354 REJECTION OF WALSINGHAM'S MOTION. CH. II. for having taken a course which postponed the whole legislation of the country; but this consideration was insignificant, in comparison with the paramount importance of the principle at issue between the Irish Parliament and the Crown. The House of Commons at Westminster, however, regarded the House of Commons at Dublin in the same light as the House of Burgesses at Virginia, or the Assembly at Boston. The provincial character was common to all; nor could the Irish Assembly be permitted to advance pretensions inconsistent with due subordination to the Imperial legislature. Walsingham's motion, though supported by Grenville and Burke, excited little interest; and was negatived by a large majority in a thin House. 1770. MUTUAL DISSENSIONS OF THE OPPOSITION. 355 CHAPTER XII. DISUNION OF THE OPPOSITION-ANOTHER CITY ADDRESS-DEATH AND CHARACTER OF GRENVILLE OF LORD GRANBY-OF THE DUKE OF BEDFORD-THE FALKLAND ISLANDS-PROSECUTION OF THE PRINTERS -QUARREL BETWEEN THE TWO HOUSES-SHOREHAM ELECTION. Opposition. THE session of Parliament closed on the 19th of May, leaving the Government uninjured by the Mutual dissenvigorous efforts of the Opposition in both sions of the Houses, as well as out of doors. Nor is this result by any means unaccountable. There was no frank or cordial intercourse between the leaders of the parties in alliance against the Court. Rockingham, proud of his position as chief of the Whigs and bigoted to the tradition of Government by the great Revolution-families, was jealous of the predominance of Chatham. Himself a rigid Whig, he probably regarded Chatham as unsound in doctrine, and in some measure as an upstart who ought not to take too great a lead in affairs which appertained to hereditary statesmen. Rockingham was certainly much scandalised by the irregular connection which his brilliant ally had formed. He had no toleration for persons who formed associations and presumed to deal with grievances independently of Whig direction and control.* Chatham, on the other hand, * Burke, in his letters to Lord Rockingham-and he writes, too, evidently to please his patronrails at the Bill of Rights people,' their violence, rashness, and wickedness, calls them vil lains, traitors, and so forth. Yet these people had said no more than great Whigs had said, and had done no more than had been done with the approbation of the Whig party. But it was one 356 THE KING'S DETERMINATION. CH. XII. did not dissemble his contempt for the narrow views and decorous moderation of the Whig aristocracy; while the arrogant and dictatorial tone which he affected, had always proved peculiarly offensive to, and throughout his political life had gone far to alienate from him, that proud and exclusive race. Again, the Rockingham party bore no good will to the Grenvilles. We have seen how coldly the earnest overtures of Lord Temple had been received by the agent of that party the year before. A political connection which consisted of a single family, and that 1 too of recent origin, had no right to set itself up, and court alliances on a footing of equality with the great houses. Neither were the Opposition in any harmony with regard to the great political questions of the day. On the Middlesex election, the Whigs would not be led by Chatham; and the Grenvilles seemed to have troubled themselves very little about that matter. On the Colonial question, Grenville was of one opinion, Chatham of another, and Rockingham of a third. The Government, on the other hand, possessed the Determination great advantage which is derived from of the King. unity and decision of purpose. The King was, as ever, determined to resist the domineering rule of the Whig lords; to maintain the present Parliament; to uphold the decision of the Commons in the Middlesex election; and to chastise American revolt. He found a minister with no fixed opinions on any of these subjects, but faithful to his service, and possessed of tact and ability to carry on his business. The fate of the administration was for some time doubtful; but the patience and courage of the minister, his good humour and address, backed thing, it seemed, for the county of York to petition under the auspices of the Marquis of Rockingham, and another for the county of Middlesex to petition under the direction of Alderman Sawbridge or Serjeant Glynn. 1770. BECKFORD'S REPLY TO THE KING. 357 by the hearty support of the Crown, at length prevailed. The time-servers who decide the fate of so many Cabinets, at length gave in their adhesion; and at the end of its first session, Lord North's government showed signs of that longevity which, unhappily for the Empire, it was destined to attain. address. A few days after the prorogation, the City, unwilling to submit patiently to the rebuke Address of the which they had received from the mouth City of London. of the Sovereign, resolved to go up with another address, expressive of their discontent. And the Lord Mayor, in anticipation of the answer which he would probably receive, prepared himself with a reply. The address, though resolute in its tone, Answer to the was worded in decent, and even courtly terms. The King replied briefly that he had done no more than his duty in censuring the remonstrance. And here properly the audience should have terminated. The Lord Mayor, as the chief of the Corporation, had presented the address which they had voted. Having done so, he had fulfilled his duty; and his authority, in that particular, was at an end. According to ancient precedent, he had demanded and obtained, as of right, the privilege of presenting the City address to the King on the throne. But he had no right to add anything to that address. He had come determined, however, to reply upon the King. No sooner therefore had His Majesty spoken, than Beckford asked permission to say something more, and at once proceeded in a set speech to entreat a * It was written by Horne Tooke. Adolphus's History, vol. i. p. 438. Mr. Maltby says that Horne Tooke told him, that he with others was waiting at the Mansion House when Beckford returned from St. James's-that he was asked what he had said? and his answer was that he was * 358 DEATH OF BECKFORD AND GRENVILLE. CH. XII. more favourable answer; and to denounce as a violator of the public peace and a traitor to the constitution, any person who should attempt by false insinuations to alienate His Majesty's affections from his subjects in general, and from the City of London in particular. The King took no notice of this extraordinary address; and the Lord Mayor with the other members of the deputation were allowed, as usual, to kiss hands and withdraw. Death of This incident was for the time a subject of much discussion. Courtiers could only regard Beckford. the conduct of the Mayor as a shocking breach of etiquette. The Whigs did not approve of it. The more uncompromising asserters of popular rights, with Chatham at their head, were loud in their applause. Beckford, dying a few weeks afterwards, the Corporation caused his statue to be erected in the Guildhall, with his speech to the King engraven in letters of gold on the pedestal. Death of Other men of greater note also died in the course of this year. Grenville, whose health had Grenville. His been failing for many months, expired on character. the same day that Parliament reassembled for the usual autumnal session. His vacant seat must have given rise to some emotion in that House, of which he had been a constant attendant for thirty years, and one of its most important members during the greater part of that time. He left behind him some men his superiors in eloquence and address, but none who equalled him in knowledge of parliamentary law and public business. These are qualities more highly valued in the House of Commons than the most brilliant talents without such attainments. tioned the speech as his composition, and that some years since he [Maltby] had a request from the Corporation of the City to give them some information on the point.'-Note, Correspondence of GRAY and MASON. |