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83-724: Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville , PC , FRSE (28 April 1742 – 28 May 1811), styled as Lord Melville from 1802, was the trusted lieutenant of British prime minister William Pitt and the most powerful politician in Scotland in the late 18th century. Dundas was instrumental in the encouragement of the Scottish Enlightenment , in the prosecution of the war against France , and in the expansion of British influence in India . Prime Minister Pitt appointed him Lord of Trade (1784–1786), Home Secretary (1791–1794), President of

166-454: A Black Lives Matter protest on 5 June 2020, where Dundas Street was the site of the march. The protest was documented by Mark Terry in the film Scotland, Slavery, and Statues. In July 2021, Toronto City Council voted to rename the street and other civic assets, although the change is still pending. In December 2023, Toronto City Council approved "Sankofa Square" as the new name for Yonge–Dundas Square. In Edinburgh , demonstrators graffitied

249-575: A controversial figure, over his amendment to a motion for abolition of the Atlantic slave trade, which called for gradual abolition. At that time, the leaders of the abolitionist movement sought an immediate end to the slave trade, while the West Indian interests opposed any abolition at all. Dundas was born in Edinburgh on 28 April 1742 in the house known as 'Bishop's Land' (a former lodging of

332-685: A declaration of Knight's emancipation, and the emancipation of all purported slaves on Scottish soil. Privy Council (United Kingdom) King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The Privy Council (formally His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council )

415-827: A few institutions in the United Kingdom . The Judicial Committee also hears very occasional appeals from a number of ancient and ecclesiastical courts. These include the Church Commissioners , the Arches Court of Canterbury , the Chancery Court of York , prize courts, the High Court of Chivalry , and the Court of Admiralty of the Cinque Ports . This committee usually consists of members of

498-632: A leading figure of the establishment, he is a bitter enemy of the radical hero, William Garrow . He is played by Stephen Boxer . Also, fictional references were made to Sir Henry Dundas in Chapter 24 of L. A. Meyer's third book in the Jacky Faber series, which was titled "Under the Jolly Roger" as well as the former Lord Dundas in Meyer's sixth book, which was titled, "My Bonny Light Horseman". He

581-516: A leading position in the Scottish legal system . He became Solicitor General for Scotland in 1766; but after his appointment as Lord Advocate in 1775, he gradually relinquished his legal practice to devote his attention more exclusively to public affairs. From 1776–78, Dundas acted as counsel to an escaped slave, Joseph Knight , who had been purchased in Jamaica and later taken to Scotland. As

664-430: A letter to Dundas, saying she was "undeserving of being your wife or the mother to your unhappy children." Approximately a month later they were divorced. She went on to marry Faukener and never saw her children again. Henry Dundas became the owner of the family patrimony she brought to the marriage, in accordance with the law of the time, and raised their four children at Melville Castle near Edinburgh. Dundas paid Elizabeth

747-466: A monthly annuity until his death, which was not required by law. Their eldest son Robert inherited the estate in 1811. Robert, the 2nd Viscount Melville, continued the annuity until Elizabeth's death at the age of 98. Between 1785 and 1806, Dundas leased a large country home called Warren House on the edge of Wimbledon Common , where his guests included George III , economist Adam Smith, abolitionist William Wilberforce, and Prime Minister William Pitt

830-578: A relative. In July 2020 temporary signs were erected by the City of Edinburgh Council to note that the plaque would be updated to note Dundas's role in delaying the abolition of slavery. A statue (1818), by Sir Francis Chantrey , of Dundas stands against the north wall inside Parliament Hall in Edinburgh. Furthermore, the Melville Monument, an obelisk erected in 1812 on Dunmore hill, overlooking

913-739: A secretary of state. The Committee, which last met in 1988, is concerned with the design and usage of wafer seals . The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the executive committee of the Privy Council and the senior decision-making body of British Government . The Judicial Committee serves as the final court of appeal for the Crown Dependencies , the British Overseas Territories , some Commonwealth countries, military sovereign base areas and

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996-625: A smaller working committee which evolved into the modern Cabinet . By the end of the English Civil War , the monarchy, House of Lords, and Privy Council had been abolished. The remaining parliamentary chamber , the House of Commons , instituted a Council of State to execute laws and to direct administrative policy. The forty-one members of the Council were elected by the House of Commons;

