Chapter I: Front Matter

MEMOIRS
OF THE REIGN OF
KING GEORGE THE THIRD.

VOL. II.

_Benj. West. pinx.^t_ _J. Cook, Sc._

QUEEN CHARLOTTE.

London, Published by Richard Bentley, 1844.]

MEMOIRS
OF THE REIGN OF
KING GEORGE THE THIRD.

BY HORACE WALPOLE,
YOUNGEST SON OF SIR ROBERT WALPOLE, EARL OF ORFORD.

NOW FIRST PUBLISHED FROM THE ORIGINAL MSS.
EDITED, WITH NOTES,
BY SIR DENIS LE MARCHANT, BART.

VOL. II.

LONDON:
RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET,
Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty.
1845.

LONDON:
Printed by S. & J. BENTLEY, WILSON, and FLEY,
Bangor House, Shoe Lane.

CONTENTS

OF

THE SECOND VOLUME.

A. D. PAGE
CHAPTER I.

1764. Appearance of “An Address to the Public on a late
Dismission” 4

Walpole’s Answer to that Pamphlet _ib._

Charles Townshend’s “Defence of the Minority in the House of
Commons on the Question relative to General Warrants” 8

July 8th. Death of the Earl of Bath 13

July 10th. Trial of the Chevalier d’Eon 14

Aug. 23rd. Death of Mr. Legge 17

Of the Duke of Devonshire 20

Nov. 1st. Outlawry of Wilkes 35

Nov. 4th. Death of Churchill _ib._

CHAPTER II.

1765. Church Preferments 41

Jan. 10th. Meeting of Parliament 42

Lord Chatham’s Legacy from Sir William Pynsent 44

Jan. 23rd. Debate on Dismissal of Officers 46

Jan. 26th. Duel between Mr. Chaworth and Lord Byron 51

Jan. 29th. Renewal of the Question of General Warrants _ib._

CHAPTER III.

1765. Jan. 30th. Distinction between late Motions on General
Warrants shown in the Votes 63

Dismissal of Officers 64

Feb. 6th. Proceedings against Almon deferred 67

Mr. Grenville’s Resolutions 68

Dr. Browne’s Pamphlet 79

CHAPTER IV.

1765. Isle of Man Act 81

King’s Illness 82

March 4th. Motion respecting _Ex-officio_ Informations 84

March 29th. Budget opened by Grenville 87

April 3rd. Newfoundland and Virginia Petitions 89

CHAPTER V.

1765. State of Parties 93

King’s Illness 95

April 24th. Regency-Bill 106

CHAPTER VI.

1765. May 7th. Debates in the House of Commons on the
Regency-Bill 127

CHAPTER VII.

1765. May 9th. Debates on the Regency-Bill 138

May 13th. The Princess-Dowager’s name reinserted in the Bill 149

Bill for altering the Duties on Italian Silks 154

May 15th. Riots of the Weavers on its introduction 155

Projected Change in the Ministry 160

CHAPTER VIII.

1765. May 18th. The King’s differences with his Ministers 163

May 20th. Negotiations with Mr. Pitt to form a new
Administration 165

Contemplated appointment of a Captain-General 170

Reconciliation of Lord Temple and Mr. Grenville 171

Ministers recalled 172

Dismissal of Mr. Mackenzie 175

May 25th. Parliament Prorogued 179

CHAPTER IX.

1765. June 12th. Differences between the King and his Ministers 182

June 17th. Further Negotiations with Mr. Pitt 186

Attempts to form a Whig Administration 187

Summary of the Negotiations 189

July 8th. New Ministry formed 192

Mysterious Behaviour of Mr. Pitt 202

Arrival of the Prince and Princess of Brunswick 209

CHAPTER X.

1765. Walpole’s Separation from his Party 210

His Character of Mr. Conway 213

Commencement of the Troubles with North America 217

Oct. 31st. Death of the Duke of Cumberland 223

Negotiations with the Courts of Versailles and Madrid 227

CHAPTER XI.

