Pitt had tendered his resignation; and was holding office only until the appointment of his successor. Mr. Speaker Addington had received the king's commands to form an administration, and had, consequently, resigned the chair of the House of Commons. The arrangements for a new ministry were in progress, when they were interrupted by the king's indisposition. But, believing it to be nothing more than a severe cold, Mr. Addington did not think fit to wait for his formal appointment; and vacated his seat, on the 19th February, by accepting the Chiltern Hundreds, in order to expedite his return to his place in Parliament. In the mean time Mr. Pitt, who had resigned office, not only continued to discharge the customary official duties of Chancellor of the Exchequer, but on the 18th February, brought forward the annual budget, which included a loan of 25,500,000l., and new taxes to the amount of 1,750,0001.3 Mr. Addington had fully expected that his formal appointment as First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer would have been completed before his reëlection; but this was prevented by the king's illness, and as his election could not legally be postponed, he took his seat again on the 27th, not as a minister of the Crown, but as a private member. On the 22d the king's condition was as bad as at the worst period of his attack in 1788. Towards the evening of the following day he came to himself, and indicated the causes of disturbance which were pressing on his mind, by exclaiming : "I am better now, but I will remain true to the Church;" and afterwards," the king's mind, whenever he came to himself, reverted at once to the cause of his disquietude." At the beginning of March his fever increased 1 Lord Malmesb. Diary, xiv. 28. 2 Parl. Hist., xxxv. 972. 8 It seems that he spoke from the third bench, on the right hand of the chair. Mr. Abbot's Diary; Life of Lord Sidmouth, i. 345, n. 4 Lord Malmesb. Diary, iv. 16. 5 Ibid., 20. 6 Ibid., 28. 1 again, and for a time his life was despaired of:1 but about the 5th, a favorable turn took place; and though not allowed to engage in any business, he was from this time gradually recovering. On the 10th, he wrote a letter approving of a minute of the cabinet; and on the 11th he saw Mr. Addington and the Chancellor when he was pronounced, some On the 24th February, the bill for repealing the absurd Brown Bread Act of the previous session was awaiting the royal assent, and it was thought very desirable that no delay should occur. Mr. Addington declined presenting the commission for his Majesty's signature; but the Chancellor, Lord Loughborough, waited upon the king, who signed the commission, saying it was a very good bill.* Meanwhile, who was minister- Mr. Pitt or Mr. Addington? or neither? Both were in communication with the Prince of Wales on the probable necessity of a regency: both were in official communication with the king himself.5 The embarrassment of such a position was relieved by the forbearance of all parties in both Houses of Parliament; and at length, on the 14th March, the king was sufficiently recovered to receive the seals from Mr. Pitt, and to place them in the hands of Mr. Addington. This acceptance of office, however, again vacated his seat, which he was unable to resume as a minister of the Crown, until the 23d March. The king was still for some time obliged to abstain from unnecessary exertion. On the 15th April, he transferred the great seal from Lord Loughborough to Lord Eldon; but though several other things were required to be done, the ministers were unanimous that he should only perform this single act on that day. 1 Lord Malmesb. Diary, iv. 27. 2 Ibid., 30-33, et seq. 8 Lord Malmesbury's Cor., iv. 44; Lord Sidmouth's Life, i. 350. 4 Life of Lord Sidmouth, i. 308; Lord Malmesbury's Diary, iv. 17, 18. 6 Life of Lord Sidmouth, i. 348, 350; Malmesb. Diary, iv. 25, &c. 6 Life of Lord Sidmouth, i. 401. But even after the king had transacted business, and his recovery had been formally announced, his health continued to cause great anxiety to his family and ministers. Apprehensions were entertained lest "his intellectual faculties should be impaired so much as never to recover their former tone." Writing in August, 1801, Mr. T. Grenville "The king has seen the chancellor for two hours, and the ministers give out that the king will hold a council in a day or two at farthest." 2 says: On this occasion his Majesty's illness, however alarming, passed over without any serious hindrance to public business. It occurred while Parliament was sitting, and at a time when the personal exercise of the royal authority was not urgently required, except for the purposes already noticed. The constitutional questions, therefore, which had been so fully argued in 1788,- though gravely considered by those more immediately concerned, did not come again under discussion. It must be admitted that the king's speedy recovery affords some justification of the dilatory proceedings adopted regarding the regency, in 1788. Too prompt a measure for supplying the defect of the royal authority, would, on the king's recovery, have been alike embarrassing to his Majesty himself, the ministers, and Parliament. In 1804 the king was once more stricken with the same The king's ill- grievous malady. In January he was attacked ness in 1804. with rheumatic gout, and about the 12th February, his mind became affected.