independence of the judges. The rule of making the commissions of the
judges depend on their good conduct instead of on the pleasure of the
crown had, indeed, been established at the Revolution; but it was still
held that these commissions expired with the life of the sovereign who
had granted them; and, at the accession of Anne, as also at that of
George II., a renewal of their commissions had been withheld from some
members of the judicial bench. But now, even before the dissolution of
the existing Parliament, the new King recommended to it such a change in
the law as should "secure the judges in the enjoyment of their offices
during their good behavior, notwithstanding any demise of the crown;"
giving the proposal, which was understood to have been originally
suggested by himself, additional weight by the very unusual step of
making it the subject of a speech to the two Houses in the middle of the
session. A bill to give effect to it was at once brought in, and, though
the Houses sat only a fortnight longer, was carried before the
dissolution.

The close of the year 1762, however, saw the restoration of peace; and
the circumstances connected with the treaty which re-established it gave
birth to a degree of political and constitutional excitement such as had
not agitated the kingdom for more than half a century. That treaty had
not been concluded by the minister who had conducted the war. When
George III. came to the throne he found the Duke of Newcastle presiding
at the Treasury, but the seals of one Secretary of State in the hands of
Mr. Pitt, who was universally regarded as the guiding genius of the
ministry. The other Secretary of State was Lord Holdernesse. But, in the
spring of 1761, as soon as the Parliament was dissolved,[3] that
statesman retired from office, and was succeeded by the Earl of Bute, a
Scotch nobleman, who stood high in the favor of the King's mother, the
Princess Dowager of Wales, but who had not till very recently been
supposed to be actuated by political ambition, and who was still less
suspected of any statesman-like ability to qualify him for the office to
which he was thus promoted. It was presently seen, however, that he
aspired to even higher dignity. He at once set himself to oppose Pitt's
warlike policy; and, on the question of declaring war against Spain, he
was so successful in inducing the rest of the cabinet to reject Pitt's
proposals, that that statesman resigned his office in unc