But Lord Melbourne apprehends that Sir Robert Walpole was the first man in whose person this union of powers was decidedly established, and that its being so arose from the very great confidence which both George I.and George II.

reposed in him, and from the difficulty which they had in transacting business, particularly George I., from their imperfect knowledge of the language of the country.
With respect to the Secretary of State, Lord Melbourne is not prepared from memory to state the dates at which the different arrangements of that office have taken place.

There was originally but one officer, and at the present the three are but the heads of the different departments of one office.

The first division was into two, and they were called the Secretary for the Northern and the Secretary for the Southern department.

They drew a line across the world, and each transacted the business connected with the countries within his own portion of the globe.