of the treasury, and as his lordship was unwilling to resign
that lucrative office, a bill was subsequently brought into parliament
empowering him to name a responsible trustee for holding auditorship
so long as he should continue premier. Law, who had been created Baron
Ellenborough in 1802, was appointed to this place, with a seat in the
cabinet; an act which created strong prejudices in the minds of the
people at large against the new administration. But his lordship's
parliamentary interest was considered essential to the support of the
new ministry, and the murmurs of the people were hence not regarded.
Such a sweeping ministerial change as this had not taken place for
years; all places were swept clean and new men put into them. The
administration, however, was made of discordant materials. In it were
Grenvillites, Foxites, Wind-hamites, Lansdownites, Addingtonians or
Sidmouthites, &c. and this division brought so many expectations,
hopes, and pretensions in their several trains, that it was easy to
foresee that there would soon be quarrelling, and strife, and splittings
among them. They had no general political creed; and their interests,
like their theories, lay wide asunder. Moreover, it was soon found
that it was on very few questions they could command anything like a
respectable majority. They were triumphant, indeed, when it was moved
in the lords and commons "that it was highly inexpedient, and tended
to weaken the administration of justice, to summon to any committee or
assembly of the privy council any of the judges of his majesty's
courts of common law," in allusion to the recent appointment of Baron
Ellenborough; but beyond this the present motley ministry could only
command majorities of the narrowest kind; and sometimes during this
session they were even left in a minority. Wearying and worrying
debates, and all to little or no purpose, became the order of the day.
Sheridan on one occasion, indeed, suggested that ministerial members,
distributed in parties of twenty, should go home to rest in the midst of
debate, and then come back to rest after they had slept and breakfasted.
The house sometimes sat till seven o'clock in the morning, and then
separated without having effected anything of importance.

NEGOCIATIONS FOR PEACE.

At the death of Mr. Pitt the state of Europe rendered it difficult for
Great Britain to negociate with France for a safe and honourable
peace. As Mr. Fox, however, had s