shaken the sympathy of the ultra-Protestants and Tories, as it had done that of the King, and both had been transferred in large measure to Addington. Whilst, therefore, the minister made the King's friends feel that he was indispensable, they on their part made him feel his dependence upon them, now that he was left without the support of Grenville and Windham. His majorities became less than those which had been held insufficient to maintain his predecessors in power. The Bill for dealing with military defence was carried by a majority of forty only, and he was reminded in the House that he had fewer supporters than the man whom he had displaced. It was true, and felt to be so, that Pitt was less dependent upon the number of his followers than a feeble minister like Addington would be; nevertheless, the position was humiliating, and tended to become dangerous. So towards the end of the year, as there was no chance of gaining over Grenville, the Premier had to turn to his old follower, and Addington joined the Ministry, at the same time receiving a peerage. The title Viscount Sidmouth, which he now assumed, was that under which he was known for so many years as one of the most obstinate and determined opponents of every form of liberty, the advocate of repression and coercion, the friend of bigotry and intolerance. In all these points he was such a man as a king like George III. would delight to honour. The alliance brought temporary strength to the Ministry, as was manifested when divisions were taken. But there was no heart in the once proud minister to enter upon any home policy. He was reproached by Fox, when Parliament met in January, 1806, with doing nothing towards redeeming his old pledges in favour of the Roman Catholics. He defended himself, but without much spirit. That the House of Commons was not in a mood to undertake any earnest work was manifested by the fate which befel Wilberforce's motion for the abolition of the slave trade. On previous occasions he had carried his proposals through the House with large majorities, but when he renewed them on the 19th of February of this year, he was defeated by seventy-seven to seventy votes.
