to him and calling by actual vote for his resignation, was clearly contrary not only to Parliamentary precedent, but to the plainest principles of the Constitution. Yet he held on without either speakers to help him or votes to support him, against the attacks of the ablest orators who have ever moved Parliament and the constant majorities which were behind them. The one thing which redeemed his conduct from the worst form of absolutism was the consciousness on both sides that an appeal to the country would result in the triumph of the Ministry. Here the opposition put themselves entirely in the wrong, denying by votes the undoubted right of the Crown to dissolve Parliament that the opinion of the constituencies might be ascertained. What that opinion would be was hardly a matter of doubt. In Westminster itself Fox had lost his hold on public feeling. The majority of the old committee was passively with him, but took no open steps in his behalf; and an active section, including Churchill and Sir Cecil Wray, was in violent antagonism. A public meeting had been held by the opposition, at which one hundred members were added to the committee, which by vote refused to receive them or have them admitted. On the I4th of February, 1784, whilst the Parliamentary war was raging, Fox's friends held a meeting at which he presided. There was violent disturbance, and a bag containing capsicum and euphorbium was thrown at Fox, who was in front of the hustings. A reward of two hundred guineas was offered by the committee to any one who would bring the perpetrator of this outrage to justice, but without effect. On the 5th of March, during the very height of the final struggle, the committee met, but made no reference to the crisis, and passed a general resolution in favour of reform and declaring its readiness to co-operate with other committees of counties and cities.
It was not until the contest was practically over that the committee spoke, and then it was in view of a dissolution rather than as taking part in the Parliamentary battle. On the 8th of March Fox in a division had a majority of only one
