528 . SHERIDAN. other, during the American contest, they soon gained the ascendancy in the House of Commons, by their united talents and influence; and Mr. Sheridan accordingly formed a part of the coalition administration, by being appointed to the confidential and important office of secretary of the treasury, in 1783. In 1786, he ably and manfully opposed the extravagant plans of the late Duke of Richmond, for fortifying and protecting the dock-yards, by means of numerous, exten sive, and expensive works; instead of recurring to the natural defence of Great Britain, arising out of a powerful navy. On this occasion, he alluded to the constitutional jealousy of the military power of the crown, which origi nated in this, “That it was in the nature of kings to love power, and in the constitution of armies to obey kings.” He also observed,
“That the strong holds, now contended for, if maintained as they must be, in peace, by full and disciplined garrisons; if well provided, and calcu lated to stand regular sieges, as the present plan professed; and if extended to all the objects to which the system must inevitably lead, whether they were to be considered as inducements to tempt a weak prince to evil views, or as engines of power, in case of actual rupture; would in truth present ten times the means of curbing and subduing the country, that could be stated to arise, even from doubling the present military establishment; with this extraordinary aggravation attending the folly of consenting to such a system, that those very naval stores, and magazines, the seed and sources of our future navy, the effectual preservation of which was the pretence for these unassailable fortresses, would, in that case, become a pledge and hostage, in the hands of the crown, which in a country circum stanced as this was, must ensure an unconditional submission to the most extravagant claims which despotism could dictate.” At seven in the morning, the House, which was very full, divided upon the question, and the numbers being equal, the speaker gave his vote on the side of Opposition, by which means the motion was lost. In the spring of 1786, commenced the proceedings against Mr. Hastings, in which Mr. Sheridan was actively engaged for several years. The first difficulty encountered, by those who brought the charges, was an evident un willingness on the part of Mr. Pitt and Mr. Dundas to 1
