The End Of The Reign Of James The Second............ By David Hume, Esq. VOLUME TWO: Continued from the Reign of William and Mary to the Death of George II........................................... by Tobias Smollett. VOLUME THREE: From the Accession of George III. to the Twenty-Third Year of the Reign of Queen Victoria............... by E. Farr and E.H. Nolan. VOLUME THREE CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND, By E. Farr and E. H. Nolan [Illustration: 3–001–george3.jpg GEORGE III.] {GEORGE III. 1760–1765} GEORGE III. CHAPTER I. Accession of George III...... Meeting of Parliament, &c. Judges made independent of the Crown..... Changes in the Cabinet..... The Operations of the War..... The Resignation of Mr. Pitt..... The Marriage of the King..... Coronation of their Majesties..... Meeting of Parliament..... Disturbances in Ireland..... War with Spain..... France and Spain declare War against Portugal..... Dissensions in the Cabinet..... Events in Germany, &c. Negociations for Peace..... The Meeting of Parliament, and the Conclusion of Peace..... The Resignation of Bute..... The Character and Impeachment of Wilkes..... Changes in the Cabinet..... Meeting of Parliament, and further proceedings against Wilkes..... Proposition to tax the American Colonies..... Opposition of the Americans..... War with the North American Indians..... Domestic Occurrences {1760} ACCESSION OF GEORGE III. Few monarchs ever ascended a throne under more auspicious circumstances than George III. The sources of national wealth and prosperity were daily becoming developed, and the British arms were everywhere victorious. So extensive were their conquests, indeed, that it may be said, the sun rose and set, at this date, within the limits of the British dominions. Prince George, who was the eldest son of the late Frederick, Prince of Wales, was riding on horseback in the neighbourhood of Kew palace, with his groom of the stole, Lord Bute, when news was brought him that his grandfather was dead. This intelligence was confirmed soon after by the arrival of Mr. Pitt, the head of the government, and they repaired together to Kew. On the next morning George went up to St. James’s, where Pitt waited upon him, and presented the sketch of an address to be pronounced at the meeting of the privy council. Pitt, however, was doomed to find a rival where he thought to have found a friend. He was told by his majesty, that an address had already been prepared, which convinced him that Bute, on whose favour he had reckoned, would not be contented with a subordinate place in the new government, but would aspire to the highest offices in the state. In the course of the day, October 26th, George was proclaimed king with the usual solemnities. The accession of George, notwithstanding, did not involve any immediate change in the existing administration. The Earl of Bute, together with Prince Edward, Duke of York, were admitted into the privy council, but it was given out that his majesty was satisfied, and even charmed, with the existing cabinet, and that he would make no changes, with the exception of a few in the household and in the minor offices. One of the first acts of George III., was a proclamation “for the encouragement of piety and virtue, and for preventing and punishing of vice, profaneness, and immorality.” This was naturally looked upon as a token of his majesty’s virtue and devotion, which view was borne out by his after character; for although the proclamation may be considered in the light of a dead letter as regards actual operation, it was enforced, or recommended, by his example; and example hath a louder tongue either than precept, proclamations, or laws. From the beginning to the close of his long...