a system already adopted by the king of
directing military operations in America from London which had
disastrous consequences. Rochford retired with a pension of L2,500 and
was succeeded by Weymouth as secretary of the southern department.

The king's speech at the opening of parliament on October 26, 1775,
stated that the Americans were in rebellion and were seeking to
"establish an independent empire". Eight months had yet to pass before
the colonies declared their independence, and the effect of events which
hastened their decision, such as the employment of German troops and the
refusal to answer the petition of congress, was not yet known in
England. It will, however, scarcely be denied that between the
proceedings of congress and a formal declaration of independence the
distance was not great. The strength of the king's position lay in his
recognition of this fact and of the course which alone might have
quelled the growing spirit of rebellion without humiliation to Great
Britain. The opposition did not see facts as they really were, and
called for remedies which were either vague, of various import,
insufficient, or such as would have placed the crown in a humiliating
position. In the lords' debate on the address, Rockingham urged a vague
undertaking to adopt measures of conciliation, Grafton the repeal of the
acts relating to America since 1763, and Shelburne that the petition of
congress proved that the colonies were not "planning independence". In
the commons Burke taunted the ministers with failure; and Fox, who was
coming to the front, praised the spirit of the Americans, denied that
they were aiming at independence, and bitterly attacked North, who, said
he, had lost more in one campaign than Chatham, Frederick of Prussia, or
Alexander the Great had ever gained--he had lost a whole continent. The
address was carried in the lords by 76 to 33, and in the commons by 176
to 72.

Motions were made in both houses declaring that the employment of
Hanoverian troops within the king's dominions, at Gibraltar and Minorca,
without previous consent of parliament was unconstitutional. It was, the
opposition maintained, a violation of the bill of rights, which declared
that "the keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time of peace,
unless it be with consent of parliament, is against law". On the
government side it was pointed out that it was not a time of peace and
that the clause did not apply to the dependenci