Memoir* iiftHeUfe of Ike Ri'iM^tfon. Win}Pit{. 



ae df 



One of the members of the cabinet,* 

 who had been intimately acquainted, as 

 well aS politically connected, witli the 

 Lord Chancellor for many years, re- 

 peatedly remonstrated with him, upon 

 his present conduct towards Mr. Pitt, 

 which he represented to be the subject 

 of serious concern to all their col- 

 leagues, and earnestly pressed him both 

 for private and public reasons, to state 

 openly and candidly his ground of com- 

 plaint, assuring him, that no offence 

 or neglect had been intended, and that 

 Mr. Pitt ^vas ready to enter into an ex- 

 planation upon any point he might 

 Wish. This friendly interposition en- 

 tirely failed : no explicit answer could 

 be obtained ; nor did the Chancellor 

 mention a single objection to Mr. Pitt's 

 public measures, or specify one in- 

 stance of inattention to himself. He 

 persevered in taking every opportunity 

 of marking his personal dislike of Mr. 

 Pitt, though constantly warned of the 

 unreasonableness and unavoidable con- 

 sequence of such behaviour; and at 

 Ijist his spleen broke forth in a violent 

 censure of a bill, to which he knew 

 Mr. Pitt annexed tlie greatest impor- 

 tance ;t and he actually voted against 

 it without having given any previous 

 notice of his intention. Mr. Pitt, who 

 had shewn more forbearance than any 

 other man would have done under simi- 

 lar circumstances, had now no alterna- 

 tive. Neither the good of the public 

 service, nor a regard of his own feel- 

 ings and character, would allow him to 

 submit to such an indignity ; and on the 

 following morning, he respectfully sub- 

 mitted to the King, the imjwssibiiity of 

 his remaining in office with the Lonl 

 Chancellor, and the conse<iuent neces- 

 sity of his Majesty's making his choice 

 between them. J 



* The Marquis of Stafford, 

 t The bill for liquidating all future loans. 

 J Mr. Pitt, at the same time, wrote the 

 foliowingr letter to the Lord Chancellor : 

 J) owning -street, May 16, 1792. 



l)Ty Lord. — I thluk it right to take the 

 earliest opportunity of acquainting your 

 lordship, that being couviuced of the 

 impbssihility of his Majesty's service be- 

 ing auy longer carried o i to advantagq, 

 while your lordship and myself both re- 

 main in our present situations, I have felt 

 it- my duty to submit that opinion to his 

 Majesty ; humbly rcqueHtiug his Majesty's 

 deltea^minatirtn thcafCwpOJii Ihavetbeha- 



!i> f.l 



The King was in some degree pre-^ 

 pared for this commuuication, and the 

 Lord Chancellor was immediately ac- 

 quainted, by his Majesty's coinmimd,. 

 that he must resign the seals.* But a» 

 a change was not desirable so near the 

 end of the session, and some time waa 

 requisite to bring business depending, 

 in the court of cliancery to a conclii-. 

 sion, he did not actually give up the 

 seals till the day of (he prorogation, 

 when they were placed in tiie hands of 

 three commissioners.t , 



This dismissal of the Ix)rd Chancel-, 

 lor was not followed by a single resig- 

 nation or change in any political or 

 legal department : nor was it expected 

 to effect the vote of one member in cither, 

 house of parliament — a clear proof pf, 

 the opinion which was entertained. of, 

 Mr. Pitfs conduct upon this occasio;q.ij, 



MR. PITT'S APPOINTMENT TO :.TriK*' 

 WARDEN.SHIP OF TBBiin«IKq<J«l 



PORTS. ■ •■ r , ■iii!}!'.)'t 

 Ky the death of Lord Guildfoi'd, on 

 the olh of August in this yisiir, flift' 

 Wardensliip of the Cinque Ports, wort!* 

 30001. a year, became vacant ; and (he 

 king immediately offered it tq Mr, Pitt), 

 in the following mogt^-gcacious and 

 pressing terms : , , 



Windsor, Auffust 6, 1792. . 



Having this morning received the ac-; 

 count of the death of the Earl of Guild-, 

 ford, I take the first opportunity of ac-' 

 quainting Mr. Pitt, that the wardeushii) of, 

 the Cinque Porta is an otfice, for which t 

 will not receive any recommendatiou; hav- 

 ing positively resolved to confer it on hiui, 

 as a mark of that regard, which his eraiuent 

 services have deserved from me. I am so 

 bent on this, that I shall be seriously of- 

 fended at any attempt to decline. I hare 

 intimated these my intentions to the Earl 

 of Chatham, Lord Grenville, and Mr. 

 Dundas." 



His Majesty, knowing that Mr- Pitti\ 

 was at Burton Pynsiutou a visit to U'ln^ / j 

 mother, sent the aljove letter to Mr^.. 

 Dundas, in London, adding, '^ Mr. 

 Dundas is to forward it with a few lines 

 from himself, expressing, that 1 will 

 not admit of this favour being declined. 

 1 desire that Lord Chatham may also 

 write, and that Mr. Dundas will take'* ■ 

 the first opportunity of acquainting* 

 : ■■» - i n 



* His opposition to the nexv forest bllt^'* 

 was subsequent to this notice. .CvTl 



+ The three commissioners were. Lord 

 Chief Baron Eyre, Mr. Justice Ashurst, 

 •' and Mr, Justice Wilson. 



Lord 



