But be soon found that the King was determined to keep in his own hands the power of appointing and removing the junior Lords.  One of these Lords, especially, the First Commissioner hated, and was bent on ejecting, Sir George Rooke, who was Member of Parliament for Portsmouth.  Rooke was a brave and skilful officer, and had, therefore, though a Tory in politics, been suffered to keep his place during the ascendency of the Whig junto.  Orford now complained to the King that Rooke had been in correspondence with the factious opposition which had given so much trouble, and had lent the weight of his professional and official authority to the accusations which had been brought against the naval administration.  The King spoke to Rooke, who declared that Orford had been misinformed.  “I have a great respect for my Lord; and on proper occasions I have not failed to express it in public.  There have certainly been abuses at the Admiralty which I am unable to defend.  When those abuses have been the subject of debate in the House of Commons, I have sate silent.  But, whenever any personal attack has been made on my Lord, I have done him the best service that I could.”  William was satisfied, and thought that Orford should have been satisfied too.  But that haughty and perverse nature could be content with nothing but absolute dominion.  He tendered his resignation, and could not be induced to retract it.  He said that he could be of no use.  It would be easy to supply his place; and his successors should have his best wishes.  He then retired to the country, where, as was reported and may easily be believed, he vented his ill humour in furious invectives against the King.  The Treasurership of the Navy was given to the Speaker Littleton.  The Earl of Bridgewater, a nobleman of very fair character and of some experience in business, became First Lord of the Admiralty.

Other changes were made at the same time.  There had during some time been really no Lord President of the Council.  Leeds, indeed, was still called Lord President, and, as such, took precedence of dukes of older creation; but he had not performed any of the duties of his office since the prosecution instituted against him by the Commons in 1695 had been suddenly stopped by an event which made the evidence of his guilt at once legally defective and morally complete.  It seems strange that a statesman of eminent ability, who had been twice Prime Minister, should have wished to hold, by so ignominious a tenure, a place which can have had no attraction for him but the salary.  To that salary, however, Leeds had clung, year after year; and he now relinquished it with a very bad grace.  He was succeeded by Pembroke; and the Privy Seal which Pembroke laid down was put into the hands of a peer of recent creation, Viscount Lonsdale.  Lonsdale had been distinguished in the House of Commons as Sir John Lowther, and had held high office, but had quitted public life in weariness and disgust, and had passed