CHAPTER III.

1782-1783.

Acknowledgment of American independence - Proposed cession of Gibraltar Preliminary treaties with France and Spain - Conference between Pitt and Fox - Coalition of Fox and North - Defeat of Lord Shelburne - Pitt's great speech in vindication of the Peace Resignation of Lord Shelburne - Pitt refuses the offer of the Treasury- Resigns office of Chancellor of the Exchequer · Duke of Portland's Ministry — Pitt in private life — Again brings forward Parliamentary Reform, but is defeated - Prince of Wales - Marriage of Lord Chatham.

As the autumn advanced, and the period for the reassembling of Parliament drew near, the new Ministers became more and more impressed with the difficulties which they might expect in the House of Commons. It seemed most desirable that they should endeavour to gain strength from the ranks of Opposition. The Opposition at that time consisted, as we have seen, of two parties, as yet wholly unconnected and wide asunder-the party of Mr. Fox and the party of Lord North, and with either of these a junction might perhaps be made. On that point, however, the wishes of the First Lord of the Treasury and of his Chancellor of the Exchequer were by no means the same. Lord Shelburne, as was natural, resented the violence of Fox against himself, and inclined far rather to a coalition with Lord North. But Pitt positively declared that nothing should induce him to concur in this

last scheme. He retained his strong aversion to the conduct of the American war and to its authors, but was willing and desirous to rejoin those who, like Fox, had been united with him in opposing that war and in hurling Lord North from power.

The wishes of Pitt in this direction were earnestly supported by several other members of the Cabinet, as by General Conway and by Admiral, now Viscount, Keppel. They had long been adherents of Fox; and, though continuing in office, chafed at their separation from him. But the repugnance of Lord Shelburne was as yet unconquerable. Amidst these jarring counsels the time went on to the meeting of Parliament: no resolution was taken, and no overtures in any quarter were made.

The meeting of Parliament had been fixed for the 26th of November. It was further prorogued to the 5th of the following month, in hopes that the peace might meanwhile be concluded. Provisional articles with America, to be hereafter inserted in a treaty of peace, were indeed signed at Paris on the 30th of November. By these the revolted colonies were in explicit words acknowledged; but the terms with France and Spain were found to require much longer time for their adjustment. On these there was also a material disagreement among the Ministers. Lord Shelburne was desirous of yielding Gibraltar to the Spaniards, receiving in return Porto Rico or some other West India island. Lord Keppel, the Duke of Grafton, and several more members of the Cabinet, were warmly opposed to this exchange. We learn from

a cautious passage-the last in my preceding chapterof Pitt's letters to his mother, that Pitt himself was among the Ministers who stood firm against Lord Shelburne's project, and who finally prevailed.1

It may be suspected that, on account of this twofold difference—as to the junction with Fox and as to the exchange of Gibraltar-the cordiality between the Chancellor of the Exchequer and his chief had become a little impaired.

It would seem that through the autumn Lord North among his friends had talked much-and as some of them thought, too much—of "absence, neutrality, moderation." 2 When the two Houses met on the 5th of December, he appeared in his place and spoke with great temper and forbearance. But nothing could exceed the vehemence of Burke and Fox. Burke especially, who, in the explanations of July last, had called Lord Shelburne "a Borgia and a Catiline," now inveighed against his "duplicity and delusion," and compared him to a serpent with two heads! Some discrepancy there certainly was to complain of in the explanations of the Ministers. In the House of Peers Lord Shelburne had said that the acknowledgment of American independence under the Provisional Articles was only contingent and conditional; while in the Commons both Pitt and Conway declared that, in their

An extract from the MS. Me- | lished by me in the Appendix, moirs of the Duke of Grafton, p. xxvi., to the seventh volume of giving a full account of the dis- my History of England. sensions in the Cabinet relative to Gibraltar, has been already pub

2 Letter of Gibbon to Holroyd, Oct, 14, 1782.

judgment, this acknowledgment must be regarded as positive and final.

The first part of this Session, which commenced on the 5th of December, was soon interrupted by the approach of the Christmas holidays, and the Parliament was adjourned for one month. There had been already some very keen debates. In all these Pitt had taken the lead on the part of Government, and had maintained the contest, on no unequal terms, with the great orators of the Opposition; and it deserves to be noted

-so natural is the supremacy of genius in popular assemblies-that he had taken this chief part without giving any offence to his nominal leader, Mr. Secretary Townshend. That gentleman—once his father's friend, as now his own-continued to act with him on most cordial terms.

During these short holidays we find Pitt, in the following note, summon Lord Mahon to London, probably to concert with him a measure on Parliamentary Reform.

"MY DEAR LORD,

"Downing Street, Dec. 28, 1782.

"I am in great hopes you will be able to come directly to town. This is just the time in which we must fix on something; and, I think, in a day or two we could go through all the necessary discussion before any practical steps are taken.

"Yours most affectionately,

"W. PITT."

The preliminary treaties with France and Spain (for with Holland there as yet was only a truce concluded)

being at last brought to an adjustment, were signed at Paris on the 20th of January, 1783. On the 27th they were carried down to both Houses of Parliament-to the Peers by Lord Grantham, to the Commons by his brother Secretary, Townshend. Ample time was left for their consideration, the Addresses to the King in reply being fixed for the 17th of the ensuing month.

It has been admitted by nearly all the writers on that point in the present century that the conditions of these treaties were to the full as favourable as, with such vast odds against us, we had any right to expect or to demand. To the Americans we conceded only the independence which, in fact, they had already won. We gave back to the French Chandernagore and Pondicherry, the settlement of Senegal, and the island of St. Lucia. We gave back to the Spaniards Minorca and both the Floridas. But we retained our Indian empire, that mighty counterpoise to the colonies which we lost on another continent. We retained the rock of Gibraltar, against which the two great Bourbon monarchies had tried their strength in vain. And, as Lord Macaulay with much force observes, England preserved even her dignity, for she ceded to the House of Bourbon only part of what she had conquered from that House in previous wars.

At the time, however, such considerations were by no means duly weighed. No sooner were the terms of the treaties divulged than considerable murmurs arose. The necessity of such concessions was already half forgotten, while the concessions themselves rose full in view. Even those who had most loudly de