CHAPTER THE FORTY-THIRD: 1781-1782. View of the new miniftry—measures they had refolved to execute before they came into office.- Affairs of Ireland.-Meeting of delegates of volunteers.-Motion of Mr. Eden in the British parliament.-King's message.—Declaration of rights voted by the Irish parliament.—Confequent proceedings in England. -Efforts for limiting influence-Contractors bill.-Revenue officers bill-Refolutions refpecting the Middlesex election refcinded.-Disfranchisement of Cricklade.-Bill compelling the holders of patent offices to refide.-Exertions of clubs and public bodies for a reform of parliament.-Mr. Pitt's motion.→→ Exertions refpecting economy.-King's message.-Burke's bill paffes in an altered ftate.-Arrears of the civil lift difcharged. -Efforts at pacification.-Negotiation with Holland-its failure-offers to mediate renewed.-Mr. Grenville fent to Paris to open a direct negotiation—terms proposed by him.— Efforts of France in the Weft Indies.-Rodney's victory over de Graffe-his recal-honours paid him.Slow progress of negotiation.-Death of the marquis of Rockingham-Change of the miniftry.-Prorogation of parliament.—King's Speech. XLIII. 1782. THE HE new cabinet was thus compofed: The C HA P. marquis of Rockingham (from whom it was called the Rockingham administration) first lord of the treasury; lord John Cavendish, chancellor of the View of the exchequer ; admiral Keppel, now raised to the dignity new ministry. of viscount, first lord of the admiralty; the duke of Grafton, lord privy feal; earl Camden, prefident of the council; the duke of Richmond, mafter general of the ordnance, and a knight of the garter; the earl of Shelburne and Mr. Fox, joint secretaries of state; general Conway, commander in chief; and Mr. Dunning, created lord Ashburton, chancellor of the duchy CHA P. of Lancaster. The only member of the late administration who retained a feat in the cabinet, was the lord chancellor, Thurlow. XLIII. 1782. Their opi nions and talents. SEVERAL other departments of state were filled by perfons of eminent rank and talent; among the most confpicuous of whom were the duke of Portland, lord lieutenant of Ireland; Mr. Burke, paymaster general of the forces, and a privy councillor; Mr. Thomas Townshend, fecretary at war; colonel Barré, treasurer of the navy; Mr. Sheridan, under fecretary of state; Sir William Howe, lieutenant-general of the ordnance; his brother, created a viscount, was appointed to command the grand fleet; the honourable Thomas Pelham was furveyor general of the ordnance; the duke of Manchester, lord chamberlain; and the earl of Effingham, treasurer of the household. Mr. Kenyon was attorney, Mr. John Lee folicitor-general; and Sir Fletcher Norton foon afterward obtained a peerage, by the title of lord Grantly. THIS administration comprized fufficient integrity and talent to juftify the ardent hopes of the public; but many perceived, that from the heterogeneous nature of the materials, the edifice could not be durable. The strange combination of parties had been described in the house of commons, by an expreffive metaphor, a rope of fand; and even in the moment of their triumph over lord North, their difcordances of opinion produced, in two inftances, smart animadverfions and explanatory declarations". MR. Fox, though not nominally the head, was generally regarded as the principal perfon in adminiftration; his powerful talents, acknowledged by all parties, and his unrivalled popularity, placed him at fuch a distance from his affociates, that, had his difpofition been infected with the flightest taint of arrogance, he might have maintained, by the force of a See Debates, 6th March, 1782. b See Debates, 4th and 20th March, 1782. the 1782. the public opinion, an uncontrouled fovereignty in CHA P. the cabinet. Mr. Fox, however, fought no peculiar XLIII. distinction; and his popularity reflected on his affociates a rich glow, which at once animated the hopes, and fixed the regards of the nation. But although he was fuperior to the little arts of exclufion, his impetuofity in enforcing, and inflexibility in maintaining his opinions were frequent fubjects of complaint. Some members of adminiftration were perfonally odious to each other; lord Thurlow, by a long courfe of contest in both houses, had attracted peculiar dislike; and from his manly unbending temper, the ministry expected impediment rather than fupport. Perhaps he was only fuffered to retain his place from the difficulty of adjusting the rival claims of the jurif prudential members of the new miniftry. Mr. Fox, fome time before the overthrow of the late cabinet, acknowledged that his adherents detefted lord Thur low's fentiments on the constitution; but added, they did not mean to profcribe him. Of lord Shelburne, Mr. Fox profeffed not to entertain a better opinion; while fpeaking in terms of affectionate veneration of lord Rockingham, he defcribed