y. Fox
had supported Pitt in his motion, and Pitt now stood forward to support
his ancient rival. There was, indeed, but one point on which these two
eminent men differed on this occasion, and that was, the power vested in
the sovereign of calling all his subjects out to defend the country
in case of an invasion. Fox questioned the royal prerogative in this
particular, while Pitt asserted and maintained the principle. The
concurrence of opinions, on all other points between the two rivals,
however, produced a division, in which ministers had a majority of only
fifty-two in a full house. Two days after the attack was renewed in a
more effective manner; Mr. Yorke moved for the house to resolve itself
into a committee on a bill for suspending the army of reserve act,
and though Pitt resisted this, ministers had a majority of only
thirty-seven. Mr. Addington now resolved, as soon as the financial
concerns of the year could be adjusted, to retire from office. This was
effected on the 12th of May; the supplies granted, being L36,000,000 for
Great Britain alone; and on that day it was announced that Addington had
resigned the office of chancellor of the exchequer, and that Pitt had
been appointed to succeed him. Those of the Addington ministry retained
were the Duke of Portland, president of the council; Lord Eldon,
chancellor; the Earl of Westmoreland, lord privy seal; the Earl
of Chatham, master-general of the ordnance; and Lord Castlereagh,
president, at that time, of the board of control. The new members were
Lord Melville, first lord of the admiralty; Lord Harrowby, secretary for
foreign affairs; Lord Camden, secretary for the department of war and
colonies; and Lord Mulgrave, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with
a seat in the cabinet. The government of Ireland was left unchanged,
except that Mr. Wickham, chief secretary, retired on account of ill
health, and was succeeded by Sir Evan Nepean. The appointments made in
the subordinate offices of state, were, Mr. William Dundas, secretary
at war; George Rose and Lord Charles Somerset, joint pay-masters of the
forces; the Duke of Montrose and Lord Charles Spencer, joint pay-masters
general; Messrs. Huskisson and Sturges Bourne, secretaries to the
treasury; and Mr. Canning, treasurer to the navy. No changes were made
in the law departments of the country, and very few in the household
offices; the most important in the latter was the appointment of the
Marquis of Hertford