The Pitt River in British Columbia , Canada is a large tributary of the Fraser River , entering it a few miles upstream from New Westminster and about 25 km ESE of Downtown Vancouver . The river, which begins in the Garibaldi Ranges of the Coast Mountains , is in two sections above and below Pitt Lake and flows on a generally southernly course. Pitt Lake and the lower Pitt River are tidal in nature as the Fraser's mouth is only a few miles downstream from their confluence.
112-550: The river was named for William Pitt the Younger . The first mention of the name, as "Pitts River", occurs in the 1827 journal kept by James McMillan of the Hudson's Bay Company . The river has an alternate name, Quoitle, which is probably equivalent to Kwantlen . East of the lower Pitt River, 20 km long, is the community of Pitt Meadows , while to its west are the cities of Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam ; opposite its mouth
224-531: A Regency Bill had been introduced and passed in the House of Commons. The general elections of 1790 resulted in a majority for the government, and Pitt continued as prime minister. In 1791, he proceeded to address one of the problems facing the growing British Empire : the future of British Canada . By the Constitutional Act of 1791 , the province of Quebec was divided into two separate provinces:
336-451: A Tory , or "new Tory", called himself an "independent Whig " and was generally opposed to the development of a strict partisan political system. Pitt was regarded as an outstanding administrator who worked for efficiency and reform, bringing in a new generation of competent administrators. He increased taxes to pay for the great war against France and cracked down on radicalism. To counter the threat of Irish support for France, he engineered
448-580: A boy, he was educated at home by the Reverend Edward Wilson. An intelligent child, Pitt quickly became proficient in Latin and Greek . He was admitted to Pembroke College, Cambridge , on 26 April 1773, a month before turning fourteen, going up to Cambridge in October 1773. He studied political philosophy, classics , mathematics, trigonometry , chemistry and history. At Cambridge, Pitt
560-647: A desire from London to merge the Parliaments. According to historian James Stafford, an Enlightenment critique of Empire in Ireland laid the intellectual foundations for the Acts of Union. He writes that Enlightenment thinkers connected "the exclusion of the Irish Kingdom from free participation in imperial and European trade with the exclusion of its Catholic subjects, under the terms of the 'Penal Laws', from
672-489: A dramatic impression. Sir John Sinclair, member of Parliament for Lostwithiel, thought that Pitt's first speech was never surpassed and ‘rarely equalled by any ever delivered in that assembly.’ When Pitt resumed his seat after finishing speaking there was thunderous applause. Sinclair noted that there was ‘utter astonishment … by an audience accustomed to the most splendid efforts of eloquence.’ Pitt originally aligned himself with prominent Whigs such as Charles James Fox . With
784-480: A friend that 'I do not wish to be thought inlisted [sic] in any party or to call myself anything but the Independent Whig, which in words is hardly a distinction, as every one alike pretends to it.' intent on entering Parliament, Pitt secured the patronage of James Lowther , later 1st Earl Lowther, with the help of his university friend, Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland . Lowther effectively controlled
896-522: A hostile majority in Parliament, Pitt was able to solidify his position within a few months. Some historians argue that his success was inevitable given the decisive importance of monarchical power; others argue that the king gambled on Pitt and that both would have failed but for a run of good fortune. Pitt, at the age of 24, became Great Britain's youngest prime minister ever. The contemporary satire The Rolliad ridiculed him for his youth: Above
1008-441: A little-used privilege available only to the sons of noblemen, and chose to graduate without having to pass examinations. Pitt's father was said to have insisted that his son spontaneously translate passages of classical literature orally into English, and declaim impromptu upon unfamiliar topics in an effort to develop his oratorical skills. Pitt's father, who had by then been raised to the peerage as Earl of Chatham, died in 1778. As
1120-448: A massive swing to Pitt with the result that many Opposition Members who still had not faced election either defected, stood down, or made deals with their opponents to avoid expensive defeats. A notable exception came in Fox's own constituency of Westminster , which contained one of the largest electorates in the country. In a contest estimated to have cost a quarter of the total spending in
1232-614: A motion for union was legally rejected in 1799. Only Anglicans were permitted to become members of the Parliament of Ireland though the great majority of the Irish population were Roman Catholic , with many Presbyterians in Ulster . Under the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1793 , Roman Catholics regained the right to vote if they owned or rented property worth £2 annually. Wealthy Catholics were strongly in favour of union in
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#17327657293961344-636: A mutineer. In response to the 1797 mutinies, Pitt passed the Incitement to Mutiny Act 1797 making it unlawful to advocate breaking oaths to the Crown. In 1798, he passed the Defence of the Realm act, which further restricted civil liberties. Despite the major concerns to Britain's defences when the navy mutinied Pitt remained calm and in control. He was confident that the matter would be resolved. Lord Spencer,
1456-553: A number of ice fields , glaciers , and mountain streams, such as Garibaldi Névé and Mamquam Icefield . Thus the river gets quite large only 50 km from its source in Garibaldi Provincial Park . East of the upper Pitt is Golden Ears Provincial Park (formerly a part of Garibaldi Provincial Park ). Barge traffic from logging camps in the upper Pitt basin is a regular sight on the Pitt Lake as well as in
