Editing Edmund Burke (section)

==Paymaster of the Forces==
[[File:Cincinnatus in retirement.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|In ''Cincinnatus in Retirement'' (1782), [[James Gillray]] caricatured Burke's support of rights for Catholics.]]
The fall of North led to Rockingham being recalled to power in March 1782. Burke was appointed [[Paymaster of the Forces]] and a [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Counsellor]], but without a seat in Cabinet. Rockingham's unexpected death in July 1782 and replacement with Shelburne as Prime Minister put an end to his administration after only a few months, but Burke did manage to introduce two Acts.

The [[Paymaster General Act 1782]] ended the post as a lucrative sinecure. Previously, Paymasters had been able to draw on money from HM Treasury at their discretion. Instead, now they were required to put the money they had requested to withdraw from the Treasury into the Bank of England, from where it was to be withdrawn for specific purposes. The Treasury would receive monthly statements of the Paymaster's balance at the Bank. This Act was repealed by Shelburne's administration, but the Act that replaced it repeated verbatim almost the whole text of the Burke Act.<ref>Lock, ''Burke. Vol. I'', p. 511 + n. 65.</ref>

The [[Civil List and Secret Service Money Act 1782]] was a watered-down version of Burke's original intentions as outlined in his famous ''Speech on Economical Reform'' of 11 February 1780. However, he managed to abolish 134 offices in the royal household and civil administration.<ref>McCue, p. 21.</ref> The third [[Secretary of State (United Kingdom)|Secretary of State]] and the [[Board of Trade]] were abolished and pensions were limited and regulated. The Act was anticipated to save £72,368 a year.<ref>Lock, ''Burke. Vol. I'', pp. 511–512.</ref>

In February 1783, Burke resumed the post of Paymaster of the Forces when Shelburne's government fell and was replaced by a coalition headed by North that included Charles James Fox. That coalition fell in 1783 and was succeeded by the long Tory administration of [[William Pitt the Younger]] which lasted until 1801. Accordingly, having supported Fox and North, Burke was in opposition for the remainder of his political life.