Star. — London, England, 1809-11-28 00:00:00

Condition of my.tontinuing a Member of the Go vernment." But he contends, that a pro Position a justifiable in itself," ought not to have been 64 executed in an Un justifiable jai:inner :" and he make s m e res pO ns ibl e for the manner in which the " Head of the Adminit tration," and ~some Members bf the Government, •,‘ supposed to Sc his (Lord Cistlereagles) friends," executed the proposition which he attributes to me. He is ready to acknowledge, indeed, .. that I pres sed for a disclosure at the same time that I pressed for a decision ; and that the disclosure was resisted by the Duke of Portland and his (Lord Castlereagh's) Jummed friends." ; Bet in this circumstance, Lord Castlereagh pio-• fessei not to see any justification of what he conceives to have been my conduct towards him ; because, by acquiescing in the advice or intreaties of his s. sup posed friends," I admitted " an authority" on their part, as which I must have knewn them not to posy sets ;" because, " by preising for disclosure," shewed my own sense of the .. unfairness" of concealment ; and, because, with that sense I " ought," (as he conceives me not to have done), " to have availed myself of the same alternative, namely, my own resignation, to enforce disclosure, which I did to enforce decision." Without offering a single word in the way of ar gument, I shall, by a distinct detail of facts, in the order of their date, substantiate my contradiction on these charges. I shall only premise, Ist. That I had (as is admitted by Lord Castle reagh) an unquestionable right to require, on public grounds, a change in the War Department, tender ing, at the same time,-the alternative of my own re signation. 2dly. What no man at all acquainted with the course of public business will dispute, that the regu lar, effectual, and straight-forward course for bring ing that alternative to-issue, was to state it directly to the 66 Head of the Administration," the King's Chief Minister, to be laid by that Minister before the King. I proceed . to the detail of facts. APRIL 2.—1 