ssertion of Fox that
his majesty's ministers held their places in defiance of the opinion of
parliament, he declared, "that nothing but a sense of his duty to the
public kept him in office, and that he could not quit it with so much
honour as attended his coming into it." Fox now altered his mode of
attack. Conceiving that he should lose ground by making any more motions
of a personal nature, especially before the fate of Pitt's India Bill
should be decided, he set himself to work to defeat that bill. A long
debate took place upon its second reading, which was on Friday, the
23rd, and on the motion for its commitment, it was rejected by two
hundred and twenty-two against two hundred and fourteen. Exulting in his
victory, Fox then moved for leave to bring in another bill, similar in
its principles to his former one, and this being given, he called on
Pitt to state explicitly whether he intended to prevent its progress
by a dissolution of parliament. For a long time Pitt sat silent as a
statue, nor would he have spoken at all had not General Conway rose,
and, with great warmth, called upon him to explain his conduct for his
own honour. But even then Pitt gave no answer to Fox's question; only
rising to call General Conway to order, for asserting that the ministry,
"originated in darkness and secrecy, maintained themselves by artifice
and reserve, and existed by corruption;" and that they were "about to
dissolve parliament, and to send their agents round the country to bribe
the electors." The same question was put to Pitt on a future day, and he
preserved the same haughty silence; whence, on the 26th, Mr. Eden moved
a resolution, declaring the firm reliance of the house on his majesty's
promise, that they should not be interrupted either by a prorogation or
dissolution, from taking into consideration the regulation of the East
India Company, and for supporting the public credit. In reply, Pitt
observed, that he did not see how the royal word could be considered
pledged to the extent of the motion; but, he added, that as a
dissolution would be attended with great disadvantage, he would not
advise any such exercise of the royal prerogative. Opposition might
have been satisfied with this explicit declaration, but nevertheless Mr.
Eden's motion was pressed and agreed to without a division. The house
then adjourned to the 29th, and in the meantime a meeting of some of the
leading men of both parties met at the St. Albans-tavern,