The negotiation began in earnest August 27, but proved to be long and arduous. The two British commissioners, though courteous and friendly, stood in constant fear of the charge that they had surrendered vital English interests under American threats. They were especially hampered by the Admiralty, the atmosphere of which, as Lord Holland complained,[286] made those who breathed it shudder at anything like concessions to the Americans; while the Treasury, though naturally still less yielding, listened willingly to every expedient that offered hope for the revenue. September 1 began the struggle over impressments; and from the outset Monroe saw that the American claim had no chance of success, while the case of the West Indian trade was almost equally desperate. Only one serious discussion had taken place when the death of Fox, September 13, produced a new delay of several weeks; and on resuming the negotiation, Monroe and Pinkney were required to deal with a new Foreign Secretary,--Charles Grey, Lord Howick,--to be better known in English history as Earl Grey. Such a change boded no good to the Americans. All Fox’s influence could not counteract the Tory instincts of Parliament; and what Fox could not do when the Whigs were strong could much less be done by Lord Howick when the Ministry was every day tottering to its fall. November 11 the American negotiators wrote home that they had decided to disregard their instructions and to abandon impressments,--accepting, instead of a formal article on the subject, a note in which the British commissioners pledged their government to exercise the strictest care not to impress American citizens, and to afford prompt redress should injury be inflicted while impressing British seamen. Having thus made up his mind to violate instructions on the chief point of negotiation, Monroe found nothing to prevent his doing so in other respects. His progress under William Pinkney’s influence was rapid; his good nature, in the face of Lord Holland’s difficult position, was extreme; and at the end of a few weeks, Dec. 31, 1806, Jefferson’s favorite diplomatic agent set his name to a treaty which, taking its omissions and admissions together, surpassed Jay’s treaty in outraging Jefferson’s prejudices and express desires.