THE NEGOTIATIONS AT LILLE. 
55 
GRENVILLE’S OPPOSITION TO THE NEGOTIATIONS AT LILLE. 
May to October, 1797. 
The recall of Hammond was the first step in a policy which Grenville 
was now determined to urge looking toward a continuance of the war. 
He soon found, however, that the spirit of the English ministry and 
nation was not sufficiently restored to support the idea of a war in iso¬ 
lation against France, and his preparatory efforts were brought to a 
full stop by the decision of the Cabinet to make a separate offer of 
peace. Pitt was thoroughly disheartened, and was at last determined 
to impose his authority in the conduct of foreign affairs. 
The negotiations of 1797 brought out the final conflict of opinion 
between Pitt and Grenville, on the great question of war or peace, and 
in their progress revealed both the extent of Grenville’s influence and 
the sources from which it was derived. The decision of the Cabinet 
was reached on May 31.* * * § Since April conditions in England had 
created a widespread movement for peace. The mutiny in the fleet, 
an army riot at Woolwich, insurrections in Ireland, the low state of 
the funds, the withdrawal of Grattan and his party from the Irish 
Parliament, and the threatened withdrawal of Fox from the English 
Parliament, all combined to increase the panic raised by the news of 
Eeoben, and brought even the friends of Burke to think of peace.f 
I11 Parliament the opposition was regularly supported by double the 
number of members it could previously count upon, and between March 
27 and June 1 five distinct motions of censure and dismissal were 
pressed against the government. At the same time a large body of 
independents under the leadership of the Earl of Moira attempted to 
make a coalition with the Foxites, minus Fox, in order to turn out the 
ministry. J Pitt was a sturdy political fighter, ever ready to stand up 
for his own opinion, but in this case his personal predilection coincided 
with that of his opponents, and it is therefore not surprising that after 
the failure of Hammond’s journey he renewed overtures of peace to 
France. Grenville, as stubborn as ever in his opposition to peace, 
bent before the storm and did not object to the initial communications/ 
with France, though even from the first he was seeking to renew 
friendly relations with Austria in the hope that the conference which 
the latter was to hold with P'rance at Berne would result in a rupture.§ 
* Grenville to George III, May 31, 1797. Dropmore, III, 327. 
t Sir Gilbert Elliot to Lady Elliot, May 12, 1797. “A speedy peace seems to 
have become extremely necessary.” Elliot, II, 392. 
I Letter from Moira to McMahon, June 15, 1797. Pari. Hist., XXXIII, 1210. 
§ Grenville to Stahremberg, June 2, 1797. Dropmore, III, 327. 
