Memoirs of Lord 3ielt>ille» 
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fcessful; and that celebrated coalition 
ministry on the very grounds of tlie 
terms of peace, and the address of thanks 
on tlie occasion, obtained such a majo¬ 
rity in parliament as commanded tlieir 
way to power, and placed the imbecile 
Duke of Portland in the nominal olfice 
of minister, or at least First Lord of the 
Treasury, while they, holding the seals 
of the secretaries of state, were the elh- 
cient ministers. 
Under this change, Mr. Dundas not 
only lost his place of Treasurer of the 
Navy, but also that of Lord Advocate 
of Scotland, which he had filled for about 
ten years, and which was conferred on 
tfie Honourable Henry Erskine. These 
two gentlemen falling into company to¬ 
gether at Edinburgh soon after this ap¬ 
pointment, Mr. Erskine observed that he 
must have his silk gown made, on which 
Mr. Dundas tauntingly said, “ It is 
hardly worth while, for the time you 
will want it; you had better borrow 
mine!” It is certain that he held the 
olfice little more than half a year; but 
Mr. Dundas on the succeeding change 
did not think proper to resume it, but 
ceded it to Mr. Hay Campbell, whom he 
afterwards promoted to the chair of Lord 
President. 
The coalition administration reigned a 
very short period. Young Pitt, assisted 
by Mr. Dundas, by the Grenville family, 
and a very strong popular interest, soon 
precipitated their downfal; the ground 
of attack being Fox’s celebrated India 
Bill. In the opposition to this measure, 
Mr. Dundas made a very conspicuous 
figure. He had most assiduously em¬ 
ployed himself to investigate and under¬ 
stand the complicated affairs of the com¬ 
pany, This was, perhaps, the first oc¬ 
casion on which he was employed, in 
matters that required deep and serious at¬ 
tention. In his professional business as 
a lawyer and his parliamentary speeches, 
his abilities carried him through without 
much intense labour or study; but this 
required not only all his talents, but also 
the mogt unremitting investigation to un¬ 
fold the intricate affairs of this immense 
concern, in the future controul of which 
lie was afterwards to take the great lead; 
and here he shewed himself completely 
equal to the most profound reseai’ches. 
In fact, one of the first acts of the new 
nthninistration was, to bring in an India 
Bill, no wise materially differing from the 
obnoxious one of Mr. Fox, and Mr. 
Dundas was placed at the head of the 
Board of Controul^established by thatlaw. 
Mr. Pitt was now completely the Pre¬ 
mier, holder of the offices of First Lord of 
the Treasury, and Chancellor of the Ex¬ 
chequer; and Mr. Dundas holding the 
offices of Treasurer of the Navy, and 
President of the Board of Controul; 
and adding afterwards to these that of 
Secretary of State, besides being sole 
and absolute Minister for Scotland; his 
patronage was unbounded. India was 
filled with his creatures, and every place 
in his native country was giv^en through 
him. With this unprecedented influence 
it is no wonder that of tlie forty-five 
Members which Scotland sends to the 
House of Commons, he carried five- 
sixths, although from his natural or fa¬ 
mily interest he could hardly succeed in 
tile county of Mid Lothean alone, and 
was without pretension to attempt anv 
other county or borough. The sixteen 
representative Peers were also entirely 
his nomination. This last, indeed, is 
no wise uncommon, the Scotch Peerage 
being so undeviatingly loyal, that the 
minister of the day never fails to dictate 
their choice, and that not secretly, hut 
by circular mandates, in the form of re¬ 
quests, to which this noble body as 
tamely submits as the no less loyal cle¬ 
rical order do in the case of a co77s.i 
d'etire for a bishop. To shew this in a 
strong instance. Lord Lauderdale, dur¬ 
ing Mr. Dundas’s reign, had not influ¬ 
ence to procure his own election; whereas 
having, during the late administration, 
succeeded to the management of Scot¬ 
land, the same noble lord had the influ¬ 
ence with the same body of peers to 
nominate fifteen of the sixteen. 
But although Mr. Dundas, from his 
vast patronage, had immense influence 
among those classes in Scotland who 
lived in the hope of obtaining places for 
themselves, or their relatives and con¬ 
nections, the strong measures of the ad¬ 
ministration with which he acted, ren¬ 
dered him very unpopular among the 
body of the people; and in his visit to 
Scotland in the year 1793, he, at more 
places than one, narrowly escaped the 
fury of the populace, which liis friends, 
by their imprudent zeal in his behalf, 
rather promoted than allayed. A cir¬ 
cumstance occurred at Edinburgh on the 
King’s birth-day,, 1793, deserving of 
notice.. 
It has been the custom in that city to 
celebrate the birth-day of the Sovereigu 
with great eclat and noise; and on this 
annual festival the lower part of the 
coniniunity, hinong ilieir other enjoy- 
