Memoirs of the Court of George IV. 1820-1830 Part 42

MY DEAR DUKE,

I beg that you will a.s.sure Lord Liverpool that nothing could be further from my intention or my wishes, than to hasten forward any discussion or precipitate any decision respecting the steps to be taken to complete and strengthen the Government under existing circ.u.mstances: on the contrary, no one is more convinced than I am of the absolute necessity of the Government having most mature deliberation on this very momentous question. For this very reason I thought it due to Lord Liverpool that he should at as early a moment as possible be put in possession of the sentiments and feelings of those connected with his Government, provided you thought mine of sufficient importance to be transmitted to him.

Believe me always yours sincerely,

B. C.

Of Canning at this period one of his intimate friends thus speaks:--"Great as his talents for Parliament are, and great as is the want of them on the Ministerial side of the House, it is not without the utmost reluctance that the rest of the Cabinet will consent to receive him as an a.s.sociate. If they make him any proposal, it will be only because they are forced to it by the opinion and wishes of their own friends, and if they make him a _fair_ proposal, it will be a clear proof that they think that the Government cannot go on without his aid."[93]

[93] Lord Dudley's "Letters," p. 351.

A little later we learn from the same authority: "The delay that has taken place in filling up the very important station that was held by Lord Londonderry is itself a pretty good proof of the embarra.s.sment of the King and his Ministers. Canning will be a bitter pill to them, and yet I am more inclined than I was at first to think that they will swallow it. I give Canning full credit for what he declared at Liverpool, that he _knew nothing_; and yet without imputing to him any Jesuitical reservation, I consider his speech to be that of a man who thought that he was more likely to come in than not."[94]

[94] Lord Dudley's "Letters," p. 356.

Canning knew well enough that he had only to wait, and the necessities of the Government, notwithstanding the aversion of the majority, would force him into the position his great rival had left vacant. Many persons of influence shared in this conviction, and though far from cordial in their admiration for this political leader, they were eager to adopt him as their colleague or superior, seeing no other a.s.sistance at hand so capable of advancing their particular policy.

THE RIGHT HON. CHARLES W. WYNN TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

Broadstairs, Aug. 24, 1822.

MY DEAR B----,

My letter of yesterday will have sufficiently put you in possession of my opinion, that although I agreed in the principle of your letter, yet the addressing it under the present circ.u.mstances to the D---- of W----, and through him to Lord Liverpool, was premature. They seem to have thought the same, though I wish they had expressed it in a manner less unambiguous.

It is difficult to make up one's mind whether it would, on the whole, be more desirable to see Canning at the Exchequer or in the Foreign Office. I rather believe that by Huskisson's a.s.sistance he would discharge the duties of the former office better than the latter, to which the disinclination of Carlton House and the very unconciliating style of correspondence in which he indulges himself (and of which the records of the Board of Control have shown me some specimens) are great objections. If, indeed, the arrangement which I chalked out in a former letter for the promotion of Lord Bathurst, Robinson, Huskisson, and either W. Lambe or C. Grant, could take place, I should have no doubt that it would be best to give Canning the Exchequer. But if the result should be, as many antic.i.p.ate, to consign the Foreign Seals to your friend the D---- of W----, it is not easy to decide whether the inconvenience of that appointment would not counterbalance the benefit of removing Van.

From being in the first coach, I could see little of the behaviour of the mob at the funeral, but all that I saw or heard was perfectly proper till the moment of the removal of the _coffin_ from the hea.r.s.e to enter the Abbey, when a Radical yell was set up from St. Margaret's churchyard.

Lady Londonderry's wish that he should be interred in Westminster Abbey, and with the pomp of a private funeral, seems to me extraordinary, and under the unfortunate circ.u.mstances of his death, very ill-judged. I had myself proposed, in order to obviate the possibility of any expression of hostile or disrespectful feeling, that the body should at once have been brought on the preceding night to the Jerusalem Chamber, instead of to his house in St. James's-square, and that the procession should be formed from thence on foot.

Sunday, 25th.

A letter from town this morning tells me that the King is not to leave Edinburgh till the 28th, which will of course extend my stay at this place. Everything leads me to believe that the discussion will rather turn on the particular official situation to be held by Canning, than on the vesting in him the lead of the House of Commons, the necessity of which seems to be so generally and strongly felt, that opposition to it must be ineffectual. At the same time nothing is yet known of Peel's sentiments, and there will not be wanting those among his friends who will urge him to refuse serving _under_ Canning.

