erioration in the strength and quality of the fleet. Pitt
accordingly moved for an inquiry into the administration of the navy.
Fox dissociated himself from Pitt's attacks on the first lord of the
admiralty, but supported the motion on the ground that an inquiry would
clear St. Vincent's character. On a division the government had a
majority of 201 against 130. On the 19th, however, Pitt refused to join
the Grenvilles in supporting Fox's motion for the re-committal of the
volunteer consolidation bill. On the following day Eldon made overtures
to Pitt, and on the 23rd Pitt dined _tete-a-tete_ with the chancellor,
but no record has been preserved of the nature of their negotiations.

On the 29th Pitt, in a letter to Melville, explained his position at
length. He intended, as soon after the Easter recess as the king's
health should permit, to write to the king explaining the dangers which,
in his opinion, threatened the crown and people from the continuance of
the existing government, and representing the urgent necessity of a
speedy change; he would prefer an administration from which no political
party should be excluded, but was unwilling, especially in view of the
king's state of health, to force any minister upon him; if, therefore,
he should be invited by the king to form a ministry from which the
partisans of Fox and Grenville were to be excluded, he was prepared to
form one from his own followers united with the more capable members of
the existing government, excluding Addington himself and St. Vincent;
should this measure fail of success, he would "have no hesitation in
taking such ground in Parliament as would be most likely to attain the
object".[21] As it happened, the parliamentary assault preceded the
correspondence with the king. Immediately after the recess the ministry
laid before parliament military proposals which Pitt felt bound to
resist. On April 16 Pitt, supported by Windham, opposed the third
reading of a bill for augmenting the Irish militia, and expressed a
preference for the army of reserve. He was defeated by the narrow
majority of 128 against 107. On the 23rd Fox proposed to refer the
question of national defence to a committee of the whole house. He was
supported by Pitt and Windham, and defeated by 256 votes only against
204. The division which sealed the fate of the ministry was taken two
days later on a motion that the house should go into committee on a bill
for the suspension of the army