At one, Sir W. Meredith(489) moved a resolution of the illegality of the warrant, and opened it well.  He was seconded by old Darlington’s brother,(490) a convert to us.  Mr. Wood, who had shone the preceding day by great modesty, decency, and ingenuity, forfeited these merits a good deal by starting up (according to a ministerial plan,) and very arrogantly, and repeatedly in the night, demanding justice and a previous acquittal, and telling the House he scorned to accept being merely excused; to which Mr. Pitt replied, that if he disdained to be excused, he would deserve to be censured.  Mr. Charles Yorke (who, with his family, have come roundly to us for support against the Duke of Bedford on the Marriage-bill(491)) proposed to adjourn.  Grenville and the Ministry would have agreed to adjourn the debate on the great question itself, but declared they would push this acquittal.  This they announced haughtily enough—­for as yet, they did not doubt of their strength.  Lord Frederick Campbell(492) was the most impetuous of all, so little he foresaw how much wiser it would be to follow your brother.  Pitt made a short speech, excellently argumentative, and not bombast, nor tedious. nor deviating from the question.  He was supported by your brother, and Charles Townshend, and Lord George;(493) the two last of whom are strangely firm, now they are got under the cannon of your brother Charles, who, as he must be extraordinary, is now so in romantic nicety of honour.  His father,(494) who is dying, or dead, at Bath, and from whom he hopes two thousand a year, has sent for him.  He has refused to go—­lest his steadiness should be questioned.  At a quarter after four we divided.  Our cry was so loud, that both we and the ministers thought we had carried it.  It is not to be painted, the dismay of the latter—­in good truth not without reason, for we were 197, they but 207.  Your experience can tell you, that a majority of but ten is a defeat.  Amidst a great defection from them, was even a white staff, Lord Charles Spencer(495)—­now you know still more of what I told you was preparing for them!

Crestfallen, the ministers then proposed simply to discharge the complaint; but the plumes which they had dropped, Pitt soon placed in his own beaver.  He broke out on liberty, and, indeed, on whatever he pleased, uninterrupted.  Rigby sat feeling the vice-treasurership slipping from under him.  Nugent was now less pensive—­Lord Strange,(496) though not interested, did not like it.  Every body was too much taken up with his own concerns or too much daunted, to give the least disturbance to the Pindaric.  Grenville, however, dropped a few words, which did but heighten the flame.  Pitt, with less modesty than ever he showed, pronounced a panegyric, on his own administration, and from thence broke out on the dismission of officers.  This increased the roar from us.  Grenville replied, and very finely, very pathetically, very animated.