1806. ] 
themfelves as much on one element, as 
our failors had done on another: while 
Ireland, inthe midft of a difaftrous war, 
was happily united to Britain. 
At length, after holding the reins af 
government during eighteen years, Mr. 
Pitt and all the members of the cabinet, 
in 1801, fuddenly retired: from office. 
His motives wére never publicly avowed ; 
but his private reafons, according to the 
confeffion of feveral of his friends, were 
founded on the policy perfevered in re- 
lative to a neighbouring portion of the 
empire. 
On his retiring from office, all parties 
feemed to rejoice at the nomination of Mr, 
Addington. From Cornwall to Caithnefs 
the people congratulated themlelves on the 
changé; and France from that moment 
happily ceafed to have either friends or 
advocates within the precings of our 
ifland. A bill of indemnity having been 
carried by the new minifter, the old one, 
thus abfolved from future inveftigation, 
retired to Walmer Cafile, where he was 
occupied in a very honourable and becom- 
ing manner in difciplining the two regi- 
ments railed by the Cinque Ports. 
Although he himfelf had confantly 
fcouted every propofition of peace, yet he 
afterwards lent the whole force of ‘his 
great abilities and influence to the new 
premier, when the articles of the treaty of 
Amiens were debated in the houfe of Com- 
mons. He then remained for fome time 
ina fiate of political infignificance; but 
although the new war appears to have ex- 
perienced his entire approbation, fome of 
the meafures adopted in purfuance of it 
were not deemed fufficiently energetic. 
He, however, did not make a direét at- 
tack on the adminiftration, until March 
15, 1804, when he accufed the admiralty 
board of imbecility. He was again in a 
minority on the Irifh Militia Bill; and 
he foon after gave his moft cordial and 
zealuus fupport to Mr. Fox’s prepofttion 
relative to the National Defence, which 
was loft on a divifion. 
The minifter’s fmall majority having 
dwindled to 37, on the ** Army of Re- 
ferve Sufpenfion Bill,” Mr. Addington 
with a fewof his friends foon after retired, 
and the ex-minifier refumed his former feat 
on the treafury-bench. 
The ‘ Aditional Forge Bill,’? which 
proved to be the firft meafure of the new 
adminiftration, was carried with great 
difficulty, Meflrs. Fox, Windham, Gren- 
ville, and all the Addingtons having 
voted again it. In thisdilemma, Mr. 
Pitt was foon after firengthened by the 
Memoirs of the Right Hon. William Pitt. 
143 
acceffion of Vifcount Sidmouth, who af- 
ter being ennobled accepted of the office 
ef lord prefident of the council. 
On the meeting of parliament, January 
15, 1805, Mr. Pitt ftrenuoufly defended 
the war with Spain, and carried the mo- 
tion for an sadecle Gy a majority of 207. 
The next ebjeéts that engaged his atten- 
tion were the ‘* Irifh Habeas Corpus Suf- 
penfion Bill,”? and the budget for 1305, 
two articles of which were contetted with 
no common degree of warmth. One of 
thefe, the Salt Duty Bill, was carried by a 
majoritv of 38; but the other, the Horfe 
Daty Bill, was combated with equal {pirit 
and fuccets on the part of its opponents, 
and at length loft on a Wwe by a-ma- 
jority of three. 
During the recefs, the premier was Gigs! 
rounded with difficulties. But he em- 
ployed his time and talents in forming a 
third coalition againft France; which, 
in confequesce of the capitulation of 
Ulm, and the battle of Aufterlitz, proved 
more fatal and inaufpicious than the two 
former. From that period the neceffity 
cf achange in the cabinet feemed to be 
generally allowed. 
In the mean time, a gouty habit, a 
predifpofition to which difeafe appears to 
have been inherited from his father, and 
was perhaps greatly increafed by his own 
manner of living, afflailed a conftitution 
never very ftrone.. In addition to this, 
the total mifcarriage of all his {chemes, 
and the melancholy afpect of continental 
affairs, are faid to have preyed upon his 
mind ; and that too to fuch a degree, that 
he is fuppofed to have died broken-hearted 
at his houfe near Putney, between the 
hours of four and five on Wednefday morn- 
ing, January 23, 1306. 
Thus perifhed, inthe 47th year of his 
age, and in his fecond premierfhip, Wil- 
liam Pitt, leaving to his country a legacy 
of misfortunes, and to himlelf an equi- 
vocal celebrity. The virtucs and abilities 
of his father, while yet a boy, had pro- 
duced a kind of national partiality in his 
favour ; and the franknefs and ingenuouf- 
ne(s of his own conduct during his early 
youth, rendered him dear to the people. 
Poffeffled of a towering ambition, he dif- 
dained, like all former ftatefmen to fenue 
an apprenticethip in any fubordinaie of- 
fice, and he accordingly refufed to accept 
of an honourable fituation during the 
Rockingham adminifration, 
When the Earl of Shelburne facceeded 
to power, that nobleman, wifhing to at- 
tach fuch a promifing orator to “himfelf, 
elevated him all at once to the important 
T2 ofice 
