I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 1153 The Political Situation in London
Of course, for Jervis, preserving the steam-powered warship construction program that he initiated was also a way to preserve his position as Minister of Naval Warfare.

A knock came at the door, and Jervis's assistant said from outside the office, "General, Lieutenant Colonel McPherson wants to see you."

Jervis gestured for the official who was giving a report to leave, then said to his assistant, "Let him in."

Immediately, McPherson entered the room, saluted, and placed a stack of documents in front of Jervis: "General, the investigation results are in."

Jervis weighed the report in his hand and said somewhat impatiently, "Get to the conclusion."

“Yes, General.” McPherson bowed slightly. “Of all the warships that malfunctioned, at least six were due to broken axles.”

Well, since most of the warships that had problems did not return, there is only concrete evidence for these few.

"In addition, we have inspected other steam warships and have found cracks in the main shafts of seven of them."

Jarvis immediately frowned and asked, "Where's Kane?"

"He has been arrested, General, and the military police are conducting an interrogation."

Robert Kane was the unfortunate guy who was in charge of going to Jamaica to purchase guaiac wood back then.

McPherson continued, "In addition, I also found that there was a great deal of corruption at Chatham Shipyard during the construction of steam engines."

He indicated to the report: "Starting from page 11, the hull construction supervisor, Nick Thompson, inflated work hours, profiting £4300..."

"Wens Mattitty, the quality inspector for ironware and coatings, profited £6 by selecting castings from a relative's factory..."

"Accounting consultant Dennis Stanton..."

Jervis raised his hand to interrupt him: "Just tell me the total amount."

“33,000 pounds, General.”

The naval minister remained calm, and the figure did not surprise him compared to the total investment of nearly £70.

In reality, he and Comptroller Middleton took the lion's share.

McPherson didn't stop there: "And there's also the fact that the shipyard director, Sir Hope, is likely involved in a number of private deals with Bolton-Watt and others, involving investments of over £50 from government investment funds."

"We discovered that in the accounts from April of last year..."

The more Jervis listened, the more serious his expression became.

According to the head of the investigation committee, almost everyone at Chatham Shipyard, from Hope to the head of materials, would have to go to jail.

The steam engine company is probably not going anywhere either.

And these are currently the only mature steam warship construction system in the empire.

He subconsciously pressed down hard on the report in front of him, and after a moment, he suddenly said in a very stern tone:

"Suspend the investigation into the shipyard, and oh, and that steam engine company too. No one is allowed to see this information."

"The investigation committee has focused its main efforts on the ship's axle issue. Alright, you can leave now."

"Yes, yes, General."

As the door closed, Jervis stood up uneasily, frowning and muttering, "I need to go to 10 Downing Street..." This matter has become far too serious. If the British Navy had won, it would have been fine, but now, with so many warships lost, the underlying problems would likely become impossible to conceal.

Little did he know that the owner of 10 Downing Street was facing even greater trouble than he was.

Lord Grenville leaned against the window, speaking casually as if he were recounting an opera he had seen the day before: “I am not at all surprised that Mr. Fox would choose to step down from the cabinet at this time.”

"Yes, he was probably behind most of the votes of no confidence against me in the House of Commons this time."

Yes, after the devastating defeat in Portugal, widespread riots across Britain, and a massive fiscal deficit, the Grenville cabinet's reputation had plummeted.

As for "minor issues" such as the financial market crash, the failed attempt to stir up trouble in Italy, and the rejection of Russia's attempts to win over them, there are so many that the opposition party is too lazy to even mention them.

This time, the British Mediterranean Fleet suffered unprecedented heavy losses, which finally became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

A vote of no confidence will begin next week, but given the current political climate in Parliament, the Grenville cabinet's resignation is almost a foregone conclusion.

Little Pete sighed, went to the window, and looked out at the street: "This Mediterranean fleet incident was a disaster. It wasn't your fault."

Glenville smiled. "Simply dismissing General Pixar won't quell the senators' anger."

"Actually, I'm not obsessed with the position of prime minister, but given the current terrible situation, who should take over?"

Pete sighed again: "Actually, you are perfectly capable of using some methods to get through this difficult time."

"The French withdrew from Egypt very quickly, which could be portrayed as 'they were forced to abandon their occupation plans due to the powerful threat posed by the Mediterranean fleet.' This would win back many disgruntled members of parliament."

"And then there's Portugal. Despite facing a superior enemy force and the Portuguese being uncooperative, we still managed to hold onto the Porto anchorage and the Portuguese royal family..."

Grenville waved his hand: "Even if I survive the vote of no confidence, my prestige in Parliament will be severely damaged, and my governance will be hindered at every turn."

Pete raised his voice: "As you know, you must continue to lead the Empire until victory is achieved!"

“Look at those Whig gentlemen, Mr. Fox? Or Sir Sheridan? They’ve only ruined everything!”

“You, don’t you still have yourself?” Grenville said. “Given the Empire’s current situation, you are the most suitable person.”

Little Pete paused for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No, no, I've already..."

Grenville immediately said, "With His Majesty's support, you can certainly form a cabinet again."

"Fox and Burke have significant differences on their stance toward France. You can easily break them down with a little manipulation."

Fox and Edmund Burke were the two bigwigs of the Whig Party, but Fox advocated for détente with France in exchange for giving Britain room to solve its domestic problems.

Burke, on the other hand, was extremely hardline, repeatedly speaking in parliament and advocating for the dismemberment of France in order to maintain the balance of power among the major European powers.

Meanwhile, the two were also secretly arguing fiercely over who should become prime minister.

Glenville continued, "Many members of parliament know that you were instrumental in drafting the Associations Act and in pushing for the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act. This has earned you the strong support of the nobles who have achieved stability in law and order."

Yes, last year's soaring grain prices in Britain sparked riots across the country, and Pitt Jr. immediately advised Parliament to repeal the Habeas Corpus Act. British militias used this to arrest a large number of unsuspecting "rioters," quickly quelling the unrest.

“You must step up and turn this terrible situation around.”

(End of this chapter)