ABSTRACT
The principal Secretary of State for the Southern Department had charge of all British dependencies and of diplomatic relations with France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, the Barbary States, and Switzerland. For William Pitt was the opposite of Newcastle, of whom it was said that he did his secretary Stone’s work while Stone did his. He allowed nobody in the office but himself to take responsibility. Pitt called in his under-secretary, made him write out orders in the names of the several heads of department: next day, when Harvey started, everything was ready for him. Pitt’s Cabinet on the whole worked well with him, for the members rarely ventured to -oppose him. Pitt had good cause to grasp any possible weapon of offence against France, since one of those on which he counted had broken in his hand.
