offered * it directly in the——'s name) and what 1 had Chap. answered, which he, in liis way, much commended. XXV. "This obliges me to desire, that you will send by the ^-^v-^bearer my letter to you, which you were to communicate 17^3to my Lord Lyttleton, that I may see how I have stated it there, for I have no copy. - '.. "I shall now make you laugh, thougli some parts of what goes before make me melancholy to see the so • committed, and his M. submitting to it, &c. But what I mean will make you laugh is, that the ministers are so stung with this admission, that they cannot go on, (and what has passed on this occasion will certainly make them less able to go on,) and with my Lord B—'s having thus carried them to market in his pocket, that they say Lord B— has attempted to sacrisice them to his own sears and timidity ; that they do not depend upon him, and will have nothing more to do with him. And I have been very credibly insormed, that both Lord Halifax and George Grent'ille have declared that he is to go beyond the sea, aqd reside for a twelvemonth or more. You know a certain Cardinal was twice exiled out of France, and governed France as absolutely whilst he was absent as when he was present." To the preceding statement of Lord Hardnoicke, it is proper to make some additions. The five pr fix other persons, whom his Lordship says Mr. Pitt named for places, were the following:— Lord Temple for first lord of the treasury, with power to name his own board. Mr. "James Grenvill e for chancellor of the exchequer #. * Mr. C. Toivnshend's explanation of this resusal was in jhese words," Lord Hardwiche resused Lord Egremont's offer "because he thought the best of the lay was on the other "side." * He was second brother to Lord Temple. He was a man of excellent erudition and fine understanding. When Lord Temple and Lord Chatham differed in 1766, he adhered to Lord Chatham, and continued in that attachment to the death of his Lordship, whom he did not long survive. Himself Cmr. Himself secretary of state. J^^ Mr. C. Townshend secretary of flate, with the 1763. management of the House of Commons. Lord Albemarle at the head ot the army. Sir Edward Haivke at the head of the admiralty. On Sunday, between the two conserences, cer tonniv. tam advice was given, which broke off the ne »nce. gociatiop. Lord Bute haJ the merit of bringing it on, and to him is to be ascribed the cause of its sailure. It was signisied to Lord Bute, that if he turned out the ministry, his own impeachment mould be the consequence. He took fright; and again compounded for his fasety. But the ministers insisted upon his quitting London, and he agreed to pass the winter at his new estate in Bedfordshire. When this proscription was settled, the Duke of Bedford took the president's chair, Lord Sandwich was made secretary of slate, and Lord Egmqnt had the admiralty. His Grace taking an official situation, the administration acquired the appellation of the Duke of Bedford's . Ministry. Lord Melcombe's words are the most proper commentary on this "treaty of connivance" (as Mr. Pitt called it)—It is all for quarter day, Mr. Pitt On Wednesday (August 31,) subsequent to the last conserence with which his Majesty honoured Mr. Pitt, Lord Temple and Mr. Pitt went to St. James's to pay their duty to his Majesty, they were received in the most gracious manner and his Majesty in the most obliging terms faid to Mr. SLY6' Pin' " l hope> Sir> you have not suffered by "standing '* standing so long on Monday." Upon this oe- Cha*. casion Mr. Pitt faid to his friends," His Majesty J^^ *' is the grearest courtier in his court." 1763. Although Lord Hardwicke and the Duke of Newcastle affected to be well pleased with Mr. Pill's conduct in this negociation, yet Lord Hardwicke was very desirous of a place at court, and would certainly have accepted of Lord Egremoni's offer, if he could have prevailed upon Lord Bute to have received the Duke of Newcastle and two or three of his Grace's friends at the same time. But Lord Egremont would not undertake a negociation with Lord Bute for that purpose, and Lord Hardwicke could not open one himself, having no direct communication with Lord Bute, nor any ostensible pretence. Even in the present design of making some alterations in the ministry, the application was not made to him, but to Mr. Pitt. From motives of policy, he concealed his disapprobation of this preserence given to Mr. Pitt. Upon the discharge of Mr. fVilkes, by the chief justice of the Common Pleas, he attended the levee and drawing-room, accompanied by the Duke of Newcastle, and a sew of their friends. Finding this bait not to succeed, he afterwards courted savour, by avowing in all companies, his opinion to be totally different from the judicial judgment of the chief justice: and he actually formed a league with the Duke of Newcastle and others, to determine in parliament, that the chief justice had done wrong, in releasing a member of parliament ment from confinement for a libel, upon a plea of privilege, by an implied censure, in a vote, 1764. declaring, That privilege of parliament did not extend to a libel. And this accounts for the protest upon that question, not being signed by the Duke of Newcastle, Lord Hardwicke, Lord Rockingham, Lord Sondes, &c. At the meeting of the Lords in the minority at Devonshire-house, to settle the words of the protest, the Duke of Newcastle excused himself from signing it, by relating this agreement with his friend Lord Hardwicke; who at that time was conssined by sickness, and who died by sickness three months afterwards, 1763. Meeting CHAP. XXVI. Meeting of Parliament—Servility of the Commons } of the Speaker—Versatility—Vote away their own privilege—Royal Apothegm—The North Briton— Mr. Pitt's speech against the sacrifice of Privilege. o N the fifteenth of November, 1763, parlia- cHAP,. ment met. The moment the Commons were XXVI. returned to their own House from the Lords, Mr. Grenville and Mr. fVilkes rose together, each was eager to address the House. Mr. ofpariiaGrenville to deliver the commands of the King—. ment" Mr. PVilkes to complain of a breach of privilege. By the settled forms of the House, the breach Jjjj* of privilege ought to have been heard first. But Commons, the Speaker, as previously directed, pointed to Mr. Grenville. The reader must have perceived in the course of these sheets, that the corruption of parliament, or, as it is sashionably called, the management of parliament, is become an indifpensible part of the mechanism of government. The Of the particular servility of the Speaker has been no- sPeakerticed several times—by Mr. Pitt himself, in his speech for the repeal of the American stamp act. - This parliament, which had been elected Versatiliwhile the Whigs were in office—which had sup- ty. ported |