point where a greater or less amount of concession was absolutely necessary.
Such was the position of affairs when in March 1782 the Duke of Portland became Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland and Shelburne Secretary of State. The recall of Lord Carlisle was embittered by his simultaneous dismissal from the Lord-Lieutenancy of Yorkshire, to which Lord Caermarthen was now restored. The dismissal was looked upon as a personal affront. Eden returning to London, refused to hold any communication with the new Government, and in order to still further embarrass them, on the 8th of April himself proposed the repeal of the 6th of George I. Fox however, in an impassioned speech, overwhelmed him with shame, complaining with justice of the unfairness of not allowing the Government even a few days to deliberate on the question.[1]
The 16th of April was the day fixed by Grattan for his motion declaratory of the legislative independence of Ireland. On the nth, Shelburne presented to the Lords a message from the King recommending the House to take the affairs of that country into their most serious consideration. In presenting this message he declared, that in the situation of Ireland the popular demands must be listened to, that vain forms would not prevent a wise Administration from adopting that course, and that from all he could learn, there existed in the country a fund of loyalty and attachment which no misfortune or calamity had been able to shake.
It was evident that in the event of Grattan carrying his resolution in the form which he proposed, a task of the utmost difficulty would at once be imposed on the English Ministry, at a moment when their hands were already more than full. Rockingham and Fox were exceedingly anxious to gain time. Grattan however absolutely refused. It was the opinion of the English officials in Dublin, that he had been encouraged thereto by the speech which Shelburne had just made. "Lord Shelburne's speech," Fitzpatrick wrote to Fox,
- ↑ Eden to Shelburne, April 5th, 1782. Parliamentary History, xxii. 1241.
