The Political History of England - Vol XI: From Addington's Administration to the close of William IV.'s Reign (1801-1837)Brodrick, George C. (George Charles)
History
The Political History of England - Vol XI: From Addington's Administration to the close of William IV.'s Reign (1801-1837)
Brodrick, George C. (George Charles)
Great Britain -- History -- 1800-1837; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1800-1837
The immediate effect of Pitt's death was the dissolution of his
government. The king turned at first to Hawkesbury, afterwards destined
as Earl of Liverpool to hold the office of premier for nearly fifteen
years; but he then felt himself unequal to such a burden. He next sent
for Grenville, who insisted on the co-operation of Fox, to which the
king assented without demur, and the short-lived ministry of "All the
Talents" was formed within a few days. It was essentially a whig
cabinet, but it included two tories, Sidmouth as lord privy seal, and
Lord Ellenborough, the lord chief justice. Grenville himself was first
lord of the treasury, Fox foreign secretary, and Erskine lord
chancellor. Charles Grey, the future Earl Grey, was first lord of the
admiralty. Spencer home secretary, Windham secretary for war and the
colonies, and Lord Henry Petty, the future Marquis of Lansdowne,
chancellor of the exchequer. Fitzwilliam was lord president, and the
Earl of Moira master-general of the ordnance. Ellenborough owed his
place in the cabinet to the influence of Sidmouth. The appointment was a
departure from the established constitutional practice. Since Lord
Mansfield, who had ceased to be an efficient member in 1765, no chief
justice had been a member of the cabinet, and it was argued in
parliament by the opposition that a seat in the cabinet was inconsistent
with the independence which a common law judge ought to maintain. It is
also important to observe that Sidmouth when accepting office gave
express notice to Grenville and Fox that under all circumstances "he
would ever resist the catholic question".[31]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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