similar fate. Nevertheless it was evident that the new administration did not possess the confidence of either House of Parliament to the same extent as their predecessors. Conscious of this, Mr. Addington, in March 1803, made overtures to Mr. Pitt, offering him the selection of a new premier, if he would consent to serve with himself in the capacity of Secretary of State. Pitt would not listen to this arrangement. He was then offered the premiership, on condition that there should be no extensive changes in other offices. But neither would he agree to this, although he and his friends were tired of bolstering up a feeble government.' Commenting on these transactions, Sir G. C. Lewis pointedly remarks:-It appears that the king's consent to the negotiation, however necessary an element in the business, had never been procured by Addington; so that, in fact, no distinct offer, by competent authority, was made to Pitt. Addington assumed to act as plenipotentiary, but had not full powers to treat. . . . It is remarkable that the latter should have ventured to make the offer, or that the former should have been willing to entertain it, without the king's express authority being previously obtained. It was not a mere question of changing a cabinet office, as to which a prime minister might properly make a preliminary arrangement, subject to the king's confirmation. It was practically a negotiation for a complete alteration of the character of the government; and the whole discussion proceeded on the assumption that Addington and Pitt were between them to settle who was to be the new prime minister.' After he had received Pitt's final answer, Addington took an opportunity to mention the matter to the king. But he represented Pitt's conduct in such an unfavourable light, as to excite the king's anger; and when, shortly afterwards, he gave the king copies of the correspondence, his Majesty refused to read the letters, and remarked that 'it was foolish business, which was begun ill, conducted ill, and terminated ill.'m Accordingly, Addington continued at the helm for another year, when it became notorious that he had lost his hold upon both Houses. In the Commons, ministerial majorities on important divisions were 1 See post, v. 2. And Lewis, Adminis. pp. 223-229, 272 m Ib. pp. 229, 272. 1803. 1804. gradually reduced; while in the minority were found most of the leading men of all parties, including Pitt, Fox, and Sir Francis Burdett. On April 22, 1804, Mr. Pitt wrote to the king, intimating that he could no longer refrain from direct opposition to the ministerial measures; a determination which he immediately carried out, by opposing, on April 25, the government plan for military defence, and developing a scheme of his own. On a division, ministers were sustained by a small majority. But, taking into account the gradual decline of his own numbers, and the increasing strength of his opponents, Mr. Addington deemed it expedient to resign. Upon his informing the king of this resolution, there was an immediate resumption of intercourse between his Majesty and Mr. Pitt. At first, communications were conducted through Lord Eldon (the Lord Chancellor); but, on May 6, the king himself wrote to Mr. Pitt, requiring of him, as a necessary preliminary to his return to office, that he would never agitate or support Roman Catholic emancipation, or the repeal of the Test Act; and that in the new ministry (wherein the king hoped Mr. Pitt would include as many of his Majesty's present servants as possible) Mr. Fox should be excluded. Mr. Pitt had previously determined that he would not again press the Catholic claims upon his royal master, whether he should be in or out of office. This resolution had been made known to the king so long ago as March 1801; so that, while he contrived on this occasion to evade giving the formal pledge which his Majesty required, he was nevertheless able to satisfy his sovereign as to the policy he would advocate in the event of his return to power. Although yielding to the necessity of the case, in recalling Mr. Pitt, the king was reluctant to part with Mr. Addington. Before taking the final step, he offered his faithful premier a dissolution of Parliament, if he thought it would insure the stability of his administration. But this was declined; for, while Mr. Addington did not doubt his ability to restore and retain his ascendency in the House of Commons, he felt that he could not command a majority in the Lords without resorting to the extreme and dangerous measure of creating a batch of peers.P He therefore resigned office on May 10. 1804. 6. Mr. Pitt's Second Administration.—1804. Mr. Pitt, when invited to communicate with the king in regard to the existing state of public affairs, sent his Majesty a letter, on May 2, through Lord Eldon, containing a plan for the formation of a new government, which should comprehend the leaders of all political parties. The king, who was greatly troubled at this time by the resignation of his favourite Addington, and not at all willing to re-admit Pitt to office, gave a discouraging reply. But on May 7, after Pitt had satisfied the king that he would no longer agitate him by renewing his advocacy of the Roman Catholic claims, he had an audience of his Majesty, and succeeded, with some difficulty, in obtaining leave to treat with Lord Grenville and his friends, and with the friends of Mr. Fox; but the king positively refused to admit Mr. Fox himself into the cabinet, though pressed to receive him by Pitt. The Grenville party, however, declined to accept office without Fox, and Pitt was compelled to make other arrangements. The new cabinet consisted principally of peers; Lord Castlereagh being the only one, besides Pitt, who was a member of the Adolphus, v. 7, p. 768. Life of Earl of Minto, v. 3, c. xiii. 1804. 1805. House of Commons. Pitt took his seat, after his reelection, on May 18, 1804. But he found himself less strong in the confidence of the House than heretofore. A severe and mortifying trial overtook him in the following session. His friend and colleague, Lord Melville (First Lord of the Admiralty), was accused, in the Tenth Report of the Commissioners of Naval Inquiry, with a misappropriation of public money when he held the office of Treasurer of the Navy. A motion, inculpating him of this offence, was carried in the House of Commons by the Speaker's casting vote, notwithstanding the opposition of Pitt. A few days afterwards, Mr. Pitt informed the House that Lord Melville had resigned his ministerial office; and that he had advised the king to erase his name from the list of the privy council. r Articles of impeachment were exhibited against Lord Melville; and he was tried by the House of Lords, but pronounced not guilty. He was then restored to his place in the Privy Council; but never afterwards held office, though invited to do so by the Portland administration.s In the autumn of 1805, Pitt again endeavoured to overcome the king's objections to Mr. Fox, but without success; and he was obliged to abandon the idea of meeting Parliament with any accession of administrative or parliamentary strength. But it was fated that he should never appear in the House of Commons again. His health, which had been long failing, suddenly gave way, and he died on January 23, 1806-being the twenty-fifth anniversary of the day on which he first took his seat in parliament-at the early age of fortyeight. After Mr. Pitt's decease, the junction of political parties, which he had latterly striven to bring about, though frustrated by the king's refusal to admit Mr. Fox into the cabinet, was accomplished. The critical state of our continental relations induced the leading politicians to sink minor differences in a general union, and to agree to the formation of a Coalition government on a wide and comprehensive basis." 7. Lord Grenville's Administration.—1806. After an ineffectual attempt on the part of the king to induce Lord Hawkesbury (the Home Secretary) to form a new ministry, which should represent as nearly as possible the principles of the late cabinet, his Majesty was induced, by the retiring ministers, to send, on January 26, for Lord Grenville, and empower him to form a comprehensive administration, which, it was understood, should include Mr. Fox. From the eminent statesmen of which this ministry was composed, it became known as All the Talents.' Fox was appointed Foreign Secretary, and leader of the House of Commons. The only terms which the new ministers made with the king related to the management of the army, a point which has already engaged our attention. Upon the question of the Roman Catholic claims the ministry were divided, and had no declared policy. With a view to strengthen their political position, Lord Ellenborough, the Chief Justice of the King's Bench, had been admitted to a seat in the cabinet. This arrangement was open to grave constitutional objections, and became the subject of animadversion in both Houses of Parliament. Although the appointment was successfully defended at the time, it was generally condemned by public opinion, and no similar appointment has since been made." On September 13, 1806, Mr. Fox died, an event which weakened the ministry in Parliament very 1806. |