1568-823: A papal possession. Both the Kingdoms of Ireland and England later came into personal union with that of Scotland upon the Union of the Crowns in 1603. In 1707, the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland were united into a single kingdom: the Kingdom of Great Britain . Upon that union, each House of the Parliament of Ireland passed a congratulatory address to Queen Anne , praying her: "May God put it in your royal heart to add greater strength and lustre to your crown, by
1680-696: A part of the Rockingham ministry, including Fox, now refused to serve under Lord Shelburne, the new prime minister. Pitt, however, was comfortable with Shelburne, and thus joined his government; he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer . Fox, who became Pitt's lifelong political rival, then joined a coalition with Lord North, with whom he collaborated to bring about the defeat of the Shelburne administration. When Lord Shelburne resigned in 1783, King George III , who despised Fox, offered to appoint Pitt to
1792-654: A renewed bout of madness, with the consequence that Addington could not receive his formal appointment. Though he had resigned, Pitt temporarily continued to discharge his duties; on 18 February 1801, he brought forward the annual budget. Power was transferred from Pitt to Addington on 14 March, when the king recovered. Shortly after leaving office, Pitt supported the new administration under Addington, but with little enthusiasm; he frequently absented himself from Parliament, preferring to remain in his Lord Warden 's residence of Walmer Castle —before 1802 usually spending an annual late-summer holiday there, and later often present from
1904-668: A result of the company's setting up of Penang with their own superintendent (governor), Captain Francis Light , in 1786. Convicts were originally transported to the Thirteen Colonies in North America, but after the American War of Independence ended in 1783, the newly formed United States refused to accept further convicts. Pitt's government took the decision to settle what is now Australia and found
2016-537: A rising of the United Irishmen) was only thwarted by bad weather . To crush the United Irishmen, Pitt sent General Lake to Ulster in 1797 to call out Protestant Irish militiamen and organised an intelligence network of spies and informers. In April 1797, the mutiny of the entire Spithead fleet shook the government (sailors demanded a pay increase to match inflation). This mutiny occurred at
2128-625: A sideshow. By 1795, 50% of the British Army was deployed in the West Indies (with the largest contingent in St. Domingue), whereas the rest of the British Army was divided among Britain, Europe, India, and North America. As the British death toll, largely caused by yellow fever, continued to climb, Pitt was criticised in the House of Commons. Several MPs suggested it might be better to abandon
2240-593: A small minority: the Anglo-Irish of the Protestant Ascendancy . Frustration at the lack of reform among the Catholic majority eventually led, along with other reasons, to a rebellion in 1798 , involving a French invasion of Ireland and the seeking of complete independence from Great Britain. This rebellion was crushed with much bloodshed, and the motion for union was motivated at least in part by
2352-469: A still more comprehensive Union". The Irish Parliament was both before then subject to certain restrictions that made it subordinate to the Parliament of England and after then, to the Parliament of Great Britain ; however, Ireland gained effective legislative independence from Great Britain through the Constitution of 1782 . By this time access to institutional power in Ireland was restricted to
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#17327657293962464-434: A third of the budget of £24 million went to pay interest. Pitt sought to reduce the national debt by imposing new taxes. In 1786, he instituted a sinking fund so that £1 million a year was added to a fund so that it could accumulate interest; eventually, the money in the fund was to be used to pay off the national debt. Pitt had learned of the idea of the 'Sinking Fund' from his father in 1772. Earl Chatham had been informed of
2576-470: A year. In 1797, Pitt was forced to protect the kingdom's gold reserves by preventing individuals from exchanging banknotes for gold. Great Britain would continue to use paper money for over two decades. Pitt also introduced Great Britain's first-ever income tax . The new tax helped offset losses in indirect tax revenue, which had been caused by a decline in trade. Pitt's two policies of suspending cash payments and introducing Income Tax were later cited by
2688-687: Is Surrey . Port Coquitlam and Pitt Meadows are connected by the Highway 7 bridges and the rail trestles of the double-tracked CPR mainline, whose vast main western yards begin on the Pitt's western shore. The plain of the lower Pitt was berry marsh and bog prior to its dyking. The farmland is on the east bank in Pitt Meadows; the poorer soil quality and scrubland on the west shore has encouraged largescale suburbanization in Port Coquitlam. On
2800-602: The Acts of Union 1800 and tried (but failed) to secure Catholic emancipation as part of the Union. He created the "new Toryism", which revived the Tory Party and enabled it to stay in power for the next quarter-century. The historian Asa Briggs argues that his personality did not endear itself to the British mind, for Pitt was too solitary and too colourless, and too often exuded an attitude of superiority. His greatness came in
2912-627: The British Empire and ensuring that the slaves in the British West Indies would not be inspired to revolt likewise. Many of those who owned slave plantations in the British West Indies had been greatly alarmed by the revolution, which began in 1791, and they were strongly pressing Pitt to restore slavery in St. Domingue, lest their own slaves be inspired to seek freedom. Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville , who
3024-533: The City of London . When he returned from the ceremony to mark this, men of the City pulled Pitt's coach home themselves, as a sign of respect. When passing a Whig club, the coach came under attack from a group of men who tried to assault Pitt. When news of this spread, it was assumed Fox and his associates had tried to bring down Pitt by any means. Pitt gained great popularity with the public at large as "Honest Billy" who
