but this measure being opposed by his colleagues in office, and finding that the earl of Bute, who had been governor to his majesty, had acquired an ascendancy in the royal favour, he disdained to act a subordinate part, resigned the seals, and retired with a pension and a peerage for his lady.

Lord Bute, who had been previously appointed one of the principal secretaries of state, was now supposed to influence the decisions of government; but, before the end of the year, the ministry found it necessary to adopt the measure recommended by Mr. Pitt, and to declare war against Spain. Havanna, Manilla, and all the Philippine islands, became, in consequence, the reward of British valour.

A. D.

1763

Amidst these successes, however, the restoration of peace was equally desired by the victors and the vanquished; and after some time had been spent in negotiation, a definitive treaty was signed at Paris on the 10th of February, and peace solemnly proclaimed in London, on the 22d of the following month. By this treaty, Great Britain obtained the extensive province of Canada, East Florida, West Florida, the Grenadas in the West Indies, and some inferior acquisitions; but restored all the other conquests made during the war. These terms were considered in England as degrading to the nation; and clamours were raised against the administration of lord Bute, who had never been a favourite with the people.

About this time too, the daring spirit of John Wilkes, Esq., who sat in parliament for Aylesbury, contributed to hasten the downfall of the Premier. This man published a paper called "The North Briton," in which he attacked the minister with great asperity, and indulged in the grossest scurrility against the whole Scottish nation. Churchill, the poet, employed his satirical powers in the same cause; and the ferment excited by these two able, but profligate characters, was so great, that the earl of Bute thought proper to resign his office of first lord of the treasury, in which he was succeeded by Mr. George Grenville.

One of the first acts of the new minister was the prosecution of Mr. Wilkes, who, in the North Briton, No. 45, had asserted, that his majesty's speech, which he affected to consider as the minister's, contained a falsehood. In consequence of this violation of all decorum, Mr. Wilkes

was apprehended by virtue of a general warrant, his papers were seized, and he was committed to the tower. Ia the court of common pleas, however, Mr. Wilkes was acquitted of the charge exhibited against him; and lord chief justice Pratt declared, that general warrants were illegal.

Mr. Grenville possessed integrity and abilities, but he wanted a sound discriminating judgment. In order to raise a revenue from the American colonies, he projected a stamp-act, which, being resisted by the Americans, was afterwards repealed; but the attempt and its failure laid the foundation for that fatal contest, which at length terminated in the independence of the American colonies. The name of the princess of Wales having been omitted in the bill for appointing a regency, in

con

A. D.

sequence of his majesty's illness, the king, after re- 1765 covering from his indisposition, determined to change his ministers; and the marquis of Rockingham was placed at the head of a new administration. The highly respectable character of the marquis, however, could not secure the new ministers a continuance in office. Possessing a great share of moderation in principles, their opponents effectually made head against them; and the duke of Grafton became first lord of the treasury; while Mr. Pitt, who was now raised to the dignity of earl of Chatham, accepted the office of privy seal.

A. D.

1766

on tea,

Mr. Charles Townshend, the chancellor of the exchequer, who possessed eminent talents for business, but too much versatility of disposition, unhappily revived the design of taxing America, though taxation and representation cannot constitutionally be separated; and while the earl of Chatham was confined by extreme illness, he brought in a bill for imposing a duty and some other articles imported into the colonies. Against this design, the Americans formed a general combination for not receiving any of the commodities thus taxed, from the mother country; and, the acts were again repealed, except as far as related to the duties on tea. This con cession, however, gave little satisfaction to the Americans, who considered the late acts as unconstitutional, and pro posed a general union of the colonies for defending their

natural rights.

Meanwhile Mr. Townshend died, and his place

of

chancellor of the exchequer was filled by lord North. Some other changes also took place; and the earl of Chatham, who had long been treated with disregard, either on account of his infirmities, or his uncomplying disposition, resigned his office of privy-seal, and from this time lived unconnected with the affairs of government, though he frequently took an active part in the interesting debates which agitated this period.

The discontents which had been produced in A. D. America by the insidious, not to say unjust designs 1773 of the ministry, were about to break out into a

flame, that spread into a general conflagration. Laws having been passed for quartering troops in the colonies, and for rendering the governors of the different provinces solely dependant on the crown, the Americans, in order to show their aversion to the measures of the British government, and their determination to resist, destroyed a large quantity of tea at Boston, and obliged ships laden with the same commodity to return from other places without landing their cargoes. In consequence of these proceedings, acts were passed for shutting up the port of Boston, and for altering the constitution of Massachusetts bay and Quebec.

This violent stretch of power excited the utmost indigation in America; and the colonies entered into a solemn league and covenant to suspend all commercial intercourse with Great Britain, till the obnoxious acts were repealed. Meanwhile, measures were adopted for holding a general congress of the American colonies; and a bold and spirited remonstrance, soliciting a redress of grievances, was addressed to the king. All remonstrances and petitions, however, being equally disregarded, and every avenue to accommodation, except by implicit submission, shut up, the Americans determined to have recourse to arms, as the only means left for defending their unalienable rights. On the 19th of April, general Gage, commander in chief, having been informed that the Americans A. D. had collected military stores at Concord, sent a de1775 tachment to seize them. The detachment was attacked at Lexington, and many were killed on both sides; but the loss on the side of the British far exceeded that of their opponents.

The torch of civil war being thus lighted up, the colonists flew to arms as if by concert, and assumed the title