The next point to be noted is Pitt's second interview with Hardwicke. And though the minute of Hardwicke's conversation with Pitt on October 19 appears to be lost, we have his record[350] of this second meeting between them on October 24, which he read to the King on October 26, and which contains the main points at issue.
Hardwicke began by telling Pitt that he had sent for him at the King's command; that he had on October 20 faithfully narrated to the King all that had passed at the interview of October 19, and that the King had summoned him on October 23, the day previous to the present meeting, in order to send the following message—
'The King is of opinion that what has been suggested is not for his and the public service.'
Pitt thereupon bowed and said that His Majesty did him the greatest honour in condescending to return any answer to anything that came from him. He then repeated the message word for word, and desired Hardwicke to bear in mind that all that he had suggested was by way of objection; that he had not suggested anything affirmative as to measures of any kind. Hardwicke replied that he had repeated to the King exactly what had passed, and recapitulated the five heads under which Pitt had summed up the previous conversation.
'1. That it was impossible for him to serve with the Duke of Newcastle.
'2. That he thought enquiries into the past measures absolutely necessary, that he thought it his duty to take a considerable share in them, and could not lay himself under any obligation to depart from that.
'To this I said that the King was not against a fair and impartial enquiry.
'3. That he thought his duty to support a Militia Bill, and particularly that of the last session.
'I told him that the King and his ministers were not against a Militia Bill.
'4. That the affair of the Hanoverian soldier[351] he thought of great importance; that what had been done ought to be examined, and, he thought, censured.