harles Townshend,
of whom we shall have occasion to speak in the sequel, took his place
as a commissioner at the board of admiralty, in the room of lord
Barrington, made master of the wardrobe. Lord Hardwicke, the chancellor,
was promoted to the dignity of an earl. The place of lord chief-justice
of the king's-bench becoming vacant by the death of sir William Lee, was
filled with sir Dudley Ryder, and he was succeeded by Mr. Murray in the
office of attorney-general.

NEW PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED AND PROROGUED.

The elections for the new parliament generally succeeded according to
the wish of the ministry; for opposition was now dwindled down to the
lowest state of imbecility. It had received a mortal wound by the death
of the late prince of Wales, whose adherents were too wise to pursue an
_ignis fatuus_, without any prospect of success or advantage. Some
of them had prudently sung their palinodia to the ministry, and been
gratified with profitable employments; while others, setting too great
a price upon their own importance, kept aloof till the market was over,
and were left to pine in secret over their disappointed ambition.
The maxims of tory-ism had been relinquished by many, as the barren
principles of a losing game; the body of the people were conciliated
to the established government; and the harmony that now, for the first
time, subsisted among all the branches of the royal family, had a
wonderful effect in acquiring a degree of popularity which they had
never before enjoyed. The writs being returned, the new parliament was
opened on the last day of May by the duke of Cumberland, and some other
peers, who acted by virtue of a commission from his majesty. The commons
having chosen for their speaker the right hon. Arthur Onslow, who had
honourably filled that high office in four preceding parliaments, he
was presented and approved by the commissioners. Then the lord
high-chancellor harangued both houses, giving them to understand, that
his majesty had indulged them with this early opportunity of
coming together, in order to complete without loss of time certain
parliamentary proceedings, which he judged would be for the satisfaction
of his good subjects; but he did not think proper to lay before them any
points of general business, reserving every thing of that nature to the
usual time of their assembling in the winter. On the fifth day of June
this short session was closed, and the parliament prorogued by the