ns were somewhat vague, and he did not receive timely
notice that the cabinet would not assent to the policy he was
adopting.[259] Deeply immersed in the conduct of the war, Pitt seems to
have neglected the affairs of Ireland at this time, and to have failed
to appreciate the gravity of the crisis. Fitzwilliam's recall was due
partly to Pitt's unwillingness to offend Beresford's powerful friends in
both countries and the whole party which had given him valuable
support,[260] partly to his determination to avoid any change of system
during the war, and partly to the dislike of some other members of the
cabinet, plainly expressed by Portland, to the proposed overthrow of the
protestant ascendency. Yet another influence was brought to bear on the
decision of the cabinet. On February 6 the king sent Pitt a statement of
his strong objection to emancipation, both as a matter of policy and on
religious grounds, ending with the remark that it would be better to
change the new Irish administration than to submit to it.[261] His
feelings were strengthened by hearing, perhaps from Westmorland, that
Fitzgibbon was of opinion that he could not give the royal assent to
catholic emancipation without a breach of his coronation oath and of the
act of succession,[262] a mistaken idea which ruled his later conduct
with lamentable results. He consulted some great lawyers on the point;
Lord Kenyon and Scott, the attorney-general, assured him that he could
assent to a change in the test act without breach of his oath, but the
chancellor, Loughborough, gave him an undecided answer which tended to
strengthen his opinion. His feelings on the question doubtless confirmed
the ministers in their decision, but must not be supposed to have
dictated it.[263]

FOOTNOTES:

[241] This question is admirably dealt with by Lord Rosebery in his
_Pitt_, pp. 148-60.

[242] Newmarch, _On the Loans Raised by Mr. Pitt_, pp. 25-27; W. E.
Gladstone to H. Gladstone, March 10, 1876, in Morley's _Life of
Gladstone_, ii., 637-38.

[243] Sorel, _u.s._, iii., 366-68; Sybel, _u.s._, ii., 239-41; Auckland
to Grenville, Ap. 8 and 9, 1793, MS. Holland, R.O.

[244] Chuquet, _Les Guerres de la Revolution_, xi., 115.

[245] Auckland to Grenville, April 26 and May 14, 1793, MS. Holland,
R.O.; Eden to Grenville, April 15 and May 13, MS. Austria, R.O.

[246] Chuquet, _Les Guerres de la Revolution_, xi., 149, 151-52, 251.

[247] Grenville to Eden, Jan. 3, 1791, MS., Austr