Page:Memoirs of a Trait in the Character of George III.djvu/105

Rh resource against misfortunes originating ten years before, in the Earl of Morton's having been insufferably provoked by a non-compliance with the impossibilities he projected, measures were taken by the junior Harrison, with the advice of "," to form a friendly party in the legislature, opposed to that which it was to be expected the Commissioners of Longitude, after this dictum, would exert all their influence to muster against the prayer for the redress sought. As a matter of course, Lord North would be among the first applied to.—The copy of this letter is missing, but the same arguments were embodied in another, which is preserved, addressed, under date, December 18th, 1772, to John Robinson, Esq., Secretary to the Treasury, and supposed to be his Lordship's chief confidant. As the applicant took no step of any moment without consulting his Majesty, the reason of this auxiliary duplicate was probably, that the King from a knowledge of his Minister's constitutional temperament, told him Lord North would be in danger of falling asleep over the business, without this precaution; by which it was designed that Mr. Robinson should give his principal a jog on the elbow, or something equivalent to a fillip on the nose (for he loved a joke) to avert such an awkward sequel to the importance attached to the Premier's support of the petition. This prudential step, however, does not appear to have been attended, with the results looked for.