Have you any ground for mentioning Harrowby as a decided opponent of C----'s admission? I should have thought that agreement on the Catholic question would have reconciled him to it.

Ever most faithfully yours,

C. W. W.

THE RIGHT HON. CHARLES W. WYNN TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

Whitehall, Sept 3, 1822.

MY DEAR B----,

My princ.i.p.al reason for doubting the expediency of your step was, that if, as I believed, the view which you yourself took was also entertained by those to whom you addressed it, the declaration which it contained might have been reserved, to be afterwards brought forward in support of them, when it might be better applied to the existing circ.u.mstances. My own inclination is to consider the offer of the lead to Canning as indispensable, and that no other proposition should be offered as an alternative. Yet, did he or any one else ever give a proof of worse judgment than his speech at Liverpool, in which he recommends a compromise, and that the question should be allowed to rest after "_perhaps_" one more general discussion? Admitting that the advice might be good if addressed to the Catholics, his bringing it into his Liverpool speech at the present moment is just the way to defeat his object, and to persuade the Catholics that he is ready to sacrifice them to his own objects of ambition.

Matters are but little advanced, that is to say, that Lord L---- has laid the proposition of an application to Canning before the K---- this morning, and desired him to take till Thursday to consider it, and to consult any others of his servants. This makes me feel strong hope that none of them have decidedly opposed it.

Repugnance was expressed, but I see that L----[95] as well as W----[96] thinks that it will finally succeed. To-morrow we are to have a Cabinet, which, but for the delight of procrastinating everything, might just as well have been held yesterday or on Sunday.

L---- distinctly stated to me, that he felt that the country could not be satisfied unless a proposal were made to Canning, but referred to the possibility of his insisting on unreasonable conditions. Should this be the case, I can only say _alors comme alors_, and that the course to be pursued must depend on the peculiar circ.u.mstances which one cannot antic.i.p.ate.

Ever affectionately yours,

C. W. W.

[95] Lord Liverpool.

[96] The Duke of Wellington.

THE RIGHT HON. W. H. FREMANTLE TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

Englefield Green, Sept. 8, 1822.

MY DEAR DUKE,

Having had nothing to communicate I have not written to you; indeed now there seems nothing to discuss till you know the terms on which Canning is to come in; I have no doubt the offer is, the Chancellorship of the Exchequer and lead of the House of Commons, and Cabinet for Huskisson or any one other friend. Whether he will think this enough I doubt; I am rather confident from what I have heard, that he will not surrender the foreign seals to anybody but the Duke of Wellington. I have no doubt they are intended for Lord Bathurst. He must feel and know we cannot do without him, and having so good a thing in his present possession, he will of course not accept office but in such a way as shall fully meet his wishes.

The King sent for the Duke of York, who, with the Chancellor, will, I am sure, throw every difficulty in the way, though they must know that nothing but his connexion can save and support the Government.

The arrangement of getting rid of _Van_ would certainly be the most eligible and satisfactory to the public that could be adopted. The Duke of Wellington has been seriously ill, but is now better.

Whether this will impede his expedition to Vienna I know not, but should not think it would. The King is most delighted with his expedition to Scotland, preferring it infinitely to his Irish jaunt; this will not please _Paddy_.

I should be delighted to hear that Nugent got Ireland, but I am sure his rank is now too high, the station has been lowered to a _commanding_ officer only, and a full General's staff is not allowed. The Duke and d.u.c.h.ess of Gloucester are come to Bagshot; they seem to think the _Regnante_ is losing ground; I don't believe one word of it, indeed I am quite sure of the reverse.

Ever most faithfully yours,

W. H. F.

THE RIGHT HON. CHARLES W. WYNN TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

East India Office, Sept. 10, 1822.

MY DEAR B----,

A communication to Canning was authorized on Sunday, and he may be expected in town I believe to-night. The proposal is to succeed Lord Londonderry in all respects, and there I fear it stops, and that there will be resistance to the stipulation which will probably be pressed for Huskisson's promotion.

Ever affectionately yours,

C. W. W.

THE RIGHT HON. W. H. FREMANTLE TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.