In this scene of his father's early triumphs, Mr. Pitt was destined to secure as brilliant triumphs at an age still earlier. He had not yet completed his twenty-second year ; and, in a few weeks, his talents had forced their way into notice, in spite of all the claims of the many distinguished orators who at that time swayed the House of Commons.
His first speech was during the debate on Mr. Burke's bill for an economical reform in the civil list. He is said to have been in some degree surprised into speaking ; but the appearance he made indicated no such want of prepa ration. Mr. Byng, the member for Middlesex, knowing the sentiments of Mr. Pitt to be decidedly in favour of the bill, had requested him to reply to Lord Nugent, at that moment addressing the House in its favour. Mr. Pitt gave his friend a dubious answer, which was construed into an assent, and the notice of it was circulated round in whispers. In the interim, however, he had come to the resolution not to rise ; and it would have agitated a man of less self-possession to notice, that when Lord Nugent sat down, a universal pause ensued, and then a loud call from various quarters of the House for " Mr. Pitt. ' He stood up in consequence his last biographer thus de scribes what followed—" Though really not intending to speak, he was from the beginning collected and unem barrassed; he argued strongly in favour of the bill, and noticed all the objections which had been urged by the Noble Lord who immediately preceded him in the debate, in a manner which greatly astonished all who heard him. Never were higher expectations formed of any person upon his first coining into Parliament, and never were ex pectations more completely answered. They were indeed much more than answered: such were the fluency and accuracy of language, such the perspicuity of arrangement, and such the closeness of reasoning, and manly and dig nified elocution—generally, even in a much less degree, the fruits of long habit and experience—that it could scarcely be believed to be the first speech of a young man not yet two-and•twenty." Mr. Pitt spoke only thrice during this session ; but he acquitted himself so well, as, before the end of it, to secure the reputation of a most able orator, from the best judges of his time. One of Mr. Fox's friends, about this period, observed to him, that Mr.
Pitt promised to be one of the first speakers ever heard in the House of Commons; to which Mr. Fox instantly re plied, " He is so already." A still warmer tribute of ap plause was paid him not long after, by Mr. Dunning : " Almost all the sentiments," he said, " which he had collected in his own mind on the subject, (the misconduct of our naval affairs,) had vanished away like a dream, on the bursting forth of a torrent of eloquence, from the greatest prodigy that ever was seen in this, or perhaps in any other count•y—an honourable gentleman possessing the full vigor of youth, united with the experience and wisdom of the maturest age." The removal of Lord North and his adherents might have opened the way for Mr. I'itt's admission into office. The Rockingham party, anxious to appropriate the bene fits of his eloquence, had even offered him the vice-trea surership of Ireland, a place of some consequence formerly held by his father. But Mr. Pitt, with a consciousness of great abilities, which succeeding events amply justified, had made up his mind from the first to accept of no situa tion which did not give him a place in the cabinet. He therefore refused this offer, though he continued to sup port the measures of the ministry, whose liberal system of government was naturally accordant with the principles of a son and pupil of the great Chatham. About this time, also, he brought forward the famous question of Parlia mentary RfArm. It appears that about that period he had felt a considerable interest in this important subject ; he had encouraged the combinations formed in various parts of the kingdom in favour of it, and had himself sat as a delegate at a meeting convened in Westminster for this express purpose. He supported the same cause with great eloquence in his place in parliament. His motion (May, 1782) " for a committee to inquire into the state of the representation in parliament, and to report to the House their observations thereon," was lost by a majority of twenty ; he again spoke earnestly in favour of reform in 1783 ; and, lastly, while a minister, in 1785, he presented a specific plan for effecting this object, which also was rejected. These proceedings were long afterwards con trasted with his subsequent proceedings in the same matter, and much loud accusation was drawn from the comparison.