William Pitt the Younger

The Right Honourable William Pitt, the Younger (28 May 1759–23 January 1806) was a British politician during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He served as Prime Minister from 1783 to 1801, and again from 1804 until his death. He is known as William Pitt the Younger to distinguish him from his father, William Pitt the Elder, who also served as Prime Minister of Great Britain.

First Ministry

His administration secure, Pitt could begin to enact his agenda. His first major piece of legislation was the India Act 1784, which re-organised the British East India Company. The India Act created a new Board of Control to oversee the affairs of the East India Company. The Act also centralised British rule in India by reducing the power of the Governors of Bombay and Madras and by increasing that of the Governor-General. Further augmentations of the Governor-General's authority were made in 1786.

Related Topics:
India Act 1784 - Board of Control - Bombay - Madras - Governor-General - 1786

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In domestic politics, Pitt also 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 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 introduced in 1785 was Pitt's last reform proposal introduced in Parliament.

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Another important domestic issue with which Pitt had to concern himself was the national debt, which had assumed staggering proportions due to the rebellion of the North American colonies. Pitt sought to eliminate the national debt by imposing new taxes. Pitt also introduced measures to reduce smuggling and fraud. In 1786, he instituted a sinking fund to reduce the national debt. Each year, £1,000,000 of the surplus revenue raised by new taxes was to be added to the fund so that it could accumulate interest; eventually, the money in the fund was to be used to pay off the national debt. The system was extended in 1792 so as to take into account any new loans taken by the Government.

Related Topics:
Sinking fund - Interest - 1792

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Pitt sought European alliances to restrict French influence, forming the Triple Alliance with Prussia and the United Provinces 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.

Related Topics:
Triple Alliance - Prussia - United Provinces - 1788 - Nootka Sound Controversy - 1790

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In 1788, the United Kingdom faced a major crisis when King George III fell victim to a serious mental illness. The laws of the kingdom included no provisions relating to insane monarchs; hence, it was unclear as to how a Regency could be put into place. All factions in Parliament agreed that the only viable candidate for Regent was the King's eldest son, HRH The Prince George, Prince of Wales. The Prince, however, was a supporter of Charles James Fox; had he come to power, he would almost surely have dismissed Pitt. However, he did not have such an opportunity, as Parliament spent months debating legal technicalities relating to the Regency. Fortunately for Pitt, George III recovered in February 1789, just after a Regency Bill had been introduced and passed in the House of Commons.

Related Topics:
Regency - HRH The Prince George, Prince of Wales - 1789

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The general elections of 1790 resulted in a majority for the Government, and Pitt continued as Prime Minister. In 1791, he proceeded to address on of the problems facing the growing British Empire: the future of the British Canada. By the Constitutional Act of 1791, the province of Quebec was divided into two separate provinces: the predominantly French Lower Canada and the predominantly English Upper Canada. In 1792, George III appointed Pitt to the honorary post of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The King had offered him a Knighthood of the Garter, but he refused, instead proposing that the honour go to his elder brother, the second Earl of Chatham.

Related Topics:
1790 - 1791 - British Empire - Canada - Constitutional Act of 1791 - Quebec - Lower Canada - Upper Canada - 1792 - Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports - Knighthood of the Garter

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