1079-659: A thousand pounds for that shake. I never saw him afterwards." From June 1793, Dundas was appointed President of the Board of Control , generally responsible for overseeing the conduct of the East India Company and British affairs in India, a post he would hold until 1801. As the effective Minister for War as part of his Home Department responsibilities at the outbreak of the Wars of the French Revolution , he

1162-500: A young man Knight tried to escape from his owner, and when that failed he launched a legal battle for his freedom. The case went to Scotland's highest civil court, where Dundas led Knight's legal team, in the case of Knight v. Wedderburn . Dundas was assisted by prominent members of the Scottish Enlightenment, and also the writer Samuel Johnson , whose biographer James Boswell later wrote: "I cannot too highly praise

1245-446: Is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom . Its members, known as privy counsellors , are mainly senior politicians who are current or former members of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords . The Privy Council formally advises the sovereign on the exercise of the royal prerogative . The King-in-Council issues executive instruments known as Orders in Council . The Privy Council also holds

1328-531: Is actor Kit Harington . Late in life Dundas's health suffered and he was financially distressed. He attended debates in the House of Lords and maintained his position as a member of Privy Council, but kept a lower public profile. However at his death the immediate reaction was one of widespread praise from most quarters (apart from the Whigs in Scotland). By 1900, however, historians were harsh, denouncing him as

1411-405: Is present or a background character in several of Patrick O'Brian 's Aubrey–Maturin novels. As a major official favourably disposed to Jack Aubrey, Lord Melville's political interest is often helpful to the captain. O'Brian casts Melville's impeachment for malversation of public monies as a political attack using naval intelligence spending, the details of which cannot be disclosed for security and

1494-647: The Archbishop of St Andrews ) on the Royal Mile . He was the fourth son of Robert Dundas of Arniston , Lord President of the Court of Session , by his second wife, Anne Gordon, daughter of Sir William Gordon of Invergordon . He first attended Dalkeith Grammar School before an attack of smallpox interrupted his studies, after which he moved to the Royal High School , Edinburgh , before enrolling at

1577-653: The Cabinet . With the creation of the United Kingdom on 1 January 1801, a single Privy Council was created for Great Britain and Ireland, although the Privy Council of Ireland continued to exist until 1922, when it was abolished upon the creation of the Irish Free State as an independent Dominion outside the United Kingdom, but within the British Empire . The Privy Council of Northern Ireland

1660-474: The House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 ). The Crown-in-Council was formerly the supreme appellate court for the entire British Empire , but a number of Commonwealth countries have now abolished the right to such appeals. The Judicial Committee continues to hear appeals from several Commonwealth countries, from British Overseas Territories , Sovereign Base Areas and Crown Dependencies . The Judicial Committee had direct jurisdiction in cases relating to

1743-579: The Melville Monument in June 2020. In March 2021, the City of Edinburgh Council approved a permanent plaque dedicated to the memory of enslaved Africans. Numerous historians, including Scotland's most eminent historian Professor Emeritus Sir Tom Devine, as well as descendants of Dundas, criticised the content of the plaque as historically inaccurate. Lord Melville, as First Lord of the Admiralty,

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1826-552: The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 . Between 1792 and 1807, when the slave trade was eventually abolished, another half a million Africans were transported into slavery in the British colonies. Dundas insisted that any abolition of the slave trade could not succeed without the support of West Indian colonial legislatures. Abolitionists argued that West Indian assemblies would never support such measures, and that by making

1909-960: The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and senior judges of the Commonwealth of Nations who are Privy Counsellors. Within the United Kingdom, the Judicial Committee hears appeals from ecclesiastical courts , the Admiralty Court of the Cinque Ports, Prize Courts and the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons , appeals against schemes of the Church Commissioners and appeals under certain Acts of Parliament (e.g.,

1992-617: The University of Edinburgh to study law. While a student, he was a member of the Edinburgh University Belles Lettres Society, participating in its meetings and gaining his first experience of public speaking at the society's debates. Dundas set up his legal offices at the head of Fleshmarket Close on the Royal Mile . Becoming a member of the Faculty of Advocates in 1763, he soon acquired

2075-420: The final court of appeal for the entire British Empire (other than for the United Kingdom itself). It continues to hear judicial appeals from some other independent Commonwealth countries , as well as Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories . The Privy Council of the United Kingdom, created on 1 January 1801, was preceded by the Privy Council of Scotland , the Privy Council of England , and

