Page:Life of William Shelburne (vol 1).djvu/382

356 to insist upon his suggestion, as it would certainly be "rejected with indignation." The heads of the Bill were accordingly transmitted in their original shape, but the Privy Council in England at once added to the clause relating to the address for the removal of the Judges, the words "Certified by the Lord-Lieutenant and Council there under the Great Seal of Ireland in like manner as Bills are usually certified, or upon the address of both Houses of the Parliament of Great Britain": thereby making the alteration anticipated by Shelburne.

Finding his old supporters still inflexible, the Lord-Lieutenant invited the Chancellor, Lord Annaly, the Solicitor-General, the Lord Chief Baron Forster, Mr. Malone, and the Provost of Trinity College, to a confidential meeting. So alarming was the outlook in their opinion, that they recommended the postponement of the Augmentation Bill to another Session, more especially as at the general election, which it was intended to hold immediately after the passing of the Octennial Bill, members might be afraid to lose their seats if they voted for the Augmentation. The postponement did not appear to them liable to any inconvenience beyond that of requiring the presence of the Lord-Lieutenant somewhat sooner than the usual time. Townshend himself further reported, that "the country gentlemen on whose support he now entirely depended, were very earnest to go into their several counties to look after their elections, and yet would be sorry to have the King's service exposed to the enterprises of ambition. He believed they in general wished to carry through the augmentation upon the most honourable footing, when their elections were over, and many would even give it their best assistance, if they were assured that the weight of the Crown would not be exerted against them hereafter, by those whose designs they now defeated by their zealous support of His Majesty's Government." At the same time he despatched his Secretary Lord Frederick Camp-