Memoirs of the Court of George IV. 1820-1830 Part 59

I have had no politics since I have been here, and not one word even of news except a line from Robinson in answer to an inquiry respecting the last Cabinet, which he did not himself attend, but, as he tells me, was called at the instance of the D---- of W----, on the subject of the former one, held the day before I left town, on the Portuguese application for military a.s.sistance. However, no alteration was made in the determination.

I fear that I cannot supply you with much intelligence as to Austrian policy. The general language which she holds, tallies very much with Nugent's letter--great desire to draw her ties closer with this country--implied rather than positive approbation of our course, but great unwillingness in any respect to commit herself, I will not say in opposition, but even to any different views from those of Russia.

I am also quite unable to tell you whether Nugent be Prince or still only Count; I rather think the former.

It is now above a month since I have seen any Austrian despatches, and I doubt whether at the time they were written she could be aware of the probable course of events in Spain, and the different objects of French and Russian influence in that country.

I should not myself imagine that she can be favourably disposed to the extension of Russian influence in the Mediterranean, and therefore would be more likely to join in the views of France; but I have not the means of forming any opinion beyond mere speculation.

Pray tell me whether you hear anything respecting the Buck-hounds,[123] and, which is more material, what Neville gets by Lord Cornwallis's death.

Will it not be advisable that you should communicate Nugent's letter and your answer to it to be written to Liverpool?

I certainly agree with Burke in the propriety of the old practice of communicating to the King's Government any intercourse which you may hold with a foreign sovereign, whether direct or indirect, which in any way refers to public subjects; and as there are obvious and numerous reasons for not making this to Canning, who would naturally be the proper channel, I think Liverpool would be the fittest. If you do not like to do this personally, I should, of course, be happy to do it for you.

Ever affectionately yours,

C. W. W.

[123] Lord Maryborough succeeded the Marquis Cornwallis.

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

Englefield Green, Aug. 21, 1823.

MY DEAR DUKE,

I am just come from Windsor, where I was summoned to attend a Council. Nothing occurred worth telling you excepting that Lord Maryborough, I learnt from himself, had got the Stag-hounds vacant by Lord Cornwallis's death. This was given in the most gracious manner by the King in a letter written with his own hand. I think _Wellesley Pole_ has been pretty well paid altogether. The Mint, the Cabinet, a Peerage, and now the Stag-hounds. Lord Liverpool, Canning, Peel, Lord Maryborough, Charles Long, and myself, formed the Council. His Majesty looked really remarkably well, and walked up and down the large state stairs without a stick, and about the apartments after the Council extremely well, much better than I had the least idea he could have done. You may judge how he shuts himself up when I tell you that this was the first time I had seen him since I have been here--now upwards of a month, indeed, six weeks. I should say from what I observed that the Cabinet were in high spirits, but nothing pa.s.sed in private conversation to give me information.

Canning was on his way to Liverpool, and Peel made it in his way from Dorsetshire to town, and he was to return in a few days.

The state of Ireland improves greatly, and I suppose till the long nights commence, we shall not have the full state of alarm renewed.

The Duke of Wellington is gone on his tour, and all business will be at a stand for the next six weeks.

Ever, my dear Duke,

Most faithfully yours,

W. H. FREMANTLE.

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

Englefield Green, Aug. 22, 1823.

MY DEAR DUKE,

Since my note of yesterday I find Lord Maryborough resigns the Mint and Cabinet, and takes the Stag-hounds as a retirement. I believe Wallace succeeds to the Mint, though some say Lord Granville; the former _I_ say, and either Lord Granville or Huskisson come into the Cabinet; I should suppose the latter. They are angry with A'Court for having gone to Gibraltar; he was afraid of the yellow fever. The consequence is that we have at present no British Minister with the King of Spain, and the difficulties arising from this in case of change or negotiation (which latter must be daily expected as actually proceeding) so obvious. They talk of Fitzroy Somerset going again, and Canning does not return from his excursion under three weeks.

Ever truly yours,

W. H. F.

The Grenville section of the Government had many reasons for wishing to have the Duke of Buckingham a member of the Cabinet, and it will be seen that Mr. Williams Wynn once more strove to induce the Duke to quit his dignified retirement for the purpose of taking a share in Ministerial responsibilities.

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

LlanG.o.dwin, Aug. 28, 1823.