2158-518: The Admiralty . Suspicion had arisen, however, as to the financial management of the Admiralty, of which Dundas had been treasurer between 1782 and 1800. In 1802 the Commissioners of Naval Inquiry commenced inquiries into embezzlement of public funds 20 years earlier, when Dundas was treasurer of the Navy. Its report was presented in 1805. The Navy's paymaster , Alexander Trotter, admitted to

2241-532: The Board of Control for Indian Affairs (1793–1801), Secretary at War (1794–1801) and First Lord of the Admiralty (1804–1805). As a political boss , Lord Dundas's deft and almost absolute power over Scottish politics during a long period in which no monarch visited the country led to him being nicknamed "King Harry the Ninth", the "Grand Manager of Scotland" (a play on the masonic office of Grand Master of Scotland ), and "The Uncrowned King of Scotland." He was, however,

2324-611: The Civil Service (Amendment) Order in Council 1997, permitted the Prime Minister to grant up to three political advisers management authority over some Civil Servants. In the 1960s, the Privy Council made an order to evict an estimated 1,200 to 2,000 inhabitants of the 55-island Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, in preparation for the establishment of a joint United States–United Kingdom military base on

2407-500: The Commissioners that he had transferred public money from the Bank of England to his own credit in a private account at Coutts Bank , investing and loaning the funds at interest, from which he benefited. Although his transactions caused no loss of public money, but rather the loss of interest on that money, impeachment proceedings were taken against Dundas in 1806, given that the misappropriation had occurred during his term as Treasurer of

2490-478: The Council — which later became the Court of the Star Chamber — was during the 15th century permitted to inflict any punishment except death, without being bound by normal court procedure . During Henry VIII 's reign, the sovereign, on the advice of the Council, was allowed to enact laws by mere proclamation. The legislative pre-eminence of Parliament was not restored until after Henry VIII's death. By 1540

2573-769: The Court of Appeal were persuaded by this argument, but in 2007 the Law Lords of the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords found the original decision to be flawed and overturned the ruling by a 3–2 decision, thereby upholding the terms of the Order in Council. As of 2023, negotiations between the Mauritian and UK governments that included the sovereignty of the Chagossians were still ongoing. The Privy Council has committees: The Baronetage Committee

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2656-694: The French landing, he did play a key role in defeating it, thus enhancing British security in India. From about 1798 on he pleaded frequently to be allowed to resign from his offices on health grounds, but Pitt, who relied on him greatly, refused even to consider it. Pitt's ministry left office in 1801. In 1802, Dundas was elevated to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Viscount Melville and Baron Dunira , of Dunira in Perthshire. When Pitt returned to power in 1804, Dundas again entered office as First Lord of

2739-551: The House of Commons how Balcarres had behaved in a duplicitous and dishonest way with the Maroons. Dundas sided with Balcarres in the dispute, and turned down Walpole's requests to get the Maroons returned to Jamaica. Dundas was a vigorous advocate of a strong British presence in the Mediterranean. He promptly met the challenge of Napoleon's attack on Egypt with actions which were vigorous and pivotal. While he did not prevent

2822-535: The King-in-Council, although in practice its actual work of hearing and deciding upon cases is carried out day-to-day by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council . The Judicial Committee consists of senior judges appointed as privy counsellors: predominantly justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and senior judges from the Commonwealth . The Privy Council formerly acted as

2905-712: The Lord Protector, subject to Parliament's approval. In 1659, shortly before the restoration of the monarchy , the Protector's Council was abolished. King Charles II restored the Royal Privy Council, but he, like previous Stuart monarchs, chose to rely on a small group of advisers. The formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 combined the Privy Councils of England and Scotland,

2988-579: The Navy . The trial, in the House of Lords , attracted considerable notice because of "dislike of patronage and the Pittite 'system', anti-Scottish bias , and advocacy of financial and parliamentary reform". The process ended in Dundas's acquittal. Dundas had already left the Privy Council in 1805 but he remained in the House of Lords. He was readmitted to the Privy Council in 1807. He declined an offer of an earldom in 1809. Lord Melville's first marriage

3071-571: The Privy Council of Great Britain (1708–1800). Its continued existence has been described as "more or less a constitutional and historical accident". The key events in the formation of the modern Privy Council are given below: In Anglo-Saxon England , the Witenagemot was an early equivalent to the Privy Council of England . During the reigns of the Norman monarchs , the English Crown

