g slavery, would also be against him. Two incidents of his
career are characteristic. The benchers of Lincoln's Inn had passed a
resolution--'after dinner' it was said by way of apology--that no one
should be called to the bar who had written for hire in a newspaper. A
petition was presented to the House of Commons upon which Stephen made
an effective speech (March 23, 1810). He put the case of a young man
struggling against difficulties to obtain admission to a legal career
and convicted of having supported himself for a time by reporting. Then
he informed the House that this was no imaginary picture, but the case
of 'the humble individual who now addresses you.' Immense applause
followed; Croker and Sheridan expressed equal enthusiasm for Stephen's
manly avowal, and the benchers' representatives hastened to promise that
the obnoxious rule should be withdrawn. When the allied sovereigns
visited London in 1814 another characteristic incident occurred. They
were to see all the sights: the King of Prussia and Field-Marshal
Bluecher were to be edified by hearing a debate; and the question arose
how to make a debate conducted in so august a presence anything but a
formality. 'Get Whitbread to speak,' suggested someone, 'and Stephen
will be sure to fly at him.' The plan succeeded admirably. Whitbread
asked for information about the proposed marriage of the Princess
Charlotte to the Prince of Orange. Stephen instantly sprang up and
rebuked the inquirer. Whitbread complained of the epithet 'indecent'
used by his opponent. The Speaker intervened and had to explain that the
epithet was applied to Mr. Whitbread's proposition and not to Mr.
Whitbread himself. Stephen, thus sanctioned, took care to repeat the
phrase; plenty of fire was introduced into the debate, and Field-Marshal
Bluecher had the pleasure of seeing a parliamentary battle.[15]

Whitbread was obnoxious to Stephen as a radical and as an opponent of
the Orders in Council. Upon another question Stephen was still more
sensitive. When the topic of slavery is introduced, the reporters
describe him as under obvious agitation, and even mark a sentence with
inverted commas to show that they are giving his actual words. The
slave-trade had been abolished before he entered Parliament; but
Government was occasionally charged with slackness in adopting some of
the measures necessary to carry out the law, and their supporters were
accused of preserving 'a guilty silence.' Such cha