3136-489: The East India Company to gain the patronage he so greatly lacked while the king refused to support him. Fox stated the bill was necessary to save the company from bankruptcy. Pitt responded that: "Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." The king was opposed to the bill; when it passed in the House of Commons, he secured its defeat in
3248-508: The French Revolution and its attendant wars temporarily united Britain and Russia in an ideological alliance against French republicanism. In 1788, Pitt faced a major crisis when the king fell victim to a mysterious illness, a form of mental disorder that incapacitated him. If the sovereign was incapable of fulfilling his constitutional duties, Parliament would need to appoint a regent to rule in his place. All factions agreed that
3360-601: The House of Lords by threatening to regard anyone who voted for it as his enemy. Following the bill's failure in the Upper House, George III dismissed the coalition government and finally entrusted the premiership to William Pitt, after having offered the position to him three times previously. A constitutional crisis arose when the king dismissed the Fox–North coalition government and named Pitt to replace it. Though faced with
3472-647: The Royal Navy also led to Pitt to introduce the Quota System in 1795 in addition to the existing system of impressment . The war with France was extremely expensive, straining Great Britain's finances. Unlike in the latter stages of the Napoleonic Wars , at this point Britain had only a very small standing army, and thus contributed to the war effort mainly through sea power and by supplying funds to other coalition members facing France. Throughout
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3584-623: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . The acts came into force between 31 December 1800 and 1 January 1801, and the merged Parliament of the United Kingdom had its first meeting on 22 January 1801. Provisions of the acts remain in force, with amendments and some Articles repealed, in the United Kingdom , but they have been repealed in their entirety in the Republic of Ireland . Two acts were passed in 1800 with
3696-498: The pocket borough of Appleby ; a by-election in that constituency sent Pitt to the House of Commons in January 1781. Pitt's entry into parliament is somewhat ironic as he later railed against the very same pocket and rotten boroughs that had given him his seat. In Parliament, the youthful Pitt cast aside his tendency to be withdrawn in public, emerging as a noted debater right from his maiden speech . Pitt's first speech made
3808-470: The "great push" in 1795, sending out an even larger British expedition. In November 1795, some 218 ships left Portsmouth for St. Domingue. After the failure of the Quiberon expedition earlier in 1795, when the British landed a force of French royalists on the coast of France who were annihilated by the forces of the republic, Pitt had decided it was crucial for Britain to have St. Domingue, no matter what
3920-423: The 'independent Whig' he identified as. In domestic politics, Pitt concerned himself with the cause of parliamentary reform . In 1785, he introduced a bill to remove the representation of thirty-six rotten boroughs, and to extend, in a small way, the electoral franchise to more individuals. Pitt's support for the bill, however, was not strong enough to prevent its defeat in the House of Commons. The bill of 1785
4032-508: The 1790s, the war against France was presented as an ideological struggle between French republicanism vs. British monarchism with the British government seeking to mobilise public opinion in support of the war. The Pitt government waged a vigorous propaganda campaign contrasting the ordered society of Britain dominated by the aristocracy and the gentry vs. the "anarchy" of the French revolution and always sought to associate British "radicals" with
4144-696: The Act of Union. Throughout the 1790s, the popularity of the Society of United Irishmen grew. Influenced by the American and French revolutions, this movement demanded independence and republicanism for Ireland. The United Irishmen Society was very anti-clerical, being equally opposed to the "superstitions" promoted by both the Church of England and the Roman Catholic church, which caused the latter to support
4256-545: The British and Irish parliaments: Part of the appeal of the Union for many Irish Catholics was the promise of Catholic emancipation , allowing Roman Catholic MPs, who had not been permitted to sit in the Irish Parliament, to sit in the United Kingdom Parliament. This was however blocked by King George III who argued that emancipating Roman Catholics would breach his Coronation Oath , and
4368-515: The British treasury a fortune and weakened British influence in Europe, making British power "fettered, numbered and paralysed", all for nothing. Pitt maintained close control over Ireland. The Lord Lieutenants were to follow his policy of Protestant control and very little reform for the Catholic majority. When the opposition Portland group joined Pitt's ministry, splitting the Foxite opposition, Pitt
4480-563: The Bute family backed off and ceased making their claims. He acquired his legal education at Lincoln's Inn and was called to the bar in the summer of 1780. During the general elections of September 1780, at the age of 21, Pitt contested the University of Cambridge seat , but lost, coming bottom of the poll of the five candidates. Pitt had campaigned on his own merit, not as part of any group or with prominent backers. He explained to
4592-628: The Christmas season, it survived for seventeen years. So as to reduce the power of the Opposition , Pitt offered Charles James Fox and his allies posts in the Cabinet; Pitt's refusal to include Lord North, however, thwarted his efforts. The new government was immediately on the defensive and in January 1784 was defeated on a motion of no confidence . Pitt, however, took the unprecedented step of refusing to resign, despite this defeat. He retained
