MEMOIRS
OF THE REIGN OF
KING GEORGE THE SECOND.
[CHAPTER I.]
Dismissal and Resignation of Ministers—Parliamentary Inquiries into the loss of Minorca—Mr. Pitt’s Power and Popularity—Duke of Newcastle and Mr. Fox—Mr. Pitt’s conduct on the Inquiries—Passing of the Militia Bill—Great success of the King of Prussia—Various Plans for an Administration—Vote for a Million—Bill for regulating the payment of the Wages of Seamen—Duke of Newcastle’s irresolution—Rupture of the negotiation between him and Pitt—His Projects and Difficulties.
April 5th.—Lord Holderness went to Lord Temple to notify to him his dismission. Legge prevailed on Pitt and the rest not to resign, but to be turned out. The Duke of Devonshire had offered Legge to remain; but though he was never tardy at abandoning his friends for a richer prospect, nobody was more steady when it would hurt him to desert. The next night, Mr. Pitt was discarded: and then George Grenville and the others resigned. Charles Townshend alone took time to consider: the income of his place was large, and he did not love Pitt. After an uncertainty of near three weeks, he resigned; but by a letter to the Duke of Devonshire avoided as much as possible to have it thought that he quitted from attachment to Pitt. Resigning with him, and not for him, Townshend thought entitled him to be restored with Pitt, yet would not subject him to the King’s displeasure.
All men were curious to see the new Administration. None was formed. Lord Egremont had consented to accept the Seals of Secretary of State, but soon desired to be excused. He had miscarried with Lord Granville, had not succeeded better by assiduous court to Newcastle, and now attaching himself to Fox, had his hopes soon blasted with this blossom of an Administration. Doddington, who had gone in and out too often to lose any reputation by one more promotion or disgrace, was ready to take anything. Sir George Lee, who could not give up the hopes of being Prime Minister, though never thought of but when he could not be so, prepared to accept the Chancellorship of the Exchequer; and Lord Winchelsea, uniform in detesting the Grenvilles, immediately entered upon his old office, the Admiralty, with a motley board, composed of Boscawen, (one of the last set,) Rowley, (of the foregoing,) Moyston, his own nephew, Lord Carysfort, and young Sandys. Elliot was offered to remain, but refused; and W. Gerard Hamilton was designed for the seventh.
Yet an Admiralty did not make an Administration. No man of abilities or reputation would enlist—even Sir Thomas Robinson refused to take the Seals again. Yet the Duke embarked with satisfaction, telling Mr. Conway, the King could not be in a worse situation than he had been—“Yes, Sir,” said Conway, “but he will, if Mr. Pitt gets the better.” And Fox, to gratify at least some of his views in this revolution, procured a grant for himself and his two sons of the reversion of Doddington’s place of Clerk of the Pells in Ireland. The King had forbidden the Duke, who negotiated this business, to mention the Peerage for Lady Caroline, which he would never grant; but he would give him Doddington’s place for his child—“Say children, Sir,” replied the Duke. “With all my heart,” said the King; “it is the same thing to me.” He cared not how many reversions he granted from his successor. Still it was impossible for Fox himself to accept any ministerial post till the inquiries were at an end; the whole tempest would have been directed at his head.
Indeed many had such intentions: at a meeting of Pitt’s friends and the Tories, it was agreed to push the scrutiny into the military part with great vehemence. Charles Townshend accepted the office of manager: and George, on moving for more papers, made severe remarks on the want of miners at Minorca; which Fox excused, saying, it was hoped that the Minorchese, who had assisted in digging the mines, would have contributed to their defence. To keep miners there on the establishment had been thought too expensive. “Are they more expensive to the Government,” replied Townshend, “than sinecures?” alluding to Fox’s new reversion. Pitt, at the meeting I have mentioned, promised his support, but feared he should not be able to speak five minutes for his cough. He was aware that Newcastle had left too little power to Fox in their joint Administration, for it to be possible with any degree of decency to brand the one, and slide over the errors of the other, with whom Pitt wished to unite. Yet the temper of the nation left him master to take whatever resolution he pleased. The rashness of throwing Government into imminent confusion at such a juncture, struck both the enemies and friends of Fox. His ambition was glaring; his interestedness, not even specious. Pitt had acted during his short reign with a haughty reserve, that, if it had kept off dependents and attachments, at least had left him all the air of patriot privacy; and having luckily from the King’s dislike of him, and from the shortness of the time, been dipped but in few ungracious businesses, he came back to the mob scarce