MY DEAR B----,

The recommendation which was contained in my last, of sending a copy of your letter to Lord Liverpool, arose from my concurring in the old principle that it is unfit for any British subject to hold communication with any foreign sovereign, particularly on any political question, without the knowledge and permission of the King's Government. You will see this adverted to, I think, in Burke's letter to the Duke of Portland. a.s.suming this to be correct, I do not think that there is any material difference whether your correspondence is directly with the Emperor of Austria, or with Count Nugent to be laid before him; and I should certainly have given you the same advice in the year 1816, when you were acting in hostility to Government, as strongly as I do now.

With respect to the Cabinet, the frequent complaints which you have heard from me of the single and unconnected situation in which I find myself, these would show you how anxiously I must wish that you could effect your entry there, independent of every motive of personal regard, grat.i.tude, and attachment.

I doubt, however, whether consistently with your own dignity, you could avail yourself of any vacancy but those of the Presidency of the Council, Privy Seal, Admiralty, or Secretary of State. The Mint or Chancellorship of the Duchy would, in the public eye, be entirely below your rank and situation to accept.

I think, therefore, that you should confine your application to the first-named offices, or (objectionable in principle as I always think it) to Cabinet without office. You may, I think, a.s.sume the probability of Sidmouth's retirement as a ground for pressing the latter; but at all events it will be desirable to state very clearly and distinctly the prospects which were held out to you by Lord Londonderry. At the present moment you may be a.s.sured that there will be much disinclination to admit your claim.

The Protestant party is eager, the Catholic lukewarm and hollow.

C----[124] knows not where to look for support, but is afraid that by joining himself with us, who seem his natural allies, he would increase the indisposition of the K---- and D---- of Y----, which he would make any sacrifice to deprecate. Besides this, he has no inclination to any who a.s.sume higher pretensions than those of being his followers; and after what took place a twelvemonth ago, he, like all other persons who have been in the wrong in a dispute and advanced unreasonable pretensions, will be personally disinclined to those who were in the right and resisted them, and this will of course be increased by the difference in your former politics. The only person to whom you can look is the D---- of W----. If he thinks you are likely to a.s.sist and strengthen him, I have no doubt he could open the door to you; but I freely acknowledge that I do not understand his views and objects. They begin, centre, and end, no doubt, in himself, and on that account he would like to cement an alliance with you; but then how will he manage it with the Protestants? I take it, both from what I recollect of the language of the Horse Guards during the whole of the Peninsular War, and from other circ.u.mstances, that there is no real cordiality between him and the D---- of Y----. The latter has, I believe, always been jealous of him. He looks, I apprehend, to Peel and the Chancellor, and to them only as the instruments of his bigotry to resist the Catholic claims.

Robinson, I believe, confines himself to his own business, and Liverpool is indifferent to everything but present repose, and by any temporizing measure to delay the evil hour of rupture and collision. Still, when it comes to the point, you will find him on almost every subject make some excuse for siding with the Protestant party.

Ever affectionately yours,

C. W. W.

[124] Canning.

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

Wynnstay, Sept. 9, 1823.

MY DEAR B----,

When you mentioned that you had communicated your letter to Nugent to me in my _ministerial_ capacity, I certainly concluded that it conveyed a clear authority to have extended it to Lord L---- or C---- at my own discretion, but fortunately I had not exercised that power, and certainly shall not.

I am not surprised that Mr. C---- should coax you, even if you had turned your head aside from his daughter, and pa.s.sed on the other side like the Levite; for he is under a charge of illegally making a loan to the Rajah of Vizianagum, and of having derived therefrom exorbitant interest. Of the merits of the charge I can say little, but common report is by no means friendly to him.

The proposed grant to Lord Hastings has been lost in consequence of an equality of votes, eight to eight, five present but refusing to vote, and three absent--two of the latter hostile. Objection was taken to praise of his integrity or disinterestedness by one of those who refused to vote, stating at the same time he would have supported it if moved on the ground of his poverty.

Canning has shown me the last despatches, by which it appears that there is much schism in the French Cabinet, Villele supporting the Duc d'Angouleme, Chateaubriand the Allied Powers and the Spanish Regency. Magnanimity has instructed Pozzo de Borgo to consider all communications from the latter as if they emanated directly from himself. Metternich takes also strongly the same line, recommending an amnesty, excepting all those who were active in forcing the acceptance of the const.i.tution on Ferdinand. I do not at present apprehend any dispute relative to the blockade, as the French are very scrupulous in keeping the law on their side, and have not yet done anything more than they were clearly ent.i.tled to.