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4704-601: The Crown. Realising that the Catholic church was an ally in the struggle against the French Revolution, Pitt had tried fruitlessly to persuade the Dublin parliament to loosen the anti-Catholic laws to "keep things quiet in Ireland". Pitt's efforts to soften the anti-Catholic laws failed in the face of determined resistance from the families of the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland, who forced Pitt to recall Earl Fitzwilliam as Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1795, when
4816-486: The Exchequer for all of his time as prime minister. He is known as " Pitt the Younger " to distinguish him from his father, William Pitt the Elder , who had also previously served as prime minister. Pitt's prime ministerial tenure, which came during the reign of King George III , was dominated by major political events in Europe, including the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars . Pitt, although often referred to as
4928-627: The First Lord of the Admiralty recalled how calm Pitt was. Very late one evening after visiting the Minister with desperate news of the fleet, as Spencer proceeded away from Downing Street he remembered he had some more information to give to Pitt. He immediately returned to Number 10 only to be infomred that Pitt was fast asleep. Henry Dundas, who was President of the Board of Control, Treasurer of
5040-742: The French Minister of Finance as being 'genius'. As they had stopped the French from destroying Britain's economy. Pitt sought European alliances to restrict French influence, forming the Triple Alliance with Prussia and Holland in 1788. During the Nootka Sound Controversy in 1790, Pitt took advantage of the alliance to force Spain to give up its claim to exclusive control over the western coast of North and South America. The Alliance, however, failed to produce any other important benefits for Great Britain. Pitt
5152-580: The French, but the same measure within the United Kingdom would exclude that possibility. Also, in creating a regency during King George III 's "madness", the Irish and British Parliaments gave the Prince Regent different powers. These considerations led Great Britain to decide to attempt the merger of both kingdoms and Parliaments. The final passage of the Act in the Irish House of Commons turned on an about 16% relative majority, garnering 58% of
5264-646: The Navy, Secretary at War and a close friend of Pitt, envied the First Minister for his ability to sleep well in all crcumstances. Despite Pitt's efforts, the French continued to defeat the First Coalition , which collapsed in 1798. A Second Coalition , consisting of Great Britain, Austria , Russia , and the Ottoman Empire , was formed, but it, too, failed to overcome the French. The fall of
5376-416: The Pitt. William Pitt the Younger William Pitt (28 May 1759 – 23 January 1806) was a British statesman, the youngest and last prime minister of Great Britain from 1783 until the Acts of Union 1800 , and then first prime minister of the United Kingdom from January 1801. He left office in March 1801, but served as prime minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806. He was also Chancellor of
5488-413: The Republic of Ireland, where it was referred to by its long title when repealed in 1962. Before these acts, Ireland had been in personal union with England since 1542, when the Irish Parliament had passed the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 , proclaiming King Henry VIII of England to be King of Ireland . Since the 12th century, the King of England had been technical overlord of the Lordship of Ireland ,
5600-487: The Second Coalition with the defeat of the Austrians at the Battle of Marengo (14 June 1800) and at the Battle of Hohenlinden (3 December 1800) left Great Britain facing France alone. Following the Acts of Union 1800 , Pitt sought to inaugurate the new United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland by granting concessions to Roman Catholics, who formed a 75% majority of the population in Ireland, by abolishing various political restrictions under which they suffered. The king
5712-399: The United Irishmen with the Crown executing about 1,500 United Irishmen after the revolt. The revolt of 1798 destroyed Pitt's faith in the governing competence of the Dublin parliament (dominated by Protestant Ascendancy families). Thinking a less sectarian and more conciliatory approach would have avoided the uprising, Pitt sought an Act of Union that would make Ireland an official part of
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#17327657293965824-463: The United Kingdom and end the " Irish Question ". The French expeditions to Ireland in 1796 and 1798 (to support the United Irishmen) were regarded by Pitt as near-misses that might have provided an Irish base for French attacks on Britain, thus making the "Irish Question" a national security matter. As the Dublin parliament did not wish to disband, Pitt made generous use of what would now be called " pork barrel politics " to bribe Irish MPs to vote for
5936-477: The Welshman, Sir Richard Price's idea, Pitt approved of the idea and adopted it when he was in office. By 1792, the debt had fallen to £170 million. Pitt always paid careful attention to financial issues. A fifth of Britain's imports were smuggled in without paying taxes. He made it easier for honest merchants to import goods by lowering tariffs on easily smuggled items such as tea, wine, spirits, and tobacco. This policy raised customs revenues by nearly £2 million
6048-440: The Whigs, Pitt denounced the continuation of the American War of Independence , as his father strongly had. Instead he proposed that the prime minister, Lord North , make peace with the rebellious American colonies. Pitt also supported parliamentary reform measures, including a proposal that would have checked electoral corruption. He renewed his friendship with William Wilberforce, now MP for Hull , with whom he frequently met in
6160-483: The already poor Irish peasantry, and a sectarian war with many atrocities on both sides had begun in 1793 between Catholic " Defenders " versus Protestant " Peep o' Day Boys ". A section of the Peep o'Day Boys who had renamed themselves the Loyal Orange Order in September 1795 were fanatically committed to upholding Protestant supremacy in Ireland at "almost any cost". In December 1796, a French invasion of Ireland led by General Lazare Hoche (scheduled to coordinate with
