GENERAL HISTORY. 



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31 



among the most memorable and 

 tragical incidents of the year, a 

 full relation will be found in the 

 Chronicle and the Parliamentary 

 Debates. One conclusion univer- 

 sally drawn from it was, that a 

 very considerable, if not radical, 

 change in the administration was 

 now become ineA'itable; and the 

 ministers themselves seemed to 

 regard their places as only held pro 

 tempore till their successors were 

 agreed upon. The Earl of Liver- 

 pool, on whom the post of leader 

 now devolved, attempted to ac- 

 quire an accession of strength by 

 the association of the Marquis 

 Wellesley and Mr. Canning. Upon 

 the failure of this attempt, Mr. 

 Stuart Wortley made that motion 

 with respect to a strong and effi- 

 cient administration, the discussion 

 of which will be found in the de- 

 bates. Its result proving that the 

 ministers were no longer supported 

 by a majority of the House of 

 Commons, the Prince Regent di- 

 rected negociations to be opened 

 for effecting the purpose of the ad- 

 dress presented to him by that 

 house. The Marquis Wellesley 

 was the first person to whom this 

 important and delicate commission 

 was intrusted; but after a short 

 interval, he tendered to his Royal 

 Highness his resignation of the 

 authority vested in him. For the 

 curious and interesting account 

 given by himself to the House of 

 Lords, of the obstacles which ren- 

 dered his negociation fruitless, we 

 refer to the debates. 



The same powers were next 

 transferred by the Regent to Lord 

 Moira, who treated with Lords 

 Grey and Grenville upon a basis 

 that seemed to remove all difficul- 

 ties to a tinal adjustment. The fail- 



ure of this treaty in consequence of 

 a difference respecting the house- 

 hold appointments, with the very 

 extraordinary conduct of Lord 

 Moira on the occasion, is recorded 

 in our account of the debates. As 

 it there appears, to his lordship is 

 solely owing the continuance of a 

 ministry, whose removal, he once 

 said, as the only circumstance 

 which could give the Roman Ca- 

 tholics of Ireland a prospect of ob- 

 taining a redress of their griev- 

 ances, " ought to be rapturously- 

 hailed by the whole country." 



The Earl of Liverpool, on June 

 8, stated to the House of Lords 

 that the Prince Regent had on that 

 day appointed him first commis- 

 sioner of the treasury, and autho- 

 rised him to complete the arrange- 

 ments for the ministry; and thus a 

 termination was put to all expec- 

 tations of a change of men or 

 measures, at least to any consider- 

 able extent. The majority in par- 

 liament, actuated either by the ha- 

 bitual concurrence with establish- 

 ed power, or by the conviction that 

 the past contests had been merely 

 for place and emolument, immedi- 

 ately restored their support to the 

 ministers, and no further cry was 

 heard for " a strong and efficient 

 administration." The principal ac- 

 cessions made to the ministerial 

 list were. Lord Sidmouth, as se- 

 cretary of state for the home de- 

 partment ; Earl of Harrowby, lord 

 president of the council ; and Mr. 

 Vansittart, chancellor of the exche- 

 quer. 



During a great part of this year 

 the country was kept in a state of 

 alarm in consequence of the dispo- 

 sition to riot, which, commencing 

 in the preceding autumn in the 

 hosiery district of Nottingham- 



[K2] Khire, 



