on. To most of Pitt's supporters Pitt's
action came as an unpleasant surprise; but to Bland-Burges, from his
previous conversation with the minister, it seemed like an act of
treason. There was little for Bland-Burges to do, but it is to his
credit that he did that little. It required no small courage for a
follower and a friend of Pitt to defy his authority in the House. Yet
that is practically what Bland-Burges did. Raging with indignation at
what he conceived to be the tergiversation of his leader and the
treachery to his hero, Bland-Burges once again forced himself upon the
attention of the House. The leaders on both sides being agreed, it was
expected that the matter would be settled out of hand, and the Speaker
had actually put the question and declared it carried when Bland-Burges
leaped to his feet and challenged a division. He acted with the
courage of his despair, but, as he says, few unpremeditated enterprises
ever succeeded better than this one. "The question indeed was carried
by a great majority, but those who were against it were almost entirely
of those who till then had implicitly voted with the minister. This
was not only mortifying to Mr. Pitt, but highly encouraging to Mr.
Hastings and his steadfast friends."

Bland-Burges did not escape an early intimation of the disapproval of
his chief. When the House broke up, Pitt said to him, with an austere
look, "So, sir, you have thought proper to divide the House. I hope
you are satisfied." Bland-Burges answered that he was perfectly
satisfied. "Then you seem satisfied very easily," the minister
retorted; to which Bland-Burges replied, "Not exactly so, sir. I am
satisfied with nothing that has passed this evening except the
discovery I have made that there were still honest men present." "On
that," Bland-Burges continues, "with a stern look and a stately air he
left me."

[Sidenote: 1787--Bland-Burges and Hastings]

Bland-Burges won a reward for his courage which outweighed the
disapproval of Pitt. When he had thus {279} volunteered on behalf of
Warren Hastings he was so entirely a stranger to him that he did not
even know him by sight. Naturally enough, however, the arraigned man
was desirous to become acquainted with the stranger who had stood by
him when his own friends had abandoned him. He lost no time,
therefore, in calling upon Bland-Burges to thank him for the part he
had played. Bland-Burges says that the conversation was deep