Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-04-29

! ELLIOT on his fathers decease; and subsequent TO
her marriage, PITT's pecuniary concerns fell into
| the utmost disorder Debts accumulated, and il
| was commonly asserted, that the collector Of the
take, found more difficulty in levying them from
the Chancellor Of the Exchequer than from almost
any other indi> idual in Westminster. Even trades
mems bills were said to be frequently paid not IN
money, but, by ordering new articles, and thus aug
menting the pressure Of tire evil itself.
II was not till 1899, on the Earl OF Guilfords de-
cease, that Mr.. DUNpAs having learnt the inteni-
gence, and knowing his friends disinterestedness,
hurried to st. James'went into the closet, and ask
ed of his Majesty the place Of Lord Warden OF the
Cirque Ports, for PITT; which office the King i'm
mediately confer led OH him, though it had been
previously intended by the Sovereign, as know,
Tor tho late Duke Of Dorset. Such was The su-
periority of the First Minister'S mind, to every OBJ
ject of personal emolument or acquisition, that he
disdained 10 ask any reward, even from the Priuce
whom he had SO long and SO efficaciously served
For MY knowledge of this curious and interesting
fact, am indebted to the Right Hon. WILLIAM
DUNDAs, nephew to the late Lord Melville,
whose authority on such a point is superior to all
contradiction. The salary, which in MIR. PITTS
person was rendered nominally three thousand five
hundred pounds a year, might have formed a very
handsome addition TO his income: but, the neces-
sary deductions Of many kinds, to be made from
this sum: the expenses which he incurred IN alter
ing or embelli.hing Walmur Castle; and more than
both, his facility or liberality in granting small
pensions to invaded or aged ~artifcers, of various
descriptions, belonging to the Cinque Ports; these
combined causes reduced the receipt below half
its ostensible amount. Yet when he went out OF
office in 1901, loaded with debts, he possessed no
other independent means of subsistence. II IS M
deed true, that as early as 1890, he had been elect
cd Master of the Trinity House; but, have always
considered that appointment, though honorable,
rs unpluiuc'ive of any pecuniary emolnnelt.--
Nbon ua reHect IN the ciFrl instances here emu
merated, we may regret bui We canuot wonder,
that after holding the reigns # Government almost
his whole life-and conierrirg 20 many dleniues.
us well az Offices, dur :ng a period Ut near nineteen
years, he should die not only poor, but oppressed
under a burthen of debt. Yet must we distin-
suish between 4 sort oil %virtuous, or at least fehiai
poverty, i'll may so express myself, caused by want
of economy, in a man who dew ted his excrtions
to the public service; and Foxs similar wants.
produced by "a rage for play, which not only re-
duced him to a state OF dereliction, but hnaliy COM
PEELED him to accept an eleemosynary contribution
from his. political and personal friends, in order to
| furnish him with the means OF subsistence. It's
unnecessary 20 contrast the two positions. or char
| acters, which undoubtedly excite IN orr minds very
| opposite sensations, and awaken widely different
| degrees Of moral censure or disappgobation.
PIrr's great superiority 20 his antagonist, and his
censeauent Ministerial success, flowed Principally
from two causes. The first was his admirable
! 1uu-ucut. IL bhtSiiiCNhNb US vs.
liamentars s~xeItions during the late war, and in
duced him, while heaping accusations on the Min
isters, TO spare the King. know that he receiv-
ed a hint. soon after beginning to speak in the
House of Commons, warning him to avoid that
rock on which Fox had split, and to be cautious
how he mentioned Or alluded 10 the Royal name
| He did not despise the advice. The same supe-
| rior intelligence impellea him., when Lord NORTH
was driven from power, to refuse Office under an
administration, which he foresaw, from Its compo-
rent materials, could only be Of short durGtion.-
Ii d .ctated to him Ia take the Chancelorship OF the
| Exchequer under Lord SHELBURHE; but it equal
ly suggested to him tie impractIcabillty OF RETAIN
ing the situation of First Minister when pressed by
his Majesty in March, 1888, to assume that high
Office, after the Earl of SHELBURNE's resignation.
In renouncing a situation so fattering to his pride
and his ambition, though it lay within his grasp,
he exhibited, when not q, the deepest and calmest
d~iscernment; for if he had yielded TO the wish Of
the Sovereign, it seems certain that he could not
have retained himself in power against Fox and
| Lord NORTH, who had not then committed any
other act calculated to excite the public condemna-
ton, except the mere approximation of their re-
s~pective Parliamentary adf.erents, and their own
| political union. PITT, with consummate juds-
ment, waited till the coalition had brought for
ward the East India Bill and could no longer re-
| cede, in order 70 profit Of their indiscretion. lie
accepted, in December, the employment, which
nine months earlier he had wisely declined, exhi-
biting, on both occasions, equal ability; but he me-
YER associated Lord SHELBURKE to his power,
nor allowed him place in the Cabinet. His whole
conduct, whilst struggling against Fox's Majority
in the House Of COMMONS, during successive
months, formed the triumph Of paramount capaci-
ty, over imprudence and rapacious precipitation.
Ii we were to pursue the comparison lower in
PITT's life, we should trace the same effects result
ing from similar causes, during the CT itical conflict
between him and Fox in the winter Of 1885, when
the latter, instead Of advising the Heir Apparent to
accept the Regency under any conditions, how
ever severe, on which Parliament might think
proper to confer it during the Kings malady, laid
claim to it as a matter of right. The Minister in
stantly perceived, aud fastened like an eagle on his
adversary's error, which, by producing delay, hap
ply allowed time for his majesty's recovery, and Of
course, perpetuated the duration ofPITTs power.
The second point that gave him an ascendancy
over Fox, arose from the correctness Of his deport-
ment and regularity of life. This circumstance,
which under Charles II. would have counted for
little in the scale, operated with decisive effect,
under a Prince such as George iii. Nor did it pro-
duce less beneficial, results with the people at large.
Some internal guarantee, drawn from moral cha
rac,er, high integrity, aud indisputable rectitude Of
intention, seemed indeed necessary, In order oJus-
tify to the nation the choice of the King when in
trusting to a young man, destitute Of property, the
finances aud concerns Of an empire, reduced by a
long and disastrous war, to a state Of great depres-
sion. PITT lad in fact no other stake to deposit
as a security for his good conduct, unless we take
into our calculation his possible reversion OF the
Earldom of Chatham. He had likewise to contend
with another deficiency. During the whole course
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