An introductory history of England . the leading Old Whigs, including Fox andBurke, resigned, and, at the age of twenty-three, WilliamPitt, second son of the late Lord Chatham, becameShelburnes Chancellor of the Exchequer; two otheryoung men, Henry Dundas of Arniston and WilliamGrenville, subsequently to be Pitts right-hand men,now first entered the Ministry. It seems to have been an honest Ministry, and onewhich might have concluded a satisfactory was at least a man of ideas, a free trader anda reformer of all real abuses, without being at this timein the least a Radical; even
An introductory history of England . the leading Old Whigs, including Fox andBurke, resigned, and, at the age of twenty-three, WilliamPitt, second son of the late Lord Chatham, becameShelburnes Chancellor of the Exchequer; two otheryoung men, Henry Dundas of Arniston and WilliamGrenville, subsequently to be Pitts right-hand men,now first entered the Ministry. It seems to have been an honest Ministry, and onewhich might have concluded a satisfactory was at least a man of ideas, a free trader anda reformer of all real abuses, without being at this timein the least a Radical; even in after years he defendedWarren Hastings, whom Tories and Whigs alike immolatedon the altar of party; he fought tooth and nail, in theAmerican negotiations, for the cause of the loyalistsagainst the unctuous rancour of Franklin ; and it washe1 who now once more prevented the cession of Gibraltar 1 At least, so said Shelburne, but there is some evidence theother way. Pitt certainly fought hard against the proposal tocede the THE INFAMOUS COALITION, 1783 321 in exchange for some trumpery West India island orother ; the King had been quite ready to cede it. Butwhat is the use of an honest Ministry if two politicalparties, not a month ago bitter enemies, suddenly coalesceagainst it in the House of Commons ? This was whathappened, to the amazement of the world, in the springof 83, before any definite Peace had been signed. OnFebruary 14th Fox, out of mere personal spite to Shel-burne, suddenly asked for a private interview with LordNorth; and, to the eternal disgrace of the latter, thetwo laid their heads and their followers together, andcarried a vote of censure on the Ministry. No principlewhatever was involved; only the most barefaced wantof principle on the part of both the criminals. KingGeorges fury may easily be imagined, but Shelburne wasobliged to resign on February 24th, and, as the Kingrefused for two months to have anything to say to theconspirators, there was,
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