XLIII.

1782.

the new

first lord of the treasury; lord John Cavendish, CHAP. chancellor of the exchequer; admiral Keppel, now raised to the dignity of viscount, first lord of the admiralty; the duke of Grafton, lord View of privy fcal; earl Camden, prefident of the coun- ministry. cil; the duke of Richmond, mafter general of the ordnance, and a knight of the garter; the earl of Shelburne and Mr. Fox, joint fecretaries of state; general Conway commander in chief, and Mr. Dunning, created lord Ashburton, chancellor of the duchy of Lencafter. The only member of the late administration who retained a feat in the cabinet, was the lord chancellor, Thurlow.

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 Ire. land; Mr. Burke, paymaster general of the forces, and a privy counfellor; Mr. Thomas Townshend, fecretary at war; colonel Barré, treafurer of the navy; Mr. Sheridan, under fecretary of state; Sir William Howe, lieutenant general of the ordnance; his brother, created a vifcount, 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 houfehold. Mr. Kenyon was attorney, Mr. John Lee folicitor general, and Sir Fletcher Norton foon afterwards obtained a peerage, by the title of lord Grantly.

THIS administration comprized fufficient in- Their opi tegrity and talent to justify the ardent hopes nions and of the public; but many perceived, that from the heterogeneous nature of the materials, the edifice could not be durable. The strange combina

{

CHAP. combination of parties, had been described in XLIII. the house of commons, by an expressive meta$782. phor, a rope of fand; and even in the moment of their triumph over lord North, their dif'cordances of opinion produced in two instances, fmart animadverfions and explanatory declara tions,

Fox, though not nominally the head, was generally regarded as the principal person in administration; his powerful talents, acknowledged by all parties, and his unrivalled popularity, placed him at such a distance from his affociates, that, had his disposition been infected with the flightest taint of arrogance, he might have maintained, by the force of the public opinion, an uncontrouled fovereignty in the cabinet. Fox, however, fought no peculiar distinction, and his popularity reflected on his associates a rich glow, which at once animated the hopes, and fixed the regards of the nation. But although he was superior to the little arts of exclufion, his impetuosity in enforcing, and inflexibility in maintaining his opinions, were frequent subjects of complaint. Some members of administration were perfonally odious to each other; lord Thurlow, by a long course of conteft in both houses, had attracted peculiar diflike, and from his manly unbending temper, the ministry expected impediment rather than support. Perhaps he was only fuffered to retain his place from the difficulty of adjusting the rival claims of the jurifprudential members of the new ministry: Fox, fome time before the overthrow of the late cabinet, acknowledged that his adherents detested lord Thurlow's fen

}

1782.

timents on the constitution; but added, they CHAP. did not mean to proscribe him." Of lord XLIII. Shelburne, Fox professed 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 association in office with him and lord Thurlow, was only overcome by the fatiffactory pledge for the integrity of adminiftration, afforded by the afcendency of the marquis.

concerted.

THE particular measures in which the admi- Measures nistration agreed before their accession to they had power, were stated 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 Burke's bill; and thirdly, the annihilation of influence over either branch of the legislature.

BEFORE cither of these measures could be Affairs of brought forward, minifters were compelled, by Ireland. imperious circumstances, to adopt and mature a fourth, "that of fecuring the freedom of Ireland, in the most unequivocal and decisive manner.". The weakness of the British government in Ireland, and strength 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, addresses voted, and instructions given to members for extinguishing the powers referved

8th March.

d See the speech of the duke of Richmond and general Conway, Debates, 9th and 10th of July 1782.

• General Conway's speech 10th July.

to

XLIII.

}

1781.

CHAP. to the privy council under Poyning's law; procuring a habeas corpus act, establishing the independence of the judges, abolithing 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 views. In debating the address on the lord lieutenant's speech to parliament, Mr. Grattan, a diftinguithed 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 exprefsly mentioned. He wished he could reconcile royal ears to that falutary and wholesome name. When the address was carried, thanks were unanimoufly voted to the volunteers for their

9th Oct. Tranfactions in the Irith parliament.

10th Oct. continuance and spirited exertions. A fimilar propofition was offered in the upper house, where lord Bellamont, the only diffentient, diftinguished between their services and their establishment; he honoured their zeal and admired their gallantry. He would lead them with confidence, accompany them with affection; with them he would be foremost in the breach, last on the mine; but he would not perpetuate a claim which was without legal foundation: he valued them as the pureft bullion, but would not recognize them as fterling, until they received the stamp of majefty.

13th Nov.

In pursuance of the popular inftructions, Mr. Grattan offered a bill to explain, amend,

and limit the mutiny act. His motion was re

jected,

XLIII.

jected, but renewed early in the enfuing month CHAP. by lord Arran, and evaded by a motion of delay for fix months. Six peers joined in a protest, declaring the measure equally beneficial to Great Britain and Ireland.

1781. 8th Dec.

15th Feb. 1782. Meeting of

gates of

On the failure of this effort, the volunteers of the province of Ulfter affembled at Dungannon, affumed a deliberative character, of the delewhich they affirmed themselves not to be deprived by affociating in arms. 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 exercised by the privy councils of both kingdoms, under colour of the law of Poynings; all burthens or obstructions 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 session; 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 redress, and pledged themselves 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 meafure to be fraught with the happieft confequences to the union and profperity of Ireland. They made arrangements for future meetings,