ABSTRACT
In the circumstances of the day, Government faced a more dangerous ordeal when, on February 15th, the Opposition began debating the poor results obtained from the Additional Force Bill, passed by Ministers during the 1804 Session. Great claims had been made at the time for the consequences that might be expected from William Pitt’s profound study of the most hopeful methods of securing a steady flow of reinforcements to the Regular Army. Opposition’s division of 45–113 in the Lords and of 96–242 in the Commons hardly represents the full measure of Government’s embarrassment and anxiety. Windham, in particular, with a long experience as Secretary-at-War behind him, had put forward an alternative recruiting programme which seemed, to Opposition, much more likely than Pitt’s to secure the flow of “general service” troops needed for overseas operations. Pitt’s efforts to enlarge and strengthen his Government failed before the King’s obstinate refusal to admit C. J. Fox to office.
