|
See also:TIERNEY, See also:GEORGE (1761–183o) , See also:English Whig politician, was See also:born at See also:Gibraltar on the loth of See also:March 1761, being the son of a wealthy Irish See also:merchant of See also:London, who was living there as See also:prize See also:agent. He was sent to See also:Eton and Peterhouse, See also:Cambridge, where he took the degree of LL.B. in 1784, and was called to the See also:bar; but he abandoned See also:law and plunged into politics. He contested See also:Colchester in 1788, when both candidates received the same number of votes, but Tierney was declared elected. He was, however, defeated in 1790. He sat for See also:Southwark from 1796 to 18o6, and then represented in turn See also:Athlone (1806-18(37), See also:Bandon (1807–1812), See also:Appleby (1812-1818), and See also:Knaresborough (1818-183o). When See also:Fox seceded from the See also:House of See also:Commons, Tierney became a prominent opponent of See also:Pitt's policy. In 1797 See also:Wilberforce noted in his See also:diary that Tierney's conduct was " truly See also:Jacobi sical "; and in May 1798 Pitt accused him of want of patriotism. A See also:duel ensued at Putney See also:Heath on See also:Sunday, the 27th of May 1798; but neither combatant was injured. In 1803 Tierney, partly because See also:peace had been ratified with See also:France and partly because Pitt was out of See also:- OFFICE (from Lat. officium, " duty," " service," a shortened form of opifacium, from facere, " to do," and either the stem of opes, " wealth," " aid," or opus, " work ")
office, joined the See also:ministry of Addington as treasurer of the See also:navy, and was created a privy councillor; but this alienated many of his supporters among the See also:middle classes, and offended most of the influential Whigs. On the See also:death of Fox he joined (18o6) the See also:Grenville ministry as See also:president of the See also:board of See also:control, with a seat in the See also:cabinet, and thus brought himself once more into, See also:line with ,the Whigs. After the death of George See also:Ponsonby in 1817 Tierney became the recognized See also:leader of the opposition in the House of Commons. In See also:Canning's ministry he was See also:master of the See also:mint, and when See also:Lord Goderich succeeded to the See also:lead Tierney was admitted to the cabinet; but he was already suffering from See also:ill-See also:health and died suddenly at See also:Savile See also:Row, London, on the 25th of See also:January 1830.
Tierney was a shrewd See also:man of the See also:world, with a naturahaptitude for business. His See also:powers of See also:sarcasm were a cause of terror to his adversaries, and his presence in debate was much dreaded. His arguments were felicitous, and his choice of See also:language was the theme of See also:constant admiration. Lcrd See also:Lytton, in his poem of St See also:Stephen's, alludes to " Tierney's See also:airy tread," and praises his " See also:light and yet vigorous " attack, in which he inflicted, " with a placid smile," a fatal See also:wound on his opponent.
End of Article: TIERNEY, GEORGE (1761–183o)
Additional information and Comments
There are no comments yet for this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.
Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.
|
del.icio.us it!