The result of the whole is this: the King, instigated by Lord Granville, has used all his ministry as ill as possible, and has with the greatest difficulty been brought to consent to the necessary changes. Mr. Pelham has had as much difficulty to regulate the disposition of places. Numbers of lists of the hungry have been given in by their centurions of those, several Tories have refused to accept the proffered posts some, from an impossibility of being rechosen for their Jacobite counties. But upon the whole, it appears that their leaders have had very little influence with them; for not above four or five are come into place. The rest will stick to Opposition. Here is a list of the changes, as made last Saturday:
Duke of Devonshire, Lord Steward, in the room of the Duke of
Dorset.
Duke of Dorset, Lord President, in Lord Harrington's room.
Lord Chesterfield,+ Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, in the Duke of
Devonshire's.
Duke of Bedford,+ Lord Sandwich,+ George Grenville,+ Lord Vere
Beauclerc,(991) and Admiral Anson, Lords of the Admiralty, in
the room of Lord Winchilsea,* Dr. Lee,* Cockburn,* Sir Charles
Hardy,* and Philipson.*
Mr. Arundel and George Lyttelton,f Lords of the Treasury, in
the room of Compton* and Gybbon.*
Lord Gowerf again Privy Seal, in Lord Cholmondeley's* room,
who is made Vice-Treasurer of Ireland in Harry Vane's.*
Mr. Doddington,+ Treasurer of the Navy, in Sir John
Rushout's.*
Mr. Waller,+ Cofferer, in Lord Sandys'.*
Lord Hobart, Captain of the Pensioners, in Lord Bathurst's.*
Sir John Cotton, +(992) Treasurer of the Chambers, in Lord
Hobart'S.(993)
Mr. Keene, Paymaster of the Pensions, in Mr. Hooper's.*
Sir John Philippsf and John Pitt+ Commissioners of Trade, in
Mr. Keene's and Sir Charles Gilmour's.*
William Chetwynd,+ Master of the Mint, in Mr. Arundel's.
Lord Halifax,+ Master of the Buck-hounds, in Mr. Jennison's,
who has a pension.
All those with a cross are from the Opposition; those with a star, the turned-out, and are of the Granville and Bath squadron, except Lord Cholmondeley, (who, too, had connected with the former,) and Mr. Philipson. The King parted with great regret with Lord Cholmondeley, and complains loudly of the force put upon him. The Prince, who is full as warm as his father for Lord Granville, has already turned out Lyttelton, who was his secretary, and Lord Halifax; and has named Mr. Drax and Lord Inchiquin(994) in their places. You perceive the great Mr. William Pitt is not in the list, though he comes thoroughly into the measures. To preserve his character and authority in the Parliament, he was unwilling to accept any thing yet: the ministry very rightly insisted that he should; he asked for secretary at war, knowing it would be refused-and it was.(995)
By this short sketch, and it is impossible to be more explanatory, you will perceive that all is confusion: all parties broken to Pieces, and the whole Opposition by tens and by twenties selling themselves for profit-power they get none! It is not easy to say where power resides at present: it is plain that it resides not in the King; and yet he has enough to hinder any body else from having it. His new governors have no interest with him-scarce any converse with him.
The Pretender's son is owned in France as Prince of Wales; the princes of the blood have been to visit him in form. The Duchess of Chateauroux is poisoned there; so their monarch is as ill-used as our most gracious King!(996) How go your Tuscan affairs? I am always trembling for you, though I am laughing at every thing else. My father is pretty well: he is taking a preparation of Mr. Stephens's(997) medicine; but I think all his physicians begin to agree that he has no large stone.
Adieu! my dear child: I think the present comedy cannot be of long duration. the Parliament is adjourned for the holidays; I am impatient to see the first division.
(991) Lord Vere Beauclerc, third son of the first Duke of St. Albans, afterwards created Lord Vere, of Hanworth. He entered early into a maritime life, and distinguished himself in several commands, He died in 1781.-E.
(992) The King was much displeased that an adherent of the exiled family should be forced into the service of his own. in consequence of this appointment a caricature was circulated, representing the ministers thrusting Sir John, who was extremely corpulent, down the King's throat.
(993) John, first Lord Hobart, so created in 1728, by the interest of his sister, Lady Suffolk, the mistress of George the Second. In 1746 he was created Earl of Buckinghamshire; and died in 1756.-D.
(994) William O'Brien, fourth Earl of Inchiquin, in Ireland. He died in 1777.-E.