6272-432: The area of the two highway bridges and CPR mainline bridge just up from the confluence of the Fraser . The Pitt is one of a number of north-south river-lake valleys which join the lower Fraser along its north side. The others are the valleys of the Coquitlam River , the Alouette River , the Stave River , Suicide Creek ( Norrish Creek ), the Chehalis River and, lastly, the valley of Harrison Lake , 60 km east of
6384-452: The belief that the union would alleviate the political rancour that led to the rebellion. The rebellion was felt to have been exacerbated as much by brutally reactionary loyalists as by United Irishmen (anti-unionists). Furthermore, Catholic emancipation was being discussed in Great Britain, and fears that a newly enfranchised Catholic majority would drastically change the character of the Irish government and parliament also contributed to
6496-471: The benefits of property and political representation." These critiques were used to justify a parliamentary union between Britain and Ireland. Complementary acts were enacted by the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland. The Parliament of Ireland had recently gained a large measure of legislative independence under the Constitution of 1782 . Many members of the Irish Parliament jealously guarded that autonomy (notably Henry Grattan ), and
6608-434: The board would be appointed by the king. Pitt was appointed, along with Lord Sydney , who was appointed president . The act centralised British rule in India by reducing the power of the governors of Bombay and Madras and by increasing that of Governor-General Charles Cornwallis . Further augmentations and clarifications of the governor-general's authority were made in 1786, presumably by Lord Sydney, and presumably as
6720-431: The cost in lives and money, to improve Britain's negotiating hand when it came time to make peace with the French republic. The British historian Michael Duffy argued that since Pitt committed far more manpower and money to the Caribbean expeditions, especially the one to St. Domingue, than he ever did to Europe in the years 1793–1798, it is proper to view the West Indies as Britain's main theatre of war and Europe as more of
6832-419: The entire country, Fox bitterly fought against two Pittite candidates to secure one of the two seats for the constituency. Great legal wranglings ensued, including the examination of every single vote cast, which dragged on for more than a year. Meanwhile, Fox sat for the Scottish pocket borough of Tain Burghs . Many saw the dragging out of the result as being unduly vindictive on the part of Pitt and eventually
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#17327657293966944-490: The examinations were abandoned with Fox declared elected. Elsewhere, Pitt won a personal triumph when he was elected a Member for the University of Cambridge , a constituency he had long coveted and which he would continue to represent for the remainder of his life. Pitt's new constituency suited him perfectly as he was able to act independently. Sir James Lowther's pocket borough of Appleby, which had been Pitt's previous constituency, had strings attached. Now Pitt could really be
7056-469: The expedition, but Pitt insisted that Britain had given its word of honour that it would protect the French planters from their former slaves, and the expedition to St. Domingue could not be abandoned. The British attempt to conquer St. Domingue in 1793 ended in disaster; the British pulled out on 31 August 1798 after having spent 4 million pounds (roughly £500 million in 2023 ) and having lost about 100,000 men—dead or crippled for life, mostly from disease—over
7168-464: The gallery of the House of Commons. After Lord North's ministry collapsed in 1782, the Whig Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham , was appointed prime minister. Pitt was offered the minor post of Vice-Treasurer of Ireland , but he refused, considering the post overly subordinate. Lord Rockingham died only three months after coming to power; he was succeeded by another Whig, William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne . Many Whigs who had formed
7280-411: The gardens and acted as his hostess. The Treaty of Amiens in 1802 between France and Britain marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars . Everyone expected it to be only a short truce. By 1803, war had broken out again with France under Napoleon Bonaparte . Although Addington had previously invited him to join the Cabinet, Pitt preferred to join the Opposition, becoming increasingly critical of
7392-468: The government was out of the question because Pitt enjoyed the support of King George III . Patronage and bribes paid by the Treasury were normally expected to be enough to secure the government a comfortable majority in the House of Commons, but on this occasion, the government reaped much popular support as well. In most popular constituencies, the election was fought between candidates clearly representing either Pitt or Fox and North. Early returns showed
7504-406: The government were lurking everywhere. This comment captures well the tense, paranoid atmosphere of the 1790s, when people were being encouraged to report "radicals" to the authorities. In 1793, Pitt decided to take advantage of the Haitian Revolution to seize St. Domingue , the richest French colony in the world, believing this would strike a great blow at France while bringing St. Domingue into
7616-426: The government's policies. Addington, unable to face the combined opposition of Pitt and Fox, saw his majority gradually evaporate and resigned in late April 1804. Acts of Union 1800 The Acts of Union 1800 were parallel acts of the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland which united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland (previously in personal union ) to create
7728-410: The historian Eric J. Evans argued the picture of Pitt's "reign of terror" as portrayed by the Marxist historian E.P. Thompson is incorrect, stating there is much evidence of a "popular conservative movement" that rallied in defence of King and Country. Evans wrote that there were about 200 prosecutions of "radicals" suspected of sympathy with the French revolution in British courts in the 1790s, which
