the suicide of his former antagonist Castlereagh called him to the head of foreign affairs. In this capacity he infused a More liberal spirit into the Cabinet, asserted the independence of 13ritish polities against entan glement with the Iloly Alliame, and gave new di rection and impetus to eommerce by a gradual suspension of the prohibitive system. He ar ranged the relations of Brazil and Portugal, drew the French CabMet into agreement with the British respecting Spanish Ame•iean affairs, and was the first to recognize t he free States of Spanish America, when lie pronounced his fanams dictum that "the New World had been called into existence to redress the balance of the Old. and would in time outweigh and topple over the fabrics of kingeraft, upon which so many wise men had labored fur thousands of lie promoted the treaty combining Eng land, France, and Russia, for the settlement of the affairs of Greece; protected Portugal from Spanish invasion, and, among other important home measures, prepared the way for the repeal of the corn laws. In February, 1827, paralysis attacked his old friend the Earl of Liverpool, and Canning was called upon to form a new ad ministration. His health, however, .succumbed to the cares of otlice, and he died at Chiswick on August 8 in the room where, twenty-one years ea•lkr, Fox had died. Ile was buried in West minster Abbey, near Pitt. Consult: Rudder, (;, Canning, scia Leben, etc. (1827) : C'unning's Speeches, edited by Therry (6 2d ed., London. 1830) : Stapleton, Political life of canning I London, 1831) ; Stapleton, George Can ning aml His Times ( London, 1859) ; Lord Dall ing,, Historical Characters (London, 1867). For the hest of Canning's Connection With the negotiation: preceding the War of 1812, see floury Adams, History of the United States (9 vols., New York, 1889-91).