any great degree. The Almighty be praised for the state of our sweet children! May the same divine goodness continue to preserve them, and no infection reach them, or spread through our poor village!(1) I doubt if I shall have the joy of seeing you to-morrow. Perhaps I must attend at St. Stephens. Your loving husband, W. PITT. (2) (1) The small-pox was at this time raging throughout the surrounding country. (2) On the 10th of February, the bill declaring the right of Great Britain to make laws binding the North American colonies in all cases whatever, was, after a long debate, read the third time. Mr. Pitt's speech upon the occasion will be found noticed in the following letter from THE RIGHT HON. WILLIAM GERARD HAMILTON TO "DEAR CALCRAFT, "Tuesday, February 11, 1766. "THE only light in which my letters can be of use, in the present barren state, of politics, is in the light you mention not to convey true intelligence, for there is none such, but to obviate the false reports which are circulated by others. The most sanguine wishers for a change in the administration do not presume to flatter themselves that there will be one till Easter, and do not seriously think there will be one till the end of the session; and what will happen at that distance, he must, I think, be a man of great presumption who shall pretend to foretell. There are, however, many who believe that the Duke of Grafton and Conway will resign, if the King still continues to decline sending for Mr. Pitt; and that this will take place as soon as the American business is at an end. I am persuaded that there are certain parts of the present administration who will, upon no account, act with Mr. Pitt. For those who want merely to keep a subordinate employment, he is certainly the best minister in GEORGE ONSLOW, ESQ. TO MR. PITT. DEAR SIR, Curzon Street, Friday night, 12 o'clock. [February 14, 1766.] I HAD the honour of your most obliging letter yesterday, every expression in which regarding the world; but for those who wish to have a share in the rule and government of the country, he is the worst: what system will rise up out of this chaos no one can say, or even conjecture, with probability. "Wednesday night. The former part of my letter I wrote yesterday, and intended to finish it in the evening, but was prevented, as the House sat till twelve at night, upon the third reading of the American bill. Mr. Pitt was there, and spoke as pleasingly, though not very argumentatively, as I ever heard him. He never appeared in better health; and introduced, with infinite humour, the meeting between Lord Bute, George Grenville, and the Duke of Bedford: a delicate subject for George Grenville to speak upon; and yet he did speak upon it, guardedly and dexterously. The impression he conveyed was, that the whole conversation turned upon the Stamp-act; that nothing else was agitated there; that Lord Bute spoke at that meeting in a manner which did him honour, and that he had no personal animosity to him. “Mr. Pitt gave an account of his two interviews with the King, in August 1763, and in June last. In speaking of the first, he contradicted absolutely every thing that had been circulated, as to the unreasonableness of his demands; and in treating of the last, he passed over studiously every thing that related to Lord Temple's refusal. He declared that he had refused to acquiesce in Stuart Mackenzie's being restored to an office of influence, but consented to his having a sinecure employment. Upon the whole, I think the day was a very reputable one for Lord Bute, and that it gave, as indeed it ought to give, a great deal of satisfaction to his friends, to hear both Mr. Pitt and George Grenville labouring to explain that they had not the myself I am proud of, as indeed I ought to be, and shall most certainly preserve it, that my family may know hereafter, I was within the notice and esteem of Mr. Pitt. To return you my thanks would alone have occasioned you this second least degree of personal animosity whatsoever to him, and letting it be understood, that if he would make either of them ministers, and be satisfied with a moderate share of influence, they should be extremely happy in his friendship. "Lord Rockingham has given to Milbank the place of commissioner of the revenue in Ireland, though Lord Hertford had promised it to another. It was vacated by the death of Sir Richard Cox, and I should think the not complying with the Lord Lieutenant's request in the disposition of a preferment usually, though not strictly, within his department, pressed as I understand it was, by the two secretaries of state, must have increased the divisions in the cabinet; which, without any addition, were, I believe, sufficient to put an end to the present ridiculous administration. When the ministers went into the closet to recommend to the regiment vacated by the death of General Durand, his Majesty lamented exceedingly, that they had not applied sooner, as it was already disposed of to Lieutenant Colonel Walsh; who, I understand, is lieutenant colonel to Lord Townshend. The American bill was read a first time in the House of Lords to-day, with little debate. Friday is fixed for the second reading. There is a long protest drawn up by Lord Lyttelton; and it is a question much agitated, whether Lord Bute will, or will not sign it. Many refined inferences are drawn from a thing which seems in itself to be of little importance. The Duke of Bedford has the gout, and will not be able to attend. Adieu, "W. G. HAMILTON." "P. S. It is generally thought that the ministry will, when the American bill is over, make a proposal for several removals; and that upon the King's refusing his consent they will resign. The Newmarket week, we have always observed is a week of business." trouble; but I also write, lest my silence should make you doubtful what to do, to inform you, Sir, that we have just now finished all the papers and evidence, which has been lengthened out to this time, I won't say by a useless, but by a worse than useless, by the most artful, premeditated string of questions, calculated for a particular purpose, which I trust in God will be defeated, notwithstanding the combined force which is to act in support of it. Of that combination we have had a proof to-day, if any was wanting after what you saw the other day, by a thorough union between the late administration and those who call themselves Lord Bute's friends, on a Scotch election. (1) On Monday it is determined to proceed to the debate, on which I think the fate of this country and its dominions depend; so that till then you may enjoy the air and quiet of Hayes. My father begs his respectful compliments to you; and I have the honour to be, with great truth and respect, Sir, Your most obliged and devoted humble servant, GEORGE ONSLOW. (2) (1) "The other day, the ministers had a contested election in the House of Commons, and got it but by eleven votes - too small a majority to carry any thing!"- Lord Chesterfield. (2) On the 13th of February, Mr. Gerard Hamilton thus writes to Mr. Calcraft: -"To-day it is again strongly reported, that the ministry have once more attempted to prevail on his Majesty to send for Mr. Pitt, and that they received for answer, that when they found themselves incapable of carrying on the GEORGE ONSLOW, ESQ. TO MR. PITT. DEAR SIR, Saturday morning, February 15, 1766. IN obedience to your commands I have endeavoured to procure you a copy of the evidence on the American papers, which ended on Thursday night; but the length of it has made it impossible to finish till to-night, so that I cannot to-day have the honour of sending it to you. However, Sir, I cannot help inquiring after your health, which I hope to God is no worse than when I saw you on Wednesday, nor could I suffer myself to have even the appearance of what I am incapable of, any neglect of your commands. Though we have finished our evidence, Mr. Grenville has some to examine, which will certainly employ all Monday, and perhaps Tuesday; public business, his Majesty would, without their assistance, consider of proper persons to succeed them. Your friends are extremely busy in negociation, and the truth of the matter is, that every body seems whipping and spurring to get to court as fast as possible. If you succeed, I hope you will, in a phrase that is equally applicable both to horsemanship and politics, bring one in handsomely in a good place. The terror of passing next summer out of employment seems universal. Langford, the auctioneer*, grows more and more unreasonable, and I think the last day in the House has raised the price exceedingly. The old ministry got the start of you; but at the rate you seem now to be getting on, I think you will overtake them. I despair of being able to send to-morrow night an account of the debate of the Lords, the House will probably sit so late. But you shall at all events hear from me by the post on Saturday." i * Seats in parliament were at this time disposed of by public auction. |