7840-471: The honour go to his elder brother , the second Earl of Chatham. An early favourable response to the French Revolution encouraged many in Great Britain to reopen the issue of parliamentary reform, which had been dormant since Pitt's reform bill was defeated in 1785. The reformers, however, were quickly labelled as radicals and associates of the French revolutionaries. Pitt, due to economic reasons, wanted to remain aloof from War with France. However, this option
7952-459: The hope for rapid religious emancipation and the right to sit as MPs, which would only come to pass under the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 . From the perspective of Great Britain's elites, the union was desirable because of the uncertainty that followed the French Revolution of 1789 and the Irish Rebellion of 1798 . If Ireland adopted Catholic emancipation willingly or not, a Roman Catholic Parliament could break away from Britain and ally with
8064-441: The issues of representation, parliamentary reform, and government retrenchment. Reformers sought to destroy what they saw as widespread institutional corruption . The result was a crisis from 1776 to 1783. The peace in 1783 left France financially prostrate, while the British economy boomed due to the return of American business. That crisis ended in 1784 as a result of the king's shrewdness in outwitting Fox and renewed confidence in
8176-480: The key Ochakov fortress. Pitt wanted to threaten military retaliation. However Russia's ambassador Semyon Vorontsov organised Pitt's enemies and launched a public opinion campaign. Pitt had become alarmed at the opposition to his Russian policy in parliament, Burke and Fox both uttering powerful speeches against the restoration of Ochakov to the Turks. Pitt won the vote so narrowly that he gave up. The outbreak of
8288-625: The latter had indicated he would support a bill for Catholic relief. In fact, the actions of Fitzwilliam had been encouraged by Pitt who wanted an excuse to remove Fitzwilliam and replace him with the Earl of Camden, however, Pitt had managed this feat without witnesses. Pitt was very much opposed to Catholic relief and the repeal of their political disabilities which were contained in the Test and Corporation Laws. In much of rural Ireland, law and order had broken down as an economic crisis further impoverished
8400-444: The limitations of Britain's fiscal-military state when it had powerful enemies and no allies, depended on extended and vulnerable transatlantic lines of communication, and was faced for the first time since the 17th century by both Protestant and Catholic foes. The defeat heightened dissension and escalated political antagonism to the king's ministers. Inside parliament, the primary concern changed from fears of an over-mighty monarch to
8512-584: The loss of what was considered their property. The Union Flag, created as a consequence of the union of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1800, still remains the flag of the United Kingdom . Called the Union Jack, it combined the flags of St George's Cross (which was deemed to include Wales ) and the St Andrew's Saltire of Scotland with the St Patrick's Saltire to represent Ireland. At
8624-458: The new House, and from Ireland 100 members were chosen from the last Irish House of Commons: two members from each of the 32 counties and the two largest boroughs, and one from each of the next 31 largest boroughs and from Dublin University , chosen by lot. The other 84 Irish parliamentary boroughs were disfranchised; all were pocket boroughs , whose patrons received £15,000 compensation for
8736-410: The new without any violent upheaval ... He understood the new Britain." For this he is ranked highly amongst all British prime ministers in multiple surveys. Pitt served as prime minister for a total of eighteen years, 343 days, making him the second-longest-serving British prime minister of all time, after Robert Walpole . William Pitt, the second son of William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham ,
8848-429: The office of prime minister. But Pitt wisely declined, for he knew he would be incapable of securing the support of the House of Commons. The Fox–North coalition rose to power in a government nominally headed by William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland . Pitt, who had been stripped of his post as Chancellor of the Exchequer, joined the Opposition . He raised the issue of parliamentary reform in order to strain
8960-539: The only viable candidate was the king's eldest son and heir apparent , George, Prince of Wales . The Prince, however, was a supporter of Charles James Fox. Had the Prince come to power, he would almost surely have dismissed Pitt. He did not have such an opportunity, however, as Parliament spent months debating legal technicalities relating to the regency. Fortunately for Pitt, the king recovered in February 1789, just after
9072-460: The penal colony in August 1786. The First Fleet of 11 vessels carried over a thousand settlers, including 778 convicts. The Colony of New South Wales was formally proclaimed by Governor Arthur Phillip on 7 February 1788 at Sydney. Another important domestic issue with which Pitt had to concern himself was the national debt, which had doubled to £243 million during the American war. Every year,
9184-400: The preceding five years. The British historian Sir John William Fortescue wrote that Pitt and his cabinet had tried to destroy French power "in these pestilent islands ... only to discover, when it was too late, that they practically destroyed the British army". Fortescue concluded that Pitt's attempt to add St. Domingue to the British empire had killed off most of the British army, cost
9296-516: The predominantly French Lower Canada and the predominantly English Upper Canada . In August 1792, coincident with the capture of Louis XVI by the French revolutionaries , George III appointed Pitt as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports , a position whose incumbent was responsible for the coastal defences of the realm. The king had in 1791 offered him a Knighthood of the Garter , but he suggested
9408-546: The reformers. Individuals who published seditious material were punished, and, in 1794, the writ of habeas corpus was suspended. Other repressive measures included the Seditious Meetings Act 1795 , which restricted the right of individuals to assemble publicly, and the Combination Acts , which restricted the formation of societies or organisations that favoured political reforms. Problems manning