lord Shelburne's character as the exact reverse, and declared that his repugnance to an affociation in office with him and lord Thurlow was only overcome by the fatisfactory pledge for the integrity of administration, afforded by the afcendency of the marquis. concerted THE particular measures in which the adminiftra- Meafures tion agreed before their acceffion to power, were they had ftated by two of the principal members to be: first, an offer to America of unconditional independence, as the basis of a negotiation for peace; fecondly, the establishment of economy, by means of Mr. Burke's bill; and thirdly, the annihilation of influence over either branch of the legislature. c8th March. See the fpeech of the duke of Richmond and general Conway, Debates, 9th and 10th of July 1782. DD 4 BEFORE CHAP. XLII. 1782. Affairs of Ireland. BEFORE either of thefe measures could be brought forward, ministers were compelled, by imperious circumstances, to adopt and mature a fourth, "that of fecuring the freedom of Ireland, in the most unequivocal and decifive manner The weakness of the British government in Ireland, and ftrength of the affertors of their independence on the British parliament, inspired the party called patriots with ardent hopes of obtaining important conceffions. County and other popular meetings were held, addreffes voted, and inftructions given to members for extinguishing the powers referved to the privy council under Poyning's law, procuring a habeas corpus act, establishing the independence of the judges, abolishing finecure places, inquiring into the expenditure of the public money, fecuring the freedom of trade, and revifing the act for equalizing duties; and as the best means of obtaining these ends, the members were enjoined to withhold their concurrence from the grant of fupplies for a longer period than fix months. The volunteer affociations were encouraged in proportion as they difplayed a difpofition to co-operate in these Tranfactions views. In debating the addrefs on the lord lieutenant's parliament. fpeech to parliament, Mr. Grattan, a distinguished patriot, adverted with spleen to the manner in which the loyal exertions of the Irish were commended from the throne, while the volunteers were not expressly mentioned. He wished he could reconcile royal ears to that falutary and wholesome name. When the address was carried, thanks were unanimously voted to the volunteers for their continuance and fpirited exertions. A fimilar propofition was offered in the upper houfe, where lord Bellamont, the only dif fentient, distinguished between their fervices and their establishment; he honoured their zeal and admired their gallantry. He would lead them with confidence, accompany them with affection; with 9th Oct. in the Irish 30th Oct. General Conway's fpeech, 10th July. them XLIII. them he would be foremost in the breach, laft on the CHA P. mine; but he would not perpetuate a claim which was without legal foundation: he valued them as the pureftbullion, but would not recognize them as fterling, until they received the stamp of majesty. 1782. IN pursuance of the popular inftructions, Mr. Grat- 13th Nov. tan offered a bill to explain, amend, and limit the mutiny act. His motion was rejected, but renewed early in the enfuing month by lord Arran, and evaded by a motion of delay for fix months. Six peers joined 8th Dec. in a proteft, declaring the meafure equally beneficial to Great Britain and Ireland. 1782. of volun ON the failure of this effort, the volunteers of the 15th Feb. province of Ulfter affembled at Dungannon, affumed Meeting of a deliberative character, of which they affirmed them- the delegates felves not to be deprived by affociating in arms. teers. Their refolutions affected to adjust many important points of government: the claim of any body of men, other than the king, lords, and commons of Ireland, to legislate for that kingdom; the powers exercifed by the privy councils of both kingdoms, under colour of the law of Poynings; all burthens or obftructions impeding their trade with neutral countries, impofed by any other power than the parliament of Ireland; a mutiny bill not limited in duration from feffion to feffion; and the refufal or delay of the right to fecure the independence of judges, and impartial adminiftration of justice, were declared unconstitutional, illegal, and grievances. They further announced their unalterable determination to feek redrefs, and pledged themfelves to each other, and to their country, not to countenance any candidate at any enfuing election, but those who had fupported or would fupport their refolutions. They refolved the right of private judgment in matters of religion, to be equally facred in all; and therefore as Irishmen, Chriftians, and Proteftants, rejoiced in the relaxation of the penal laws against the Roman Catholics, conceiving the measure to be fraught with the |