1765. Dec. 17th. Meeting of Parliament 235

Debates on the Stamp Act and the State of North America 236

Dec. 29th. Death of Prince Frederick, the King’s youngest
brother 238

Walpole’s Observations upon the state of France at this
period 239

Death of the Dauphin 241

CHAPTER XII.

1766. Jan. 1st. Death of the Pretender 255

Intrigues against the Ministry 257

Jan. 14th. Debate on the Stamp Act 260

Jan. 27th. On the Petition from America 270

First Speech of Mr. Edmund Burke 273

CHAPTER XIII.

1766. Irksome Position of the Ministers 276

Feb. 3rd. Debate on Five Resolutions on American Affairs 277

Feb. 5th. Continuation of the Debate 283

Pitt’s eccentric Conduct _ib._

Feb. 7th. Mr. Grenville moves an Address to the King, to
enforce the Laws 284

Opposed strenuously by Pitt 285

Violent Scene in the House 286

Double Dealing of George III. 289

Feb. 17th. Warm Debate on the Production of Papers 290

CHAPTER XIV.

1766. Lord Bute humiliates the Duke of Bedford and Mr. Grenville 294

Feb. 21st. General Conway moves the Repeal of the Stamp Act 296

Obtains leave to bring in a Bill 298

Excited State of the Country 299

Recommitment moved and rejected 301

Desultory Opposition 302

March 4th. Final Debate 303

The Repeal passed by a large Majority 307

Conduct of Lord Rockingham 309

CHAPTER XV.

1766. Difficulties of the Ministry 311

Further Negotiation with Mr. Pitt 320

May 1st. Meeting of Ministers 322

The Seals given to the Duke of Richmond 324

Grant to the Royal Dukes 328

June 3rd. Portion of the Princess Caroline 330

Treachery of Dyson 331

July 7th. Conduct of the Chancellor 334

Virtual Fall of the Rockingham Administration 338

CHAPTER XVI.

1766. July 13th. Mr. Pitt proposes to Conway to remain in the
Ministry 339

July 16th. Quarrel with Lord Temple 342

Townshend Chancellor of the Exchequer 346

Rockingham displaced to make way for Grafton 349

Resignation of Lord John Cavendish 352

Lord Rockingham affronts Pitt 355

July 30th. Mr. Pitt is raised to the Peerage 356

Unpopularity of the new Lord Chatham 358

Changes and Preferments 359

Foreign Policy 362

Disturbed State of the Country 366

Chatham’s Interview with Walpole 368

CHAPTER XVII.

1766. Nov. 11th. Debates on the Embargo laid on Corn 371

Party Tactics 374

Walpole exerts himself to prevent Conway from resigning 382

View of Lord Chatham’s Conduct 385

CHAPTER XVIII.

1766. Nov. 25th. Lord Chatham proposes to examine the East India
Company’s Affairs 394

His unaccountable Conduct _ib._

Nov. 27th. More signs of Weakness in the Cabinet 395

Negotiation with the Duke of Bedford 398

Bill of Indemnity 403

Dec. 9th. Debates on the East India Question _ib._

Dec. 10th. Attack on Lord Chatham in the House of Lords by
the Duke of Richmond 410

CHAPTER XIX.

1767. Jan. 16th. Desultory Discussions on American and East
Indian Affairs 413

Debates on the Land-Tax 420

Defeat of the Ministers 423

March 2nd. Conduct of Lord Chatham 426

March 6th. Offer made by the East India Company 428

Motion for Papers 429

CHAPTER XX.

1767. March 19th. Provision for the King’s Brothers 437

March 24th. Debate 438

Death of the Marquis of Tavistock 440

Of the Dauphiness 443

Regulation of America 447

New Project of using force towards the Colonies 448

March 30th. Discussion in the House of Lords on the
American Papers _ib._

The East India Question 449

Insanity of Lord Chatham 450

Interview of the Author with the Lord Chancellor 452

April 10th. Debate on an Act of the Assembly of Massachusets 454

Attempted reconciliation between Conway and Rockingham 455

MEMOIRS

OF THE REIGN OF

KING GEORGE THE THIRD.