ase 
- 
AS 
_s 
* nearly subverted all the powers of 
Europe, then broke out, and his 
majesty having sent a message to 
parliament, on the 12th of Fe- 
'} bruary, 1793, respecting the ag- 
gression on Holland, a war 
was immediately commenced with 
France, for the conduét of which, 
and the administration of the go- 
‘| vernment of the country, during a 
long period of the grealest difficulty, 
Mr. Pitt, must chain. his iipliekt 
te On the consequences of 
that war it is impossibie now to 
speak, for they are not yet com- 
plete; and, if Mr. Pitt was not as 
triumphantly successful as his fa- 
_ ther, he yet called forth all the 
energies of his, country, against an 
enemy whose power has been rarely, 
if ever, equalled, and extended the 
_ naval greatness of Britain beyond 
all example of naval power in all 
times. 
In 1794 were passed the Bills for 
suspending the habeas corpus act, 
and the suppression of popular so- 
cieties, and on the 2d of October in 
that year, occurred the trials of 
Hardy, Tovke, aud others, for high 
_ treason. 
Mr. Pitt having favoured reform 
in parliament, and proposed a plan 
for that purpose, the 2d of May, 
1783 ; afterwards, on the 26th of 
May, 1797, on the motion of Mr. 
Grey, stated his reasons for not 
acceding to a reform. Shortly 
after succeeded the mutiny at the 
Nore. 
In July, 1798, were opened the 
 Regotiations with the French pleni- 
_ potentiaries and lord Malmesbury, 
at Lisle, which were shortly after 
broken off. In 1799, anaddress to 
his majesty, proposing an union of 
the two kingdoms of England and 
Ireland, was voted by both houses 
CHA RACG'T ERS: 
877 
of parliament, and in 1800 that 
plan was ratified by the Irish par- 
liament, which constitues one of the 
most important events of the pre- 
sent reign, by concentrating the 
energies of two great countries under 
one imperial monarch, In the same 
year the first consul of France made 
overtures of peace, which were re- 
jected, and Mr. Pitt gave the rea- 
sons for the conduét of ministry, in 
one of the ablest and most eloquent 
speeches that was ever delivered in 
any assembly. In 1801, Mr. Pitt 
resigned his official situation as mi- 
nister, which he had held so long, 
on the avowed occasion of the im- 
possibility of carrying into effeét 
his views with respect to catholic 
emancipation, which he had consi. 
dered as a grand objeét in forming 
the union. : 
During the interval of his retiring 
from office, and becoming minister 
for the last time, he lived in great 
retirement, sold his seat at Holwood, 
in Kent, and occupied a smal! house 
in Baker-strect, where his sinecure 
of the wardenship of the Cinque 
Ports, was his sole revenue. 
In 1802 he defended the treaty 
of Amiens, and gave his firm sup- 
port to the administration of his, 
successor, Mr. Addington; but, in 
1804, after the breaking out of hos- 
tilities with France, thinking that 
ministry unequal to the vigorous 
prosecution of hostilities, he opposed 
the Additional Force Bills, for the 
defence of the country, and even 
joived Mr. Fox in severai motions 
against the ministry, succeeded 
in overthrowing it, and became 
chancellor of the exchequer, and 
first ford of the treasury again; 
May 12, 1804. 
In 1805 the character of his great 
colleague, lord Melville, was vio- 
lently 