3154-479: The Slave Trade Act 1807, Wilberforce and Dundas encountered each other. Wilberforce recorded the event as follows: "We did not meet for a long time and all his connexions most violently abused me. About a year before he died ... we saw one another, and at first I thought he was passing on, but he stopped and called out, 'Ah Wilberforce, how do you do?' And gave me a hearty shake by the hand. I would have given

3237-550: The Sydney suburb of Dundas. In 1848, John Septimus Roe, the government surveyor (in the then colony of Western Australia), was searching for pastoral land and discovered the area around Norseman which he named Dundas Hills, after the colonial secretary. Gold was discovered there in 1893, the Dundas Field was proclaimed, and the town of Dundas established (ca. 40 km south of Norseman, later abandoned), which eventually led to

3320-625: The Younger . After his divorce Dundas was married again, to Lady Jane Hope, daughter of John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun , in 1793. He died in May 1811, in Edinburgh, aged 69, and was succeeded in his titles by his son from his first marriage, Robert . The Viscountess Melville later married Thomas Wallace, 1st Baron Wallace , and died in June 1829. Dundas is buried in a family vault in Old Lasswade Kirkyard. His most famous family member

3403-451: The abolition of the slave trade dependent on colonial reforms, Dundas suggested possibilities for indefinite delay." Stephen Mullen, a research associate at Glasgow University, called Dundas "a great delayer" of abolition in 2021. These claims were criticized by historian Angela McCarthy , who rejected the notion that Dundas's actions were so singularly determinative of the course of events. Other historians of British history argue that delay

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3486-574: The abolition of the slave trade dependent on colonial reforms, Dundas was in effect indefinitely delaying it. There is evidence, however, that Dundas had secured agreement of the West Indians before proposing the eight-year timeline. Recent peer-reviewed scholarship has also identified new archival evidence showing that Dundas had the support of several leading abolitionists, while the West Indian slave owners opposed his plan just as much as they opposed immediate abolition. A few years after passage of

3569-559: The body was headed by Oliver Cromwell , de facto military dictator of the nation. In 1653, however, Cromwell became Lord Protector , and the Council was reduced to between thirteen and twenty-one members, all elected by the Commons. In 1657, the Commons granted Cromwell even greater powers, some of which were reminiscent of those enjoyed by monarchs. The Council became known as the Protector's Privy Council ; its members were appointed by

3652-429: The cabinet in 1791 as Secretary of State for the Home Department . On 2 April 1792, abolitionist William Wilberforce sponsored a motion in the House of Commons "that the trade carried on by British subjects, for the purpose of obtaining slaves on the coast of Africa, ought to be abolished." He had introduced a similar motion in 1791, which was soundly defeated by MPs, with a vote of 163 opposed, 88 in favour. Dundas

3735-422: The city of Toronto, Yonge–Dundas Square is a prominent landmark and commercial centre, while Dundas Street is a main thoroughfare. Dundas County, Ontario , and other highways and streets outside of Toronto, also bear his name. Dundas Island off the coast of British Columbia was named by Captain George Vancouver in Dundas's honour. Vancouver originally believed it to be one island, Dundas's Island, but it

3818-606: The dates of bank holidays . The Privy Council formerly had sole power to grant academic degree-awarding powers and the title of university , but following the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 these powers have been transferred to the Office for Students for educational institutions in England. Before the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 the Civil Service was governed by powers of royal prerogative . These powers were usually delegated to ministers by Orders in Council , and were used by Margaret Thatcher to ban GCHQ staff from joining trade unions. Another,

3901-466: The delegated authority to issue Orders of Council, mostly used to regulate certain public institutions. It advises the sovereign on the issuing of royal charters , which are used to grant special status to incorporated bodies, and city or borough status to local authorities. Otherwise, the Privy Council's powers have now been largely replaced by its executive committee, the Cabinet of the United Kingdom . Certain judicial functions are also performed by

3984-452: The epitome of corruption and oppression who had sold out Scotland to the English. By the late 20th century his reputation had been restored. He was praised for his military policies, for giving Scotland a cohesive government, and for making it a major player in imperial affairs. Dundas was a friend of John Graves Simcoe , Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada , who named a military road through Upper Canada (now southern Ontario ) after him. In