9520-433: The rest, majestically great, Behold the infant Atlas of the state, The matchless miracle of modern days, In whom Britannia to the world displays A sight to make surrounding nations stare; A kingdom trusted to a school-boy's care. Many saw Pitt as a stop-gap appointment until some more senior statesman took on the role. However, although it was widely predicted that the new "mince-pie administration" would not outlast
9632-522: The revolution in France. Some of the writers the British government subsidized (often from Secret Service funds) included Edmund Burke , William Cobbett , William Playfair , John Reeves , and Samuel Johnson (the last through the pension granted him in 1762). Though the Pitt government did drastically reduce civil liberties and created a nationwide spy network with ordinary people being encouraged to denounce any "radicals" that might be in their midst,
9744-569: The same long title : An Act for the Union of Great Britain and Ireland . The short title of the act of the British Parliament is Union with Ireland Act 1800 ( 39 & 40 Geo. 3 . c. 67), assigned by the Short Titles Act 1896 . The short title of the act of the Irish Parliament is Act of Union (Ireland) 1800 (40 Geo. 3. c. 38 (I)), assigned by a 1951 act of the Parliament of Northern Ireland , and hence not effective in
9856-576: The same moment that the Franco-Dutch alliance were preparing an invasion of Britain. To regain control of the fleet, Pitt agreed to navy pay increases and had George III pardon the mutineers. By contrast, the more political "floating republic" naval mutiny at the Nore in June 1797 led by Richard Parker was handled more repressively. Pitt refused to negotiate with Parker, whom he wanted to see hanged as
9968-630: The same time, a new Royal Title was adopted ('GEORGE the THIRD by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith'), and a new shield of arms. In adopting these, the moribund English claims to the French throne were not continued: the title 'King of France' was abandoned and the fleur-de-lis were removed from the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom for
10080-647: The spring until the autumn. From the castle, he helped organise a local Volunteer Corps in anticipation of a French invasion, acted as colonel of a battalion raised by Trinity House —he was also a Master of Trinity House—and encouraged the construction of Martello towers and the Royal Military Canal in Romney Marsh . He rented land abutting the Castle to farm on which to lay out trees and walks. His niece Lady Hester Stanhope designed and managed
10192-518: The support of the king, who would not entrust the reins of power to the Fox–North Coalition. He also received the support of the House of Lords, which passed supportive motions, and many messages of support from the country at large, in the form of petitions approving of his appointment which influenced some Members to switch their support to Pitt. At the same time, he was granted the Freedom of
10304-665: The system engendered by the leadership of Pitt. Historians conclude that the loss of the American colonies enabled Britain to deal with the French Revolution with more unity and organisation than would otherwise have been the case. Britain turned towards Asia, the Pacific, and later Africa with subsequent exploration leading to the rise of the Second British Empire . The Fox–North Coalition fell in December 1783, after Fox had introduced Edmund Burke 's bill to reform
10416-425: The uneasy Fox–North coalition, which included both supporters and detractors of reform. He did not advocate an expansion of the electoral franchise, but he did seek to address bribery and rotten boroughs. Though his proposal failed, many reformers in Parliament came to regard him as their leader, instead of Charles James Fox. Losing the war and the Thirteen Colonies was a shock to the British system. The war revealed
10528-411: The university grounds. Yet he was described as charming and friendly. According to Wilberforce, Pitt had an exceptional wit along with an endearingly gentle sense of humour: "no man ... ever indulged more freely or happily in that playful facetiousness which gratifies all without wounding any." An example of Pitt's innocent wit was recorded by Sir John Sinclair. In the early years' of Pitt's ministry there
10640-600: The votes, and similar in the Irish House of Lords , in part per contemporary accounts through bribery with the awarding of peerages and honours to critics to get votes. The first attempt had been defeated in the Irish House of Commons by 109 votes to 104, but the second vote in 1800 passed by 158 to 115. The Acts of Union were two complementary Acts, namely: They were passed on 2 July 1800 and 1 August 1800 respectively, and came into force on 1 January 1801. They ratified eight articles which had been previously agreed by
10752-452: The war with France. Pitt reacted to become what Lord Minto called "the Atlas of our reeling globe". William Wilberforce said, "For personal purity, disinterestedness and love of this country, I have never known his equal." Historian Charles Petrie concludes that he was one of the greatest prime ministers "if on no other ground than that he enabled the country to pass from the old order to
10864-476: The west shore in the upper stretches of the lower Pitt is Minnekhada Regional Park , residence of former British Columbia lieutenant-governor Clarence Wallace . It was later sold to the Daon Corporation, which sold off portions. The Province then bought it, anticipating future development in the area; future provincial governments sold off even more portions. The upper Pitt's basin is short but fed by
10976-476: The white population from the blacks, and were able to seize some coastal enclaves. The fact that the British had come to restore slavery in St. Domingue inspired ferocious resistance from the Haitians, who had no desire to be forced into chains again. The heavy death toll caused by yellow fever , the much dreaded "black vomit", made conquering St. Domingue impossible, but an undeterred Pitt launched what he called
