which it was entitled under the Constitution; and an end was to be put to their reciprocal encroachments each upon the other. The absolute supremacy of the House of Commons as to finance, which under Lord North had been flouted, was to be restored and rigidly maintained. On the other hand, the constant inroads of the House of Commons on the proper sphere of the Executive and on the patronage of the Crown were to be terminated, bearing in mind the disastrous effects which had thereby been produced under Lord North. There was to be a real first minister, on whom the King could rely in these matters for advice and support. Few however of Shelburne's principal colleagues—Pitt, Ashburton and Conway were probably the only exceptions—understood these ideas. Grafton and Richmond openly resented them as encroachments on their own rights; or in a confused way considered that they were a clear proof that "Shelburne was as fully devoted to the views of the Court as Lord North ever had been."[1]
Such were the considerations which probably induced Shelburne not to dissolve Parliament. The end was now not far off. On the 20th Grafton resigned the Privy Seal, giving as his reason that he had not been sufficiently consulted, especially with reference to the recent appointment of the Duke of Rutland to the office of Lord Steward with a seat in the Cabinet.[2] The same day Shelburne had a long interview with Camden, who advised him to retire at once, "as unfortunately it plainly appeared that the personal dislike was too strong for him to attempt to stem it, with any hope of credit to himself, advantage to the King, or benefit to the country; that he had it in his power, to retire now with credit, and the approbation of the world; for whatever the arts and powers of the united parties had expressed by votes in Parliament, still the nation felt themselves obliged to him for having put an end to such a war, by a peace which exceeded the expectations of all moderate, fair judging men."[3] Camden
