Philip Clerk's Bill for excluding contractors from Parliament was accepted by an unwilling Government; on the 2nd of March, the second reading of Burke's Establishment Bill was carried unanimously, and Lord North announced that he adopted the plan of a Commission of Accounts. So far things had gone well, but soon a turn took place in the tide.
On the 8th Shelburne moved a resolution relative to the removal of Lord Caermarthen and Lord Pembroke from their respective Lord-Lieutenancies. It was rejected by a majority of 56 to 31. The same day the clause in Burke's Bill abolishing the third Secretaryship of State was thrown out by 208 to 201. North had set himself to destroy in Committee what for appearance' sake he had been forced to accept on the second reading. The clause relative to the Board of Trade only escaped an untimely fate by eight votes. Finally on the 20th the clause abolishing the Treasurer of the Chamber was thrown out by 211 to 158. This was looked upon as a test division, and Burke, having lost the point, declared his indifference of what became of the rest of the Bill.[1]
The indignation of the Associations now knew no bounds. The Westminster Committee had issued notices for deputations from each Association to meet at the St. Alban's Tavern. Seeing their moderate demands for Economic Reform stifled by clever Parliamentary tactics, they began loudly to demand a Reform of the Representation of the people and a shortening of the duration of Parliaments. The Yorkshire Committee as usual gave the lead. On both these points the followers of Rockingham were opposed to the Associations, while both Shelburne and Fox were in favour of their demands. "I am by no means satisfied," Rockingham wrote to Shelburne, "that the proceedings at York are likely to produce good effects. Discretion and correctness have not predominated. I cannot enter into the whole of this subject in a letter. I must defer till we meet, but I think it incumbent upon me to throw at least a shadow of caution,
- ↑ Parliamentary History, xxi. 193, 233, 296.
