ABSTRACT
The Shelburne Cabinet had conducted urgent administrative business from day to day though, in Parliament, the loss of their authority largely incapacitated them from forwarding the Sessional routine. William Pitt was already recognised by Fox as a source of real danger to the Coalition if the King should decide to act against it. With a caution that Rev. Christopher Wyvill himself approved despite the imposing number of Petitions before Parliament, Pitt made his motions of May 7th moderate enough to avoid offence to any important section of opinion that could be induced to entertain even slight notions of Reform. The resolutions the House was asked to adopt were merely these: That it is the opinion of the house that, measures are highly necessary to be taken for the farther prevention of bribery and expence at elections.
