Nothing can paint the importance of this victory to the Court so strongly as what the Princess of Wales said, on the news of the preliminaries being carried: “Now,” said she, “my son _is_ King of England.” The ministers ordered that the numbers on the question should be printed--had they printed the names too, the world would have known the names of the sixty-five that were _not_ bribed.
Fox having thus successfully employed rewards, thought the time was come for making use of the other weapon of government--punishment. A more severe political persecution never raged. Whoever, holding a place, had voted against the preliminaries, was instantly dismissed. The friends[280] and dependents of the Duke of Newcastle were particularly cashiered; and this cruelty was extended so far, that old servants, who had retired and been preferred to very small places, were rigorously hunted out and deprived of their livelihood. An inquisition was held at Fox’s house; and a despotic spirit prevailed so rudely, that Lady Elizabeth Waldegrave,[281] sister of the Duchess of Bedford, and a notable politician, desired to be admitted to the junto of proscription.
In particular, Mr. Wilkinson and Mr. Earle[282] were dismissed from the Board of Ordnance for their votes; as was the younger Thomas Townshend[283] from the green cloth, without the smallest notification. Some were even sacrificed who had given no offence, as the worthy Admiral Forbes,[284] who was removed from the Admiralty to make room for Cotes, of the same profession and a friend of Fox. Schutz, who had been seven years of the King’s bedchamber, was turned out, for no reason but that he had not a seat in Parliament, and could be of no use there.[285]
But to wind up the year with more dignified rigour, the Dukes of Newcastle and Grafton and the Marquis of Rockingham were dismissed from the Lieutenancies of their several counties.[286] The same affront being designed for the Duke of Devonshire, Fox affected to make a point of saving him; but the Duke, with proper spirit, scorned to be obliged to him, and resigned to accompany his friends.
Death of John Earl Granville.--His character.--Political persecution originating in Fox.--Want of cordiality in the Ministerial League between him and Bute.--Attack on Patent Places.--Lord Northington and Sir Fletcher Norton.--The Duke of Cumberland’s remark on the harsh proceedings of Fox.--Triumph of the Court.--Wilkes and Churchill.--Favour shown to the friends of the Stuarts.--Observance of the Jacobite fast.--Calvert’s extraordinary Speech.--Sir John Philipps’s Motion for the Accounts of the Nation.--Folly of the Tories.--Committee to inspect Madhouses.--Accounts of the Navy.--Calamities of War.--No famous _native_ Generals except Wolfe and Lord Clive.--Charles Townshend’s fickle Politics.--The Standing Army.