Fox had not while a ministerialist by any means concurred on all occasions in the opinions of his colleagues; nor, when ho differed, had he abstained from expressing and acting upon his own. When be retired from office iu 1772, one chief reason for the step was his opposition to the Royal Marriage Act, which was iutroduced that year by the ministry. Afterwards, in 1773, when he was again in office, he not only spoke, but voted against his colleagues, in favour of a motion by Sir William Meredith for a committee of the whole house to consider the propriety of subscription to the Thirty-nine Articles. He went even so far as to be one of the tellers for the minority on this occasion. It must be added, to the credit of Fez, that the question of American taxation, on which, stud on the measures arising out of which, he violently opposed Lord North's administration, was never once brought uuder discussion during time time that ho himself formed a part of it. Again, he had funned, since the time of his entrance into public life, an Intimate friendship with Edmund Burke ; and if the influence exercised over him by this distinguished statesman—an influence to whose strength Fox frequently testified in after days, when their paths were dissevered, and a cloud had settled upon their frieudahip—coutributed at all to bring about the change which now took place in Fox's political position, neither is this surely any ground for reproach. Borkee conversation doubtless, as well as his speeches and writings, assisted to open Fox's eyes to the evils of that system of court intrigue and domination to which for awhile, in a subordinate part, he had allowed himself to be subjected, and from which evils he had now smarted iu his own person; and still more, there can be little doubt as to the mischievous tendency of the ministerial measuroa respecting the American colonies. It should be borne in mind also, iu considering this portion of his history, that his father, who was mainly instrumental in connecting Fox with the ministry, died iu the summer of 1774; and this event would moat probably have removed many scruples that hitherto might have served to restrain Fox from entering the ranks of opposition.
On the 23rd of March 1774, the House want into committee ou Lord North's Boston Port Bill, the object of which was to deprive that harbour of its privileges in consequence of the opposition made by the inhabitants of Boston to the toa duty. This was the first occasion on which Fox opposed the minister. But from this time forward he was unremitting in his opposition. Ile took his stand first on the principle that the American colonies ought not to be taxed without being represented; and secondly, ou the inexpediency of endeavouring to wring taxes from them by force and at. the risk of rebellion. Thus condemning the war in which Lord North involved the nation as unjust and inexpedient, he also touk many opportte nitiea to censure strongly tho manner in which it was carried on. Ile denounced the heavy expenditure which ministers, iu prosecution of a war unjust, Inexpedient, and little likely to to successful, were recklessly entailing upon the nation ; and when he saw no prospect of their desisting from the war, ho zealously sought, in conjunction with his party, to effect by other uleaus a diminution of the public burdens. In the beginning of 1780 Burke brought forward his plan
of economical reform, which was zealously supported by Fox. After having passed through its earlier stages, it was ultimately rejected. But the people had now come to feel the weight of their burdens and to speak out. Petitions poured in from all parts of the kingdom for a reduction of the publio expeuditure; and un the 0th of April roan lutiona were carried against the Influence of the crown and iu favour of an inquiry into the expenditure of the country and of a diminution thereof. A concurrence of favourable circumstances enabled the minister to stand up against tide vote, and to recover his once lost majority. But oven a dissolution of the parliament, which took place shortly after, enabled him to gain only a short respite. On the 22ud of February 1782, a motion of General Conway's for an address to the crown against a continuance of the war was lost only by one vote; and when revived under a somewhat different form five days after was carried by a majority of 19. On the 19th of March, the ministers having shown for a short time a disposition still to cling to office, resigned their situations.
It is needless to say how much Fox's exertions had contributed to this result. Ho had indeed risen by this time to be considered the leading member of opposition, and to be more than any other member of his party, "conspicuous in the nation's eye." At the last general election, in the autumn of 1780, he had been solicited to stand for Westminster, and had been returned in the teeth of every court effort and every trick of private intrigue and intimidation. On the formation of the new ministry under Lord Rockingham, Fox was appointed secretary of state for foreign affairs. He immediately set about negotiations for peace. For this purpose he instructed Mr. Grenville, the plenipotentiary at Paris, to propose in the outset the independence of the United States of America, not making it a condition of a general treaty. This he did in pursuance of a resolu tion which, upon his recommendation, had been passed in the cabinet, and to which the king's assent had been obtained. But Lord Shelburne, who had been introduced by the king into the ministry, and between whom and Lord Rockingham's friends there was no cordial co-opera tion, insisted that the offer of recognition of independence was a conditional one ; and, after Lord Rockingham's illness had rendered him unable to attend the deliberations of the cabinet, Lord Shelburne succeed- 1 in getting a majority to concur in this view. He was afterwar Is discovered by Fox to be carrying on a communication with Dr. Franklin. Fox now made up his mind to resign. Upon the death of Lord Rockingham, which took place in July, but four months after the formation of the ministry, Fox and his friends pro posed the Duke of Portland to the king as Lord Rockiogham's successor, and upon the recommendation not being acceded to, resigned ; and the same course was then taken by other friends of Lord Rockingham, by Lord John Cavendish. the Duke of Portland, and Lord Keppel. The Rockingham ministry was fast breaking up when the king completed the wreck by appointing Lord Shelburne lord treasurer.