When the new Parliament met, on the 18th of May, it was seen how completely Fox and North had destroyed their prestige by their late factious conduct, and how entirely Pitt had made himself master of the situation. His patience and cool policy under the tempestuous assaults of the Opposition had given the country a wonderful confidence in him. One party extolled him as the staunch defender of the prerogative, another as the champion of reform and enemy of aristocratic influence. Not less than one hundred and sixty of the supporters of the late Coalition Ministry had been rejected at the elections, and they were held up to ridicule as "Fox's Martyrs."
CHAPTER XIII.
REIGN OF GEORGE III.—(continued).
Victory of Pitt—The King's delight—Pitt's Finance—The India Bill—Pitt's Budget—The Westminster Election—The Scrutiny—Fox is returned—The Volunteers in Ireland—Flood's Reform Bill—Riots in Ireland—Pitt's Commercial Policy for Ireland—Opposition of the English Merchants—Abandonment of the Measure—Pitt's Reform Bill—His Administrative Reforms—Bill for fortifying Portsmouth and Plymouth—Pitt's Sinking Fund—Favourable Reception of the Bill—Pitt's Excise Bill—Commercial Treaty with France—Impeachment of Warren Hastings—Retrospect of Indian Affairs: Deposition of Meer Jaffier—Resistance of Meer Cossim—Massacre of Patna—Battle of Buxar and Capture of Allahabad—Clive's Return to India—Settlement of Bengal and Oude—Domestic Reforms—Rise of Hyder Ali—His Treaty with the English—He is defeated by the Mahrattas—Deposition of the Rajah of Tanjore—Failure of Lord Pigot to reinstate him—Lord North's Regulating Bill—Death of Clive—Warren Hastings becomes Governor-General—His dealings with the Famine—Treatment of Reza Khan and the Nabob of Bengal—Resumption of Allahabad and Corah—Massacre of the Rohillas—Arrival of the New Members of Council—Struggle for Supremacy—Robbery of Cheyte Sing—Nuncomar's Charges—His Trial and Execution—Hastings' Constitutional Resignation—His Final Victory—Wars against the Mahrattas—Hyder Ali's Advance—Defeat of Baillie—Energy of Hastings—Victories of Sir Eyre Coote—Capture of Dutch Settlements—Naval Engagements between the British and French—Death of Hyder Ali—Tippoo continues the War—He invokes Peace—Hastings' extortions from Cheyte Sing—Hastings' visit to Benares—Rising of the People—Rescue of Hastings and Deposition of Cheyte Sing—Extortion from the Begums of Oude—Parliamentary Inquiries—Hastings' Reception in England—Burke's Motion of Impeachment—Pitt's Change of Front—The Prince of Wales and the Whigs—Inquiry into his Debts—Alderman Newnham's Motion—Denial of the Marriage with Mrs. Fitzherbert—Sheridan's Begum Speech—Impeachment of Hastings—Growth of the Opposition to the Slave Trade—The Question brought before Parliament—Evidence Produced—Sir W. Dolben's Bill—Trial of Warren Hastings—Speeches of Burke, Fox, and Sheridan—Illness of the King—Debates on the Regency Bill—The King's Recovery—Address of the Irish Parliament to the Prince of Wales.
The General Election of 1784 secured for Pitt a prolonged tenure of power. The king, in opening the Session, could not repress the air of triumph, and congratulated the Houses on the declared sense of his people, not forgetting to designate Fox's India Bill as a most unconstitutional measure. In fact, no one was so delighted as the king. He had contemplated the victory of Fox and his friends over Pitt with actual horror. He had never liked Fox, and the violent and overbearing manner in which he had endeavoured to compel the king to dismiss his Ministers had increased his aversion into dread and repugnance. In his letters to Pitt he had said, "If these desperate and factious men succeed, my line is a clear one, to which I have fortitude to submit." Again: "Should not the Lords stand boldly forth, this Constitution must soon be changed; for if the two remaining privileges of the Crown are infringed, that of negativing the Bills which have passed both Houses of Parliament, and that of naming the Ministers to be employed, I cannot but feel, as far as regards my person, that I can be no longer of utility to this country, nor can with honour, remain in the island." In fact, George was menacing, a second time, a retreat to Hanover; a step, however, which he was not very likely to adopt. The sentiment which the words really express is his horror of the heavy yoke of the great Whig Houses. The Addresses from both Houses of Parliament expressed equal satisfaction in the change, Pitt's triumphant majority having now rejected the amendments of the Opposition.
On the 21st of June Pitt introduced and carried several resolutions, which formed the basis of his Commutation Act. These went to check smuggling, by reducing the duty on tea from fifty to twelve and a half per cent., and to raise the house and window tax so as to supply the deficiency. A Bill was then passed to make good another deficiency in the Civil List, to the amount of sixty thousand pounds. Early in August Mr. Pitt brought in his India Bill, which differed chiefly from his former one in introducing a Government Board of Commissioners, with power to examine and revise the proceedings of the Court of Directors. This, which afterwards acquired the name of the Board of Control, was opposed by Fox, but passed both Houses with little trouble.
Before this great measure had passed, Pitt had introduced his Budget. On the 30th of June he made his financial statement. He said that the resources of the country were in a very burthened and disordered state; but that was not his work, but the work of his predecessors. The outstanding arrears, owing to the late war, were already ascertained to amount at least to fourteen million pounds. These operated very injuriously on the public credit, being at a discount of from fifteen to twenty per cent.; and that without greatly affecting the public securities, he should not be able to find more than six million six hundred thousand six hundred pounds of them at once. To meet the interest, he proposed to raise taxes to the amount of nine hundred thousand pounds a year. The imposts—some entirely new, and some augmented—were on hats, ribbons, gauzes, coals, saddle and pleasure horses, printed linens and calicoes, candles, paper, and hackney coaches; licences to deal in excisable commodities, bricks, and tiles; licences for shooting game.
