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The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. / From the Accession of George III. to the Twenty-Third Year of the Reign of Queen Victoria cover

The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. / From the Accession of George III. to the Twenty-Third Year of the Reign of Queen Victoria

Chapter 349: EFFORTS OF THE OPPOSITION AGAINST THE NEW MINISTRY.
By Edward Farr
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The volume traces British political, parliamentary, and military developments from the accession of George III through the early nineteenth century, chronicling changes of ministry and cabinet, debates over colonial taxation and the American conflict, parliamentary controversies involving figures such as Wilkes and Warren Hastings, questions of Catholic relief and slave-trade abolition, and responses to the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars, including major naval and continental campaigns, the union with Ireland, and domestic legislation on finance, civil liberties, and parliamentary reform.

EFFORTS OF THE OPPOSITION AGAINST THE NEW MINISTRY.

The first measure after the change in the cabinet was to issue a new writ for the borough of Appleby. This done, Mr. Dundas, treasurer of the navy, moved, that in order to carry the Land-tax Bill through the house in time to meet large payments that were to be made by the treasury on the 5th of January, the house should meet on the next day, Saturday, instead of being adjourned till Monday. As it was imagined that government meant to hurry over the voting of supplies, that it might proceed to a dissolution, this was opposed by Fox, and rejected without a division. On the Monday no opposition was made to the land-tax, but on the same evening Mr. Erskine moved an address to his majesty, not to dissolve the present parliament, but to be graciously pleased to hearken to the advice of his faithful commons, and not to the secret advices of particular persons, who might have private interests of their own, separate from the true interests of the king and his people. The house was assured that Pitt would resign if either a dissolution or a prorogation took place; but the motion was pressed and agreed to without a division. The answer of his majesty to this address was reported on the 24th, and it contained an assurance that he would not interrupt their meeting by any exercise of his prerogative, either by prorogation or dissolution. Opposition now seemed certain of the fall of Pitt and his coadjutors; and, as if impatient for their overthrow, Fox suggested that the recess should be a very short one, and it was resolved to adjourn only till the 12th of January.