HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
engaged only in a negociation for an 
accession of strength to the govern-, 
ment, which already existed; while 
the person, with whom they treated, 
might believe that they had both 
the desire and the authority to pro- 
pose to him, that he should under- 
take to form a new administration. 
The subsequent transactions ren- 
der it evident, that no such de- 
sire did, in fact, exist, on their 
part; and it has been generally 
believed, that they had received no 
such authority from that quarter, 
from whence alone it could regu- 
larly have-been given! Yet it ap- 
pears certain, that the proposal 
was listened to, in that sense alone, 
by the person to whom it was made. 
Mr. Pitt’s answer, as stated to the 
public by one of his confidential 
friends, was conceived in the fol- 
lowing terms: That “ he would 
not enter upon the question of ar- 
rangements, until he was distinctly 
informed, by a message from the 
highest authority, that his services 
were thought essential; that if so 
called upon, in spite of the preca- 
rious state of his health, he should 
not decline the offer of his best ad- 
vice and assistance; that he was 
fully aware of the great and in- 
creasing difficulties of the country, 
and that he saw the necessity of a 
STRONG, VIGOROUS, and EFFI- 
CIENT GOVERNMENT.” To this 
he is said, from the same authority, 
to have added, that, as one im- 
_ portant step towards the formation 
of such a government, he should, 
if called upon by his majesty, pro- 
pose to include, in a new admini- 
‘stration, lord Grenville and lord 
Spencer, if, on being consulted by 
him, they should agree to be so in- 
eluded; but that he showd not 
915° 
make their admission, or that of 
any other person whatever, a sive 
gué non condition of his own ac- 
ceptance, only reserving to himself 
the power of declining the under- 
taking altogether, if he could not 
form such a government as might 
afford to the country a fair proba- 
bility of success. 
In this state the transaction is 
said to have been communicated 
to these two noble persons, and 
through them to some of their 
friends. The answer of lord Gren- 
ville and lord Spencer is ‘said to 
have been, that they could form no 
final judgment of the propriety of 
their acceding to such an arrange- 
ment, until they were informed, 
both with what persons it might be 
proposed to them to act, and on what 
principles the government was to be 
conducted; that they entirely con- 
curred in the opinion expressed by 
Mr. Pitt, astothe necessity of form- 
ing aSTRUNG, VIGOROUS, and EF- 
FICIENT GOVERNMENT, and wish- 
ed to carry that principle to the full 
extent, of including in the new ad- 
ministration, whatever was most 
eminent in the country for talent, 
influence and character; that they 
should, under all circumstances 
openly and invariably. adhere t« 
those principles, respecting the stats 
and government of Ireland, to whic! 
they had been pledged, on the dis- 
solution of the former government 
that this point must be distinctly ex- 
plained by themselves in that quar 
ter, where it was most material, thet 
it should be clearly understood ; and 
that if, on this account, or from any: 
other cause, new difficulties should 
arise, they earnestly intreated that 
no consideration personal to them- 
selves should, for a single moment, 
P4 retard 