4067-424: The foundations to support a column of such height. It cost £8,000. The garden surrounding the Melville Monument was opened to the public in 2008. A statue of Dundas, sculpted by Robert Forrest from a model by Francis Chantrey , was added to the top in 1828. The long-time headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland , directly to the east, is Dundas House ; construction was completed in 1774 for Sir Lawrence Dundas ,

4150-414: The hands of foreign nations, beyond Britain's control. He stated: "this trade must be ultimately abolished, but by moderate measures". He suggested that slavery and the slave trade should be abolished together, and proposed an end to hereditary slavery, which would have enabled the children born to present-day slaves to become free persons upon reaching adulthood. He then introduced an amendment that would add

4233-401: The honour of Scotland, that the supreme Court of this country would not be the only court that would give its sanction to so barbarous a claim." Dundas concluded his remarks by stating: "Human nature, my Lords, spurns at the thought of slavery among any part of our species." His pleading in Scotland's highest court was successful, and the Court ruled: "the dominion assumed over this Negro, under

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4316-451: The island. The governor of Jamaica, Alexander Lindsay, 6th Earl of Balcarres , used a contrived breach of treaty as a pretext to deport most of the Trelawny Town Maroons to Nova Scotia . Walpole was disgusted with the governor's actions, pointing out that he had given the Maroons his word that they would not be transported off the island. Walpole resigned his commission, and went back to England, where he became an MP and protested in vain in

4399-541: The largest island in the archipelago, Diego Garcia . In 2000, the High Court of Justice ruled that the inhabitants had a right to return to the archipelago. In 2004, the Privy Council, under Jack Straw 's tenure, overturned the ruling. In 2006, the High Court of Justice found the Privy Council's decision to be unlawful. Justice Kentridge stated that there was no known precedent "for the lawful use of prerogative powers to remove or exclude an entire population of British subjects from their homes and place of birth", and

4482-405: The latter body coming to an end in 1708. Under King George I , even more power transferred to a small committee of the Council, which began to meet in the absence of the sovereign, communicating its decisions to him after the fact. Thus, the Privy Council, as a whole, ceased to be a body of important confidential advisers to the Sovereign; the role passed to a committee of the Council, now known as

4565-416: The law of Jamaica, being unjust, could not be supported in this country to any extent". The result was a landmark decision that declared that no person could be a slave on Scottish soil. Michael Fry said that Dundas's success in Knight v Wedderburn was "instrumental in prohibiting not only negro slavery but also native serfdom in Scotland." Until 1785, he served also as Dean of the Faculty of Advocates . He

4648-433: The motion, Young says Dundas ensured a successful vote for the ultimate abolition of the trade in slaves. Given accusations that he contributed to delay in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade during the 1790s, activists have argued against the memorialisation of Dundas. Over 14,000 people signed an online petition in June 2020 to rename Dundas Street , a major street in downtown Toronto. The petition arose from

4731-437: The necessary support of the House of Lords, which deferred consideration then dropped the issue altogether. Alternative measures were proposed later in the 1790s. Dundas spoke against specific proposals tabled in 1796, while reiterating his support for abolition in principle, but abstained from voting. The loss of momentum was connected to three years of an ongoing war on three continents, including with revolutionary France. It

4814-428: The nineteen-member council had become a new national institution, most probably the creation of Thomas Cromwell , without there being exact definitions of its powers. Though the royal Council retained legislative and judicial responsibilities, it became a primarily administrative body. In 1553 the Council consisted of forty members÷, whereas Henry VII swore over a hundred servants to his council. Sovereigns relied on

4897-445: The power to grant royal assent to legislation, are a form of primary legislation, while orders made under statutory powers are a form of secondary legislation. Orders of Council , distinct from Orders in Council, are issued by members of the Privy Council without requiring the approval of the sovereign. Like Orders in Council, they can be made under statutory powers or royal prerogative. Orders of Council are most commonly used for

4980-408: The present Shire of Dundas . A monument to Dundas, modeled loosely on Trajan's Column in Rome, stands in the centre of St Andrew Square, Edinburgh . The cost of the Melville Monument was "met by contributions from officers and men of the Royal Navy." It was designed in 1821 by William Burn , who was advised by Robert Stevenson after residents of the square expressed concern about the adequacy of