* He gradually recovered 1 Lord Malmesbury's Diary, 20th March; Correspondence, iv. 51. 2 Court and Cabinets of Geo. III., iii. 167. 8 It was suggested that both parties, who had opposed each other so violently in 1788 upon the question of a regency, should now make mutual concessions, and, if possible, avoid the discussion of their conflicting opinions. In this view, seems, Lord Spencer, the Duke of Portland, Mr. T. Grenville, and Mr. T. Pelham concurred; but Mr. Pitt appears not to have entirely acquiesced in it. - Lord Malmes. Cor., iv. 19. 4 Lord Malmesbury says, although "there was a council held about the 24th January at the queen's house, yet before the end of that month it was no longer to be concealed that the king had a return of his old illness." 1 towards the end of the month; yet his malady continued, with more or less severity, so as to make it requisite to spare him all unnecessary exertion of mind, till the 23d April, when he presided at a council. He remained under medical care and control until the 10th June. For a time his life was in danger; but his mind was never so completely alienated as it had been in 1788 and 1801.3 On the 26th February the archbishop offered a thanksgiving for the happy prospect of his Majesty's speedy recovery; and on the same day, the physicians issued a bulletin, announcing that any rapid amendment was not to be expected.* Meanwhile, the ordinary business of the session was proceeded with. On the 27th February, the king's illness was adverted to in the House of Commons: but ministers were of opinion that a formal communication to the House upon the subject was not required, and could secure no good object. Mr. Addington stated that there was not, at that time, any necessary suspension of such royal functions as it might be needful for his Majesty to discharge.5 That very day the cabinet had examined the king's physicians, who were unanimously of opinion that his Majesty was perfectly competent to understand the effect of an instrument to which his sign-manual was required; but that it would be imprudent for him to engage in long argument, or fatiguing discussion. The delicate and responsible position of the ministers, however, was admitted. The king having already Cor. iv. 292. But it appears from Lord Sidmouth's life, that the king's reason was not affected until about the 12th of February. - Lord Sidmouth's Life, ii. 246, et seq. 1 Lord Sidmouth's Life, ii. 249, et seq. 2 Evidence of Dr. Heberden, 1810. He had otherwise been indisposed for a month previously, with symptoms of his old malady. Lord Malmesbury's Cor., iv. 292; Fox's Mem., iv. 24, 35, 37. 3 Lord Malmesbury's Diary, iv. 293. 4 Lord Sidmouth's Life, ii. 250. 5 Hansard's Deb., 1st Ser., i. 307, 526, 530. 6 Twiss's Life of Eldon, i. 421. been ill for a fortnight, how much longer might they exercise all the executive powers of the state, without calling in aid the authority of Parliament? At present they accepted the responsibility of declaring that the interference of Parliament was unnecessary. On the 1st March, similar assurances were given by Lord Hawkesbury in the House of Lords: the Lord Chancellor also declared that, at that moment, there was no suspension of the royal functions. On the 2d March, the matter was again brought forward by Mr. Grey, but elicited no further explanation.1 On the 5th, the Lord Chancellor stated that he had had interviews, on that and the previous day, with the king, who gave his consent to the Duke of York's Estate Bill, so far as his own interest was concerned; and on the same day the physicians were of opinion "that his Majesty was fully competent to transact business with his Parliament, by commission and message." On the 9th, Mr. Grey adverted to the fact that fifteen bills had just received the royal assent, —a circumstance which he regarded with "uneasiness and apprehension." 3 Among these bills were the annual Mutiny Acts, the passing of which, in the midst of war, could not have been safely postponed. On this day also, the Lord Chancellor assured the House of Lords, "that not satisfied with the reports and assurances of the medical attendants, he had thought it right to obtain a personal interview with the sovereign, and that at that interview due discussion had taken place as to the bills offered for the royal assent, which had thereupon been fully expressed." In reference to this interview, Lord Eldon states in his Anecdote Book, that the king had noticed that he was stated in the commission to have fully considered the bills to which his assent was to be signified; and that to be correct, he ought to have the bills to peruse and consider. His Majesty added, that in the 1 Hansard's Deb., 1st Ser., i. 663. |