Master, Wardens, Your Royal Highness, My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen:
I begin by congratulating the Grocers' Company on its sense of history and tradition. On 28th February, 1784, Mr. William Pitt dined at the Grocers' Hall to receive the Honourary Freedom of the Company.
On 28th February, 1884, you entertained my distinguished predecessor, Lord Salisbury. [end p1]
Tonight on 28th February, 1984, it is a great honour for me to renew the tradition. That tradition was begun, and is continued, in honour of William Pitt.
William Pitt became Prime Minister at the age of 24.
A sight to made surrounding nations stare A kingdom trusted to a school boys care Mind you, like all good politicians, he had one or two lucky breaks. I was over twice his age when I became Prime Minister. Even so, compared with some other world leaders, I am still in the first flush of youth. [end p2]
No—I certainly can't compete with Mr. Pitt on age. But there is scope elsewhere. I am especially interested by the fact that, after he first dissolved Parliament as Prime Minister, he was returned with a comfortable majority—and then remained Prime Minister for almost all of the next twenty-two years. To which I say— “Just twenty-two years?!”
In his first cabinet, Pitt had only seven colleagues. Now, that is what I call a cabinet of manageable size. [end p3]
He also exemplified many of the best virtues of financial probity. His distinguished biographer, John Ehrman who is with us tonight, said of Pitt that all his “efforts were devoted to one supreme object: the steady reduction of the public debt” . A man after my own heart'.
However, Pitt was less orderly with his own finances. Not surprisingly, he had need of his banker, a Mr. Robert Smith. [end p4] Present also tonight is one of Mr. Smith 's descendants, who goes under a different name, and who served with great distinction as Foreign Secretary—Lord Carrington.
A hundred years ago tonight, the guests at the Pitt Centenary dinner sat down to 14 courses. Tonight, Master, by those standards, you have shown exemplary self-restraint.
But by any standards, you have entertained us magnificently. [end p5]
This dinner commemorates many things: William Pitt the Grocer's Company itself, and the traditions of free trade and free enterprise. [MT maginalia] Freedom democracy quote. The houses of Lords and Commons long remain the custodians of everything valuable to man and country.