5063-513: The regulation of public institutions and regulatory bodies. The sovereign also grants royal charters on the advice of the Privy Council. Charters bestow special status to incorporated bodies ; they are used to grant chartered status to certain professional, educational or charitable bodies, and sometimes also city and borough status to towns. The Privy Council therefore deals with a wide range of matters, which also includes university and livery company statutes, churchyards , coinage and

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5146-424: The safety of intelligence agents—such as Stephen Maturin. Additionally, Heneage 'Hen' Dundas , a real-life naval officer son of Thomas Dundas , appears as a son of the 1st Lord Melville. As a former crewmate and close friend of one of the eponymous main characters, Jack Aubrey, Heneage Dundas is one of the recurring characters of the series . He is also a supporting character in the legal drama Garrow's Law . As

5229-413: The scenic village of Comrie in Perthshire , commemorates his life. Dundas Street, Hong Kong , was also named for him. Bonnyrigg Rose Football Club, in the Scottish Second Division have named their new stadium New Dundas Park , in honour of Henry Dundas , 1st Viscount Melville whose wife lived locally at Melville Castle, and who was a keen supporter of "the Rose". Dundas Marsh Crown Game Preserve

5312-489: The speech which Mr. Henry Dundas generously contributed to the cause of the sooty stranger. ...And I do declare, that upon this memorable question he impressed me, and I believe all his audience, with such feelings as were produced by some of the most eminent orations of antiquity. ." Dundas argued that "as Christianity gained ground in different nations, slavery was abolished", and, noting an earlier anti-slavery ruling in Somerset v Stewart in England, Dundas said "he hoped for

5395-399: The supreme legislature of the kingdom. Nevertheless, the Council retained the power to hear legal disputes, either in the first instance or on appeal. Furthermore, laws made by the sovereign on the advice of the Council, rather than on the advice of Parliament, were accepted as valid. Powerful sovereigns often used the body to circumvent the Courts and Parliament. For example, a committee of

5478-408: The trade "in a different mode and other channels". He argued that "if the committee would give the time proposed, they might abolish the trade; but, on the contrary, if this opinion was not followed, their children yet unborn would not see the end of the traffic." MPs ignored his cautions, and voted in favour of ending the trade in slaves by the end of 1796. The motion and resolutions later failed to win

5561-498: The western towns of Mole St Nicholas and Jérémie in Saint-Domingue, the British accepted they could not defeat the armies of black ex-slaves, and negotiated to withdraw from the island, resulting in thousands of British deaths for no gain. Dundas also presided over a crisis in Britain's most important possession, the Colony of Jamaica . General George Walpole secured the surrender of the Jamaican Maroons of Cudjoe's Town (Trelawny Town) , on condition they would not be transported off

5644-399: The wider political and economic factors that were the true causes of delay. In another Scottish Affairs article, McCarthy held that leading anti-Dundas activist Professor Emeritus Sir Geoff Palmer repeatedly misrepresented published sources. Brian Young notes that in 1792, the motion for immediate cessation of the slave trade was heading for certain defeat. By inserting the word "gradual" into

5727-434: The word "gradual" to the Wilberforce motion. The amendment was adopted, and the motion passed with a vote of 230–85. For the first time, the House of Commons voted to end the slave trade. Three weeks after the vote, Dundas tabled resolutions setting out a plan to implement gradual abolition by the end of 1799. At that time he told the House that proceeding too quickly would cause West Indian merchants and landowners to continue

5810-592: Was Pitt's closest advisor and planner for Britain's military participation in the First Coalition . Although Dundas was replaced as Home Secretary by the Duke of Portland in July 1794, Pitt nonetheless wished to maintain direction of the war effort in Dundas's trusted hands, and so created for him the new office of Secretary of State for War . During the period Dundas also effectively led much of Britain's domestic and foreign intelligence activities, directly receiving reports from foreign and domestic agents, initiating paramilitary operations, and sponsoring propaganda. Dundas

5893-499: Was a proud Scots speaker and he soon distinguished himself by his clear and argumentative speeches. He was appointed Lord Advocate in 1775. His name appears in the 1776 minute book of the Poker Club . In 1778, Dundas made an attempt at proposing a Bill to relieve Scottish Catholics of their legal disabilities , but in response to severe riots in Edinburgh and Glasgow abandoned the project. After holding subordinate offices under William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne and Pitt, he entered

