William Pitt the elder, later Earl of Chatham, had won great glory in his first ministry, which had laid the basis of victory in the Seven Year's War. He had resigned in 1761, and was absent from the House when the Stamp Act was passed. Although he firmly upheld Parliament's right to legislate for the colonies, he agreed with the Americans that this right did not extend to taxation. When the Stam Act's enforcement or repeal was before the House, Pitt was bedridden with one of his fierce and painful attacs of gout, but he said to a friend: If I can crawl or be carried, I will deliver my mind and heart upon the state of America. He held a powerful speech as an answer to Prime Minister George Grenville, his brother-in-law, who persisted in defending the stamp duties. The Marquess of Rockingham wrote to King George III the day after Pitt's speech: The events of yesterday in the House of Commons have shown the amazing power and influence Mr. Pitt has whenever he takes part in the debate. The speech added new intensity to the admiration Americans already had for its author. Ships, towns, and babies were named after him, and one rhymester wrote:
I thank thee, Pitt, for all thy glorious strife
against the foes of LIBERTY and life