s to
which he had alluded, and which had been communicated to him while Mr.
Ward was speaking, was the resignation of those ministers who would not
consent to the principle which his motion involved. Those who resigned
were Mr. Stanley, colonial secretary; Sir James Graham, first lord of
the admiralty; the Duke of Richmond, postmaster-general; and the Earl
of Ripon, lord privy-seal. These vacant offices were soon filled up:
the Marquis of Conyngham became postmaster-general; the Earl of Carlisle
accepted the privy-seal; Lord Auckland became the first lord of the
admiralty; and the colonial office was filled up by Mr. Spring Rice.
Lord Althorp stated afterwards that he was not aware of the necessity of
these changes till after he had entered the house on the 27th; and the
adjournment seems to have arisen from the fear that the retirement of
these ministers would bring along with it the resignation of the whole.
An address was got up and presented to Earl Grey by a great number of
the ministerial adherents in the commons, entreating his lordship to
retain his place; but though, in reply he announced his intention of
making every personal sacrifice that might be required of him in
support of the principles of the administration, he admitted that much
embarrassment, as well as mischief, was produced by the reckless desire
of innovation. The embarrassment of ministers was rendered still greater
by the king himself, who, in reply to an address presented to him by
the Irish bishops on the 28th of May, on behalf of the Irish church,
remarked with peculiar emphasis:--"I now remember you have a right to
require of me to be resolute in defence of the church. I have been,
by the circumstances of my life and by conviction, led to support
toleration to the utmost extent of which it is justly capable; but
toleration must not be suffered to go into licentiousness: it has its
bounds, which it is my duty, and which I am resolved to maintain. I
am, from the deepest conviction, attached to the pure Protestant faith,
which this church, of which I am the temporal head, is the human means
of diffusing and preserving in this land. I cannot forget what was the
course of events that placed my family on the throne which I now fill.
These events were consummated in a revolution, which was rendered
necessary, and which was effected, not, as has sometimes been most
erroneously stated, merely for the sake of the temporal liberties of
the people, but f