5976-400: Was advised by a royal court or curia regis , which consisted of magnates , ecclesiastics and high officials . The body originally concerned itself with advising the sovereign on legislation, administration and justice. Later, different bodies assuming distinct functions evolved from the court. The courts of law took over the business of dispensing justice , while Parliament became

6059-483: Was created a Legum Doctor by the University of Edinburgh on 11 November 1789, was Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow from 1781 to 1783, and on 2 February 1788 was appointed Chancellor of the University of St Andrews . He was also a trustee for the University of Edinburgh and South Bridge . In 1774, Dundas was returned to Parliament for Midlothian , and joined the party of Frederick North, Lord North ; he

6142-483: Was created in 1922, but became defunct in 1972, when the Parliament of Northern Ireland was closed down. The sovereign may make Orders in Council upon the advice of the Privy Council. Orders in Council, which are drafted by the government rather than by the sovereign, are forms of either primary or secondary legislation , depending on the power they are made under. Orders made under prerogative powers, such as

6225-789: Was created in 1927 in Cootes Paradise within what is now in Royal Botanical Gardens (Ontario) . Namesake of Melville Island in Nova Scotia. In the 20th century, historians were divided over whether Dundas should be held solely responsible for prolonging the slave trade. Historians of the slave trade and the abolitionist movement, including David Brion Davis , Roger Anstey , Robin Blackburn , and Stephen Tomkins commented that Dundas's actions delayed rather than facilitated abolition. According to Davis, "By making

6308-659: Was established by a 1910 Order in Council, during Edward VII 's reign, to scrutinise all succession claims (and thus reject doubtful ones) to be placed on the Roll of Baronets . The Committee for the Affairs of Jersey and Guernsey recommends approval of Channel Islands legislation. The Committee for the purposes of the Crown Office Act 1877 consists of the Lord Chancellor and Lord Privy Seal as well as

6391-412: Was inevitable. Angela McCarthy notes that the revolutionary wars with France, and opposition in the House of Lords and in the royal family, presented enormous obstacles. Sir Tom Devine , whose publications include editing Recovering Scotland's Slavery Past: The Caribbean Connection (Edinburgh University Press, 2015), has said that blaming Dundas solely for delay in the abolition of the slave trade ignores

6474-612: Was later determined that it was in fact a small archipelago. The group became known as the Dundas Islands, while constituent islands were given the names Melville Island, Baron Island, and Dunira Island, in respect of Dundas's titles. The District of Dundas in New South Wales was named after the Colonial Secretary, Henry Dundas. The District of Dundas was abolished in 1889 although the name still survives in

6557-473: Was not present for that vote, but when it was again before MPs in 1792, Dundas tabled a petition from Edinburgh residents who supported abolition. He then went on to affirm his agreement in principle with Wilberforce's motion: "My opinion has been always against the Slave Trade." He argued, however, that a vote for immediate abolition would be ineffective, as it would drive the slave trade underground or into

6640-482: Was not until 1807 that the House of Lords voted in favour of abolishing the trade in slaves. Historian Stephen Farrell has noted that by that time, the political climate had changed, and the economic advantages of abolition had become apparent. The Slave Trade Act 1807 prohibited the trade in slaves in the British Empire. Ownership of slaves, however, remained legal in most of the British Empire until passage of

6723-547: Was portrayed as 'bookish', although a sweet and sincere man otherwise. A reference was made to Henry Dundas and his role in the abolition of the slave trade in the motion picture Amazing Grace (2006) where he was played by Bill Paterson . Dundas is also featured in Joseph Knight , by James Robertson (Fourth Estate, 2003) – a fictional account of the true story of the former slave for whom Dundas successfully appealed to two levels of Scottish courts, ultimately winning

6806-553: Was responsible for organising several British expeditions to the Caribbean to seize vulnerable French and Spanish possessions, the largest being that led by Sir Ralph Abercromy in 1795–6. Dundas spearheaded a vain attempt by the British to capture Saint-Domingue from the French during the Haitian Revolution . After they lost territory to the armies of Toussaint L'Ouverture , and became bogged down in their retreat to

6889-509: Was to Elizabeth Rannie , daughter of David Rannie, of Melville Castle , in 1765. She is believed to have been about 16 at the time of the marriage, although the date of her birth is not certain. She committed adultery (then known as " criminal conversation ") with a Captain Everard Faukener in 1778, after 13 years of marriage, and abandoned Dundas and their four children, fleeing to an undisclosed location. Within days she confessed in

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