The People's MP

"March 21 (1826).—Perused an attack on myself, done with as much ability as truth, by no less a man than Joseph Hume, the night-work man of the House of Commons, who lives upon petty abuses, and is a very useful man by so doing. He has had the kindness to say that I am interested in keeping up the taxes; I wish I had anything else to do with them than to pay them. But he lies, and is an ass, and not worth a man's thinking about. Joseph Hume, indeed!—I say Joseph Hum,—and could add a Swiftian rhyme, but forbear."

- From Scott's Journal.

According to Sir Robert Peel, Hume was "one of the most useful members to sit in the House of Commons".  He was known for challenging every expenditure in the budget.  Hume was in favor of free trade, and opposed to the Corn Laws.  His nickname as the People's MP had to do partly with his efforts against "combination laws" that favored masters, and hindered laborers.  William Wordsworth and Charles Lamb would have been attuned to Scott's feelings on the subject of Joseph Hume.  These men saw their pensions severed, due, as Lamb put it, to "the foul enchanter, Joseph Hume".

Sir Robert Peel

A recent post covered George Square in Glasgow.  Within the square, one finds statues of famous Scots, including Sir Walter Scott and Sir Robert Peel.  Peel was a statesman; Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during two separate stints covering nearly six years.  Peel was born on March 5, 1788.

Peel was born to an industrialist in Ramsbottom, Lancashire.  His political career began just after the turn of the century, as MP for Cashel, Ireland.  Peel was a Tory, and an ally of Sir Arthur Wellesley.

Scott and Peel were well known to each other, and there are several entries in Scott's Journal wherein Scott records dining with Peel.  On May 17, 1828, Scott enters: "...I went to Mr. Chantrey, and sat for an hour to finish the bust...".  The bust was done by Sir Francis Chantry of Norton, in North Derbyshire, England.  Chantry was one of the leading sculptors of his day, and the bust that Scott was sitting for had actually been ordered by Robert Peel.

George Square Glasgow

George Square in Glasgow was named after King George III.  The square was planned by architects James and Robert Adam, beginning around 1780. 

Robert Adam was the son of Scotland's most famous architect, William Adam who designed Hopetown House and Duff House.  Of William's three architect sons (John, Robert and James), the latter two developed a style known as Adamesque.  Features of this style include Roman motifs, grotesque panels, and pilasters.  Robert Adam died on March 3, 1792.

George Square contains a statue of Sir Walter Scott, which was the first memorial dedicated to him.  Other famous Scott Memorial sites include Edinburgh, and the Literary Walk in New York's Central Park.  The column on which the statue sits was erected in 1837.  Scott shares the square with other notables such as James Watt, Robert Burns, Queen Victoria, Sir John Moore, William Gladstone and  Robert Peel.