11088-429: The younger son, Pitt received only a small inheritance.In the months following the death of the Earl of Chatham, Pitt was forced to defend his father's reputation. This came about when the Bute family made claims that the late Lord had sought out the Earl of Bute with the desire to form a political coalition. Pitt although just over nineteen years of age publicly argued that this was not the case. Faced with Pitt's arguments
11200-468: Was Pitt's Secretary of State for War , instructed Sir Adam Williamson, the lieutenant-governor of Jamaica, to sign an agreement with representatives of the French colonists that promised to restore the ancien regime , slavery, and discrimination against mixed-race colonists, a move that drew criticism from abolitionists William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson . The British landed in St. Domingue on 20 September 1793, stating they had come to protect
11312-728: Was alarmed at Russian expansion in the 1780s at the expense of the Ottoman Empire . The relations between Russia and Britain were disturbed during the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792 by Pitt's subscription to the view of the Prussian government that the Triple Alliance could not with impunity allow the balance of power in Eastern Europe to be disturbed. In peace talks with the Ottomans, Russia refused to return
11424-476: Was born on 28 May 1759 at Hayes Place in the village of Hayes , Kent . He was from a political family on both sides, as his mother, Hester Grenville , was sister of former prime minister George Grenville . According to biographer John Ehrman , Pitt exhibited the brilliance and dynamism of his father's line, and the determined, methodical nature of the Grenvilles. Suffering from occasional poor health as
11536-584: Was great interest in the new young First minister. Sinclair was required to write an account of Pitt to satisfy foreign curiosity when he was abroad. At the end of a long description of Britain's eminent leader he added: ‘Of all the places where you have been, where did you fare best?’ My answer was, ‘In Poland; for the nobility live there with uncommon taste and splendour; their cooks are French,- their confectioners Italian, - and their wine Tokey.’ He immediately observed, ‘I have heard before of The Polish diet.’ In 1776, Pitt, plagued by poor health, took advantage of
11648-399: Was much less than the prosecutions of suspected Jacobites after the rebellions of 1715 and 1745. However, the spy network maintained by the government was efficient. In Jane Austen 's novel Northanger Abbey , which was written in the 1790s, but not published until 1817, one of the characters remarks that it is not possible for a family to keep secrets in these modern times when spies for
11760-455: Was not realised until the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 . The traditionally separate Irish Army , which had been funded by the Irish Parliament, was merged into the larger British Army . In the first Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the members of the House of Commons were not elected afresh. By royal proclamation authorised by the Act, all the members of the last House of Commons from Great Britain took seats in
11872-489: Was put in a difficult situation. He wanted to replace his friend Westmorland, who was Lord Lieutenant, with Lord Camden, whom he could trust. However, one of Portland's group, Earl Fitzwilliam, wanted the position. Pitt, to keep Portland on side, appointed Fitzwilliam but allowed the new Lord Liuetantant to believe that he had free range to reform the government in Ireland. Thus when Fitzwilliam's reforms became public in London he
11984-597: Was quickly recalled and Camden replaced him. This ensured Pitt had his man in Dublin Castle, whilst also retaining Portland and his group. The unfortunate effect was to produce optimism amongst Irish Catholics who wanted political reform. In May 1798, the long-simmering unrest in Ireland exploded into outright rebellion with the United Irishmen Society launching a revolt to win independence for Ireland. Pitt took an extremely repressive approach to
12096-537: Was seen as a refreshing change from the dishonesty, corruption and lack of principles widely associated with both Fox and North. Despite a series of defeats in the House of Commons, Pitt defiantly remained in office, watching the Coalition's majority shrink as some Members of Parliament left the Opposition to abstain. In March 1784, Parliament was dissolved, and a general election ensued. An electoral defeat for
12208-416: Was strongly opposed to Catholic emancipation ; he argued that to grant additional liberty would violate his coronation oath , in which he had promised to protect the established Church of England . Pitt, unable to change the king's strong views, resigned on 16 February 1801 so as to allow Henry Addington , his political friend, to form a new administration. At about the same time, however, the king suffered
12320-568: Was taken away from him by an ultimatum from King George III. Pitt could either resign or go to war. Committed to making Britain financially stable Pitt agreed, albeit very reluctantly, to go to war against the French Revolutionaries. Though France's declaration of hostilities against Britain meant that Britain was forced into war. Subsequently, in 1794, Pitt's administration tried three of them for treason but lost. Parliament began to enact repressive legislation in order to silence
12432-685: Was the last parliamentary reform proposal introduced by Pitt to British legislators. His administration secure, Pitt could begin to enact his agenda. His first major piece of legislation as prime minister was the India Act 1784 , which re-organised the British East India Company and kept a watch over corruption. The India Act created a new Board of Control to oversee the affairs of the East India Company. It differed from Fox's failed India Bill 1783 and specified that
12544-482: Was tutored by George Pretyman , who became a close personal friend and looked after Pitt whilst at University. Pitt later appointed Pretyman Bishop of Lincoln , then Winchester , and drew upon his advice throughout his political career. While at Cambridge, he befriended the young William Wilberforce , who became a lifelong friend and political ally in Parliament. Pitt tended to socialise only with fellow students and others already known to him, rarely venturing outside
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