and the Duration of Parliaments, continued to attract an increased share of attention. Shelburne and Fox continued to express their agreement with the Associations, and dissensions on the question now arose between the former and Burke.[1] On the 8th of May 91 votes were recorded in the House of Commons for Sawbridge's motion in favour of triennial Parliaments, and Richmond, whose opinions on these questions were more extreme than even those of Mr. Wyvil, gave notice that he would call the attention of the House of Lords to the character and constitution of Parliament. It is at least probable that, considering the temper of the times, the union of the Opposition, and the discredit into which the home policy of the Government was fallen, some substantial result might have been obtained, if not in the existing, at least in the coming Parliament. Nor were these the only reasons. The declaration made on the 26th of February 1780 by the Empress Catherine—commonly known as that of the Armed Neutrality—had shown that Russia, who it was expected would soon be followed by the other Northern powers, was to be numbered among the concealed, if not the open enemies of England, while a rupture was expected with Holland, owing to the overbearing conduct of the English Administration. Thus not only the Home but the Foreign policy of the Government lay open to the attacks of the Opposition, when suddenly the "Lord George Gordon Riots," occasioned by the Roman Catholic Relief Bill, which, with the interval of two days, raged from the 2nd to the 9th of June, came to teach the lesson, that popular violence is a worse enemy to Reform than even a king such as George III., or a minister such as Lord North. "The ministry," writes Richmond to Shelburne, "were much alarmed, and seemed near at a stand; but will now convert this business into the main object of all their government. I much lament these disturbances. The cause was unjust; the proceedings extravagant, wicked, and weak; and will tend to discredit any
- ↑ Walpole, Journals, ii. 401.
