George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 5, 13th edition.

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Chapter 21:

Has parliament the right to tax America—Rocking-Ham's administration continued.

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January, 1766.

during the recess of parliament, Egmont, Conway,

chap. XXI.} 1766. Jan.

Dowdeswell, Dartmouth, and Charles Yorke, met at the house of the Marquis of Rockingham. To modify, but not to repeal the American tax, and to enact the penalty of high treason against any one who, by speaking or writing, should impeach the legislative authority of parliament, were measures proposed in this assembly; but they did not prevail. The ministry could form no plan of mutual support; and decided nothing but the words of the speech. The world looked from them to an individual in private life, unconnected and poor, vainly seeking at Bath relief from infirmities that would have crushed a less hopeful mind; and Pitt never appeared so great as now, when at a crisis in the history of liberty, the people of England bent towards him alone as the man in whose decision their safety and their glory were involved.

The cabinet, therefore, yielding to Grafton and