Berkeley Square,
Tuesday Night, Feb. 18th, 1783.
My dear Lord Temple,
I conclude your brother William, and Jemmy Grenville, have given
you exact accounts of the strange politics of the present
moment. By a junction formed between Lord North and Fox, on
Sunday evening last, the Address in our House was not carried;
but the Amendment was, 224 to 208. The landed property was
mostly with Government, and for the Address. There were,
however, many country gentlemen for the Amendment; and among the
rest, Sir William Williams. My good father-in-law voted in the
majority, as a small return for my bringing him into Parliament,
and he is patted on the back by George Byng, Plummer, &c., for
the _noble, disinterested part_ he takes, while I am looked upon
as a black sheep; of which I console myself, and have reason to
console myself, when I see the views and motives of some great
political characters to be so profligate and abandoned. Lord
North and Charles Fox acting together in public life, is a new
and extraordinary scene! Many people say it was only for last
night; but I believe the arrangement has completely taken place,
and the overthrow of the present Ministry is consequently
certain. The Amendment in the Lords was very strong, and full of
censure, and was negatived only by 14; the numbers being, 69 to
55.
I cannot conceive it possible the Ministry can stand three days
longer; I must therefore hope, whatever line you adopt, it may
be upon the maturest reflection and deliberation, and not in a
hurry. The new Ministry, if they can agree, will be very
powerful in Parliament. At the same time, there are great
numbers of members who are outrageous at the junction of Fox
with Lord North, who, it is said, is to have all his friends
provided for, to advance to the House of Peers, and to leave the
Government to Charles Fox, Duke of Portland, &c.
Sincerely yours,
Bulkeley.
The Primate proposed the prelateship to me. I will therefore
call there to offer it in your name.
The next letter, written on the 19th, is very important. Mr. Grenville
here collects the actual circumstances affecting the state of parties
from the most authentic sources, and places them before Lord Temple for
his consideration, in reference to the course he might deem it due to
his own honour to take. We learn, from this statement, that the
coalition was not yet finally arranged, although it had been carried
into effective execution, as against the Ministry. It had been
sufficiently cemented for the purpose of overthrowing one Government,
but was not yet sufficiently consolidated for the establishment of
another. It was one thing for Lord North and Fox to agree in their
opposition to Lord Shelburne, and another to unite upon the distribution
of offices and a distinct line of policy. There were yet many old wounds
to be healed, many differences of opinion to be reconciled, and much
personal asperity to be soothed, before Fox and Lord North could satisfy
the claims and resentments of their adherents, and combine in the
formation of a Government. We learn also from this letter, that the King
was strenuous in his support of Lord Shelburne (which had been obvious
enough all throughout), and that he had now prevailed upon him, as he
had before done with Lord North, to persevere in the face of the
desperate phalanx that was arrayed against him. Government trusted to
the divisions which were understood to be agitating the new Opposition,
and which it was hoped would ultimately lead to its dissolution.