faithful Commons in granting the supplies. And for the purpose of alleviating the additional burdens, which must necessarily be imposed upon his people, he had directed the sum of 1,000,0001. part of the proceeds arising from the sale of such prizes made on the powers, with which he was at war (Droits of Admiralty), as were by law vested in the Crown, to be applied to the public service of the year. The Speech ended with a general recommendation of all possible vigilance and exertion to meet the enemy, whose predominant power and influence had been so unhappily extended by the events of the war on the continent; and a general confidence in the bravery and discipline of his forces, and the zeal and loyalty of every class of his subjects, Ireland was not even obliquely hinted at. 1806. Address to Amendment proposed. Upon the motion for the address to the Crown the King. in each House, an amendment was proposed; in the Lords by Earl Cowper, and in the Commons by Lord Henry Petty (now Marquis of Landsdown), to express the deep concern felt by them at the series of disasters, which had attended the arms of his Majesty's allies on the continent, and their determination to proceed without delay to enquire into the cause of those disasters, as far as they might be connected with the conduct of his Majesty's ministers. That they were perfectly sensible, that the alarming and unexampled state of public affairs rendered the most vigorous exertions necessary for the preservation of the Empire, and they felt it their peculiar duty, when they 1806. Death of Mr. Pitt. called for those extraordinary efforts, to provide, that the resources they furnished, and the powers they conferred, might not in future be so employed, as to encrease the perils, they were intended to avert, and to aggrandize that power, to which it was the common interest of all Europe, as well as of Great Britain to set proper limits. Lord Grenville in the Lords, and Mr. Fox in the House of Commons consented not to go into debate upon the amendment in the absence of Mr. Pitt; they laid in their claim however to an early day for the purpose, hoping, that the improvement in the minister's health would not long be an objection, to what the exigency of circumstances imperatively demanded. Lord Mulgrave assured Lord Grenville, that no enquiry could be set on foot, which his Majesty's ministers were not perfectly ready to meet. And Lord Castlereagh with all the assurance of a wise and irreproachable minister, set Mr. Fox and his friends at defiance: confident, that no charge of delinquency could be brought against any of his Majesty's servants, which he was not able and ready to disprove. He wished therefore for no delay, however ardently he looked to the speedy recovery of the person most connected with the subject. Mr. Pitt died at four o'clock in the morning of the 23d of January 1806. He is reported to have been sensible of, and resigned to his approaching dissolution. In his latter moments he attempted (though unable) to write some testamentary paper, but observed, that he had nothing to dispose of; fearing, that he owed much more, than he pos- 1806. "tainly was from education, from principle, and "conviction firmly attached to it." And "when "the Bishop of Lincoln went to his bed side, and "told him, he found it his duty to inform him, "that his situation had been found precarious, "and requested his leave to read prayers to him, "he answered, I fear, I have like too many other men neglected prayer too much, to have any ground for hope, that it can be efficacious on a death bed." If to repent of injuries done to others be a Christian duty, Mr. Pitt's last dying words furnish ample presumption, that he did not die impenitent. He exclaimed repeatedly with emphasis, truth and reason, Oh my country! With Mr. Pitt all the talent, energy and credit Conseof his administration had vanished. Yet the infa- Mr. Pitt's tuated system dreaded nothing so much, as that his Majesty should call to his councils men of enlightened policy and constitutional principles. In the first moments of dismay at the loss of their • The nation afterwards paid his debts, which amounted to 40,0001. + Giffard's Life of Mr. Pitt, vol. vi. p. 553 and 806. So Mr. Rose declared in the debate on Mr. Lascelles motion on the 31st Jan. 1806, for a monument and inscription in Westminster Abbey, in commemoration of Mr. Pitt. quence of death. leader, his obsequious satellites were pressed to retain their situations. His Majesty was advised, and had come to the resolution of only filling up the vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr. Pitt. Lord Hawkesbury was appointed First Lord of the Treasury, and retained his situation just long enough to hurry through the forms cf office a grant to himself of the Wardenship of the Cinque Ports, and then joined the rest of his confretes in declaring their incapacity to undertake the administration of the government under such awful embarrassments. On the day after Mr. Pitt's death, the Duke of York had a private audience with his Majesty, which lasted four hours. On the next day the Chancellor, Lords Ellenborough, Camden, Mulgrave and Hawkesbury attended a Cabinet Council at Buckingham House on the subject of the changes occasioned in the government by the death of Mr. Pitt. On the 24th of January, Mr. Lascelles gave notice to the House of Commons, that on the succeeding Monday (27th of January), he should move, that some signal mark of public respect should be shewn to the memory of that great man Mr. Pitt. On that day he accordingly moved, after a short but high panegyric on the deceased, that an humble address should be presented to his Majesty, that directions should be given, that the remains of Mr. Pitt should be interred at the public expence, and that a monument should be erected in Westminster Abbey to the memory of that great and excellent Statesman, with an inscription expressive of the sentiments of the people on that great and irrepa- 1806. rable loss: the expences of which the House would make good. The motion was seconded by the Marquis of Tichfield, and upon the division, carried by 258 against 89. t thé vote of Mr. Pitt, The debate, or rather conversation, which took Debate on place on Mr. Lascelles motion, was particularly in- thanks to teresting. Mr. Fox and his friends, who opposed it, objected not to the public funeral, and the erection of a monument to the memory of any extraordinary man of talent and genius; but by injudiciously introducing into the motion the words Excellent Statesman, it called upon them to approve and commend that system of measures pursued by Mr. Pitt, which for the last 20 years and upwards they had constantly opposed, as destructive of the welfare, and subversive of the constitution of the country. Mr. Fox, who seldom opened his mouth, but to enlighten and inform, not only spoke handsomely of his rival, but mixed in his speech some matter of peculiar historical importance. The nation, he said, was much indebted to him for the measue of the sinking fund and no minister was ever more disinterested, as far as related to pecuniary matters. His integrity and moderation in that respect were conspicuous he was above 20 years in office, with the full command of places and public money, without using them either to enrich himself or his family. In the course of that long administration, all that he took for himself, was the Wardenship of the. Cinque Ports. His disinterestness in that shone : |