Page images
PDF
EPUB

1751

66

66

[blocks in formation]

Council, the Duke of Cumberland. Mr. Pitt, by a new and most ingenious turn of the argument, combined his suspicion of the Duke with his support of the restrictions; he supported them, he said, lest the Princess should die, and the next Regent should claim, and from the precedent receive, full powers.* "Thus," he added, a great person" (glancing at the Duke of Cumberland) might become sole Regent, when ambition might excite "him to think less of protecting than of wearing the "Crown!" Mr. Fox, with great warmth, repelled this covert attack on his princely patron, and an unseemly altercation thus arose between two members of the same administration,-between the Paymaster General and the Secretary at War. The latter, much incensed, at length left the House without voting. Pelham, who had but slight authority over his own subalterns, ventured, however, on some gentle reproaches to Fox, telling him that he had not spoken like himself. "Had I indeed spoken like myself I should have said ten times more against the Bill!" was the spirited reply of Fox.

66

66

66

The Duke of Cumberland himself, far from being gratified with his intended share of power, was deeply chagrined at not grasping the whole. When the Lord Chancellor first waited on him with the heads of the Bill he said sternly: "Return my thanks to the King for the plan of the Regency. As to the part allotted to me I "shall submit to it, because he commands it." This he afterwards desired Mr. Fox to repeat to Mr. Pelham, charging him not to soften the word "submit." The King himself was scarcely less mortified than the Duke. His remarks on the measure after its passing were addressed to Mr. Fox, and are recorded by Lord Orford: "I have a good opinion of the Princess," said His Majesty, "but I do not quite know her. . . . . . A Council is necessary for her, even in cases of treason. Women are apt to pardon; I myself am inclined to mercy. It is "better to have somebody to refuse for her. As to the power of peace and war, I would never declare either "without consulting others.. I thank you, Mr. Fox, "for the part you took. My affection is with my son;

66

66

66

* Dodington's Diary, May 16. 1751.

"I assure you, Mr. Fox, I like you the better for wishing "well to him. The English nation is so changeable; I "do not know why they dislike him. It is brought about by the Scotch, the Jacobites, and the English that do "not love discipline."*

[ocr errors]

In 1747 the

Mr. Pelham

The death of Frederick proved fatal to a measure with which it seemed to have no kind of connexion - a Bill for the general naturalization of Foreign Protestants. Already, in 1708, had a Bill for that purpose passed into a law, but in 1711 the new Tory administration had repealed it. There was a false but favourite doctrine in those times, that the prosperity of a state must needs increase in the same ratio with its population.† the proposal was renewed on a more special plea drain of population resulting from the war. had at first favoured the design, but took alarm at some threatened opposition, and caused it to be dropped. Now, another member, Mr. Nugent, having introduced the Bill again, it was supported by the Government in general, although Mr. Fox joined Lord Egmont in opposing it, and in spite of a stubborn resistance it advanced to the third reading, which was fixed for the 20th of March,. the very day of the Prince's death. At the tidings of that event it was, of course, like all other business, postponed, and during the interval petitions against it poured in from many quarters. The Common Council of London, above all, expressed its fears, lest, with such encouragements to immigration, the supply of labour might soon exceed the demand, and many industrious English workmen be thrown out of employment. It was part of Pelham's character to weigh, never the validity, but only the prevalence of any popular opinion. Thus, though altogether unconvinced, yet readily yielding, and cautious of fresh entanglements at that critical juncture, he withdrew his support, and allowed the Bill to fall.

But the chief and most successful measure of the

* Lord Orford's Memoirs (or, as he affectedly spells them, moires "), vol. i. p. 137.

"Me

Plus

† "La terre ne se lasse jamais de répandre ses biens. "il y a d'hommes dans un pays, pourvu qu'ils soient laborieux, plus ils jouissent de l'abondance." Telemaque, livre v.

66

1751.

REFORMATION OF THE CALENDAR.

15

66

Session was the Reformation of the Calendar. The error of the Old Style, now grown to eleven days, had long since been corrected by most civilized nations, and acknowledged by all. Only England, with Russia and Sweden, clung to the exploded system, for no better reason, apparently, than because it was a Pope who established the new. "It was not, in my opinion," writes Chesterfield, "very honourable for England to remain in a gross and avowed error, especially in such company.' Accordingly, having first paved the way by some articles in periodical works†, he proceeded, in concert with the Earl of Macclesfield, Dr. Bradley, and other eminent men of science, to frame the heads of a Bill. He provided that the legal year should commence in future on the 1st of January, and not, as heretofore, on the 25th of March, -and that, to correct the Old Calendar, eleven nominal days should be suppressed in September 1752, so that the day following the 2d of that month should be styled the 14th. The difficulties that might result from the change, as affecting rents, leases, and bills of exchange, were likewise carefully considered and effectually prevented. With these provisions and safeguards the Bill was moved by Lord Chesterfield in a very able and seconded by Lord Macclesfield in a very learned speech, —and it was successfully carried through both Houses. Other particulars will be found in the character of Chesterfield which I have elsewhere endeavoured to portray, evincing both his exertions on this measure and its effects upon the public mind.‡

The close of this Session was marked by some Minis terial changes which had been long previously in preparation. For months, nay for years, had the Duke of Newcastle viewed with jealous eyes the high rank and equal pretensions of his brother Secretary of State, the Duke of Bedford, and panted to place in that office, not a colleague, but a cypher and a tool. In that age, more

66

* Letter to his Son, March 18. 1751.

t "He prepared the public for the intended change by several essays in the World." (Coxe's Pelham, vol. ii. p. 178.) But had Coxe referred to the World he would have seen that the first number is not dated till January 4. 1753.

See vol. iii. p. 340

over, the arrangement of business was such as to aggravate the coolness between the colleagues. Of the two Secretaries of State, the one held what was termed the Northern, the other the Southern, - department. The one sent his instructions to Berlin or to Petersburg,the other to Paris or Madrid, -instructions always distinct and unconnected, though often referring to the very same affairs. Such a system, to work well, required either a thorough friendship between the brother Secretaries, or an entire dependence of the one upon the other. "It "was," says Lord John Russell, as if two coachmen were on a box of the mail-coach, one holding the right"hand rein, the other the left!"*

66

66

66

66

But besides this jealousy of Newcastle against Bedford a jealousy that was in Newcastle's nature, and wholly independent of any demerit in the Duke - Mr. Pelham, with better reason, complained of Bedford's indolence and love of ease. "With him," he writes to his brother at Hanover, "it is all jollity, boyishness, and vanity: he persuades himself that riding post from London to "Woburn, and back again, once in a week or fortnight, "is doing a great deal of business, and that nobody has a right to complain of his absence."† Nevertheless, when Newcastle, presuming on these expressions, set on foot a crooked cabal with Lady Yarmouth, so that Bedford might seem to be dismissed by the act of the King alone, and that the other Ministers might disown all share in it, Pelham, with higher honour, and dreading the increased strength of Opposition from the junction of Bedford, positively refused his concurrence. That refusal led to a coldness, nay, even for some time a complete estrangement, between the brothers. Each of them and Pelham not insincerely-began to mutter some threats of resignation. This was also the spark to fire the long smothered rivalry between Pitt and Fox ;-Pitt leaning on the friendship of Newcastle, and Fox on the friendship of Pelham. Thus, for example, in the debate on the number of seamen, the Duke hastened to express his

Note to Bedford Correspondence, vol. ii. p. 79.

† Mr. Pelham to the Duke of Newcastle, July 25. 1750.- Coxe's Pelham.

1751.

EARL GRANVILLE.

17

approbation of the course which Pitt had pursued.* Soon afterwards, however, the exertions of some friends wrought an apparent reconciliation between the brother Ministers, and a few weeks later the Opposition lost its main strength and hope by the sudden death of the Prince of Wales. Upon this event Pelham no longer felt the same repugnance or apprehension to shake off the Duke of Bedford, only postponing the design until after the close of the Session. The method adopted was first to dismiss Lord Sandwich from the Admiralty, Sandwich being so closely linked in friendship with Bedford that the Duke's resignation was clearly foreseen as following the Earl's dismissal. And thus accordingly it happened. In filling up the vacant offices Newcastle was gratified with a colleague as supple and subservient as his heart could desire, in the Earl of Holderness, late Ambassador to Holland. Lord Anson was placed at the head of the Admiralty; and in return for the King's consent to these changes His Majesty was gratified with his favourite, Lord Granville, in the Presidency of the Council, -a post relinquished by the Duke of Dorset as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.†

[ocr errors]

Thus did Granville once more return to office, the colleague of his old opponents. But the post of President is not further removed in importance from the Seals of Secretary than the Earl Granville of 1751 had declined from the bold and buoyant Carteret of former days. His convivial habits had blunted the edge of his fine understanding, and his shattered health required repose, while his impaired estate stood in need of the emoluments of place. He had lost his spirit, his eloquence, his activity, nay, even which so often survives them all - his ambition. His chief delight was now to enliven the Council table by his sallies of wit; and he remained during the

* Coxe's Pelham, vol. ii. p. 144. See also some acute remarks, and some severe, but I think unjust strictures on Pitt, in the Quarterly Review, No. cxxxi. p. 214.

† Coxe's Life of Horace Lord Walpole of Wolterton, p. 380., and the letter of the younger Horace to Mann, December 19. 1750. The Presidency of the Council was first offered to, but declined by, Chesterfield.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »