Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/255

 244 BURKE. stand upon. The colleagues, whom he had assorted at the same boards, stared at each other, and were obliged to ask, 'Sir, your name?-Sir, you have the advantage of me-Mr. Such-a-one-Sir, I beg ten thousand pardons.'- I venture to say, it did so happen, that persons had a single office divided between them, who had never spoken to each other in their lives, until they found themselves, they knew not how, heads and points, in the same truckle- bed." An administration, composed of materials so discordant, could not long remain united. The secret inluence of the princess dowager was unceasingly employed in scatter- ing dissensions among the ministry, and in counteracting the patriotic designs of Lord Chatham. Wearied with unavailing attempts to carry into effect the extensive plans which he had meditated for the good of his country, and finding it no longer in his power to oppose the cabal which had been formed in the cabinet against him, this great and patriotic statesman at length retired in disgust, under the united pressure of age and ill-health. He felt that he had no longer the power to oppose with effect those ruinous measures into which the country was about to be precipitated, and he resolved not to give even a tacit consent to them, by retaining an office of which the power had passed away from him. On the resignation of Lord Chatham, the parliament was dissolved, and Burke was again returned for the bo- rough of Wendover. The new parliament, which met in November 1768, is famous for the proceedings which took place in the memorable affair of Wilkes, aud which are so well kuown as to render a repetition of them useless. Burke, on this occasion, took a high and consti- tutional ground, strenuously contending that an act o parliament alone could disqualify any person from sitting in the house of commons, who had been fairly elected by a majority of votes to a vacant seat. This principle, though then rejected, was, in an ensuing parliament,