Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles
available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The St. Alban's
Tavern group was an informal association of 78 British Members of
Parliament who aimed to bring about a reconciliation of William Pitt the
Younger and Charles James Fox in a unified Ministry. They were named
after the St. Alban's Tavern where the members met from January 1784.The
group were largely composed of 'independent country gentlemen' who held
themselves free from party allegiance. On January 26, 1784 the group
came to a resolution "to support the party who should in the present
distracted moment manifest a disposition to union". Given the weakness
of Pitt's government, which was in a minority in the House of Commons,
he accepted the group's proposition but insisted that a government must
be formed "with principle and honour". Fox spoke through the Duke of
Portland, who had been titular Prime Minister during the Fox-North
Coalition: the Duke insisted that Pitt had come to power through
unconstitutional means, and therefore must first resign before a new
Ministry was appointed.
