56 
fued, might have prevented them from 
redeeming their folemn pledge to the 
nation. 
Meanwhile, in March 1782, the Duke 
of Richmond had been nominated to the 
unportant office of Mafter-General of the 
Ordnance, in the room of the prefent 
Marquis of Townfhend. During. the 
ichifm that took place in confequence of 
the divifions in the Cabinet, he left the 
party of his nephew,* and adhered to the 
late Marguis of Lanfdewne, who had 
been nominated the new Firft Lord of 
the Treafury. On this occafion, a-deadly 
war of ambition took place between the 
rival faétions; in which Mr. Fox, by an 
unnatural but politic coalition with Lord 
North, which was then viewed with ab- 
horrence and. deteftation, finally tri- 
umphed. On this, his uncle refigned his 
office at the Beard of Ordnance, on the 
9th of April, 1783, and entered once 
tore into the lifts of Oppofition. 
Under a new, a young, and an elo- 
guent leader, the late Mr. Pitt, victory 
enee more fmiled on their banners ; and 
having, by an unexampled degree of: 
good fortune, united in their own per- 
fous both the royal and popular favour, 
they fairly drove their enemies from the 
field, and once more clothed themfelves 
with their fpeis. On this occation, (De- 
cember, 1783), his old office, which had 
been occupied by his old rivai,t fell to 
the-fhare of the fubjeét of this Memoir, 
and it was foon after followed by the rib- 
band and infignia of the Garter. 
But Mr. Fox, and thofe who called 
themfelves Whigs par ercellence, were 
tull formidable. As ufual, they courted 
popularity in retirement, contended a- 
gainit the unconititutional proceedings of 
thofe in power, and promifed, in cate of 
fuccefs, to give full and aimple fatisfac- 
tion to the nation for all its wrongs. 
They, too, once more introduced the 
guettion of Parliamentary Reform; and 
their leader, for the firit time, made a 
public and folemn declaration in its fa- 
vour. 
But their opponents, clothed with all 
the power and influence of the fiate, 
fairly outbid them at this political auc- 
ution, Mr. Pitt ttill preferved his con- 
nexion and correfpondence with Mr. 
Woyville, and all the leaders who had af- 
fuciated in favour of 4 new model of the 
Houfe of Commons ; nay, he even pledg- 
ed himfelf, “ both as a man and a mini- 
* The late Mr. Fox. 
T The Marquis of Townfhend 
’ Memoirs of the tate Duke of Richmond. 
[Feb. 1, 
fter, to produce it.” The Duke of Rich- 
mond, too, boldly perfevered in his fore 
mer declarations ; and, on introducing a 
bill into the Houfe of Lords, publicly de- 
clared,° “ that his reafons in favour of a 
Parliamentary Reform, were built on the 
experience of twenty-fix years; which, 
whether in or out of Government, had 
convinced him, that the reftoration of a. 
genuine Houfe of Commons, by a reno- 
vation of the rights of the people, was the 
only remedy againft that fyitem of cor- 
Tuption which had brought the nation to 
poverty and difgrace, and threatened it 
with the lofs of liberty.” 
But thefe fine and fpecious fpeeches, 
were only contintied until the nation had 
become hopelets, as to this object, by 
delay, and the Minittry fo ftrong in pomt 
ef numbers by an increafed influence, 
that a project of this kind, which might 
have now endangered their places, was 
no longer neceflary for the retention of 
them. His Grace accordingly, inftead 
of reforming the grievances, in: his capa- 
city of Mafter-General, determined te 
reform the fortifications of our iland. 
We have already obferved, that he com- 
plained of the feanty proportions of thofe’ 
erected by his predeceifors; as to his 
own, they were of a gigantic fize, and 
calculated to realife the dreams of Friar’ 
Bungay and Friar Bacon, who had de- 
termined to furround our whole territory 
with a triple wall of brafs. This was 
nearly attempted in ftone and iron, by 
the Duke; and fo alarmed was the Houfe 
of Commons at thefe coftly and exten- 
five preparations, that the fubjeét was 
brought under their notice in 1786, and 
the whole f{cheme fet afide, after a divi- 
fion, im which the cafting-vote of the 
Speaker turned the balance. 
Notwithftanding this, the eflimate of 
expences for repairing eld works, was 
immenie ; new ones are faid, with what 
degree of truth we know not, to have 
been actually ereéted under colour of this 
provilion *; and our Weit India iflands 
began to be rather encumbered than de- 
fended by extenfive chains of forts, that 
foon crumbled into ruins. _ 
Towards the latter end of 1795, the 
Duke ot Richmond religned the office of 
Maiter-General to the late Marquis of 
* Sec, 1. Obfervations on the Duke of 
Richmond's Extenfive Plan of Fortification, 
1794; 2. AReply to an Anfwer, &c. in a 
Letter to his Grace; and, 3. An Appendix to 
the foregoing ; all printed by the Robinfons, 
i794, 
Cornwallis, 
