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immenſe charge to the public, with the attendant accumulations of patronage to the miniſter by the management of new taxes? Leaſt of all ſhould any one declaim on the imperceptible influence, which has been ſometimes much dwelt on. While the practice of making cloſe loans was in uſe, which afforded opportunities of gratifying long liſts of private friends ſecretly; and beneficial contracts were made with members of parliament, or their friends, from favor only, to a great amount; and ſo long, too, as leaſes of the landed property of the Crown were renewed from time to time, on terms of great advantage to the leſſees, and of loſs to the Crown; while accountants or their repreſentatives were permitted to retain, with impunity, large balances of the public money in their hands for their own emolument; and while home ſecret ſervice money
(which in the beginning had been popular) he moved, "that the influence of the Crown had increafed, was increaſing, and ought to be diminiſhed" In which motion he prevailed, although the members holding offices during pleaſure in the Houſe of Commons wer conſiderably fewer at that time than when he was one of His Majeſty's law ſervants. Several reforms in office were made in conſequence of that vote; but the means of imperceptible and corrupt influence were untouched till done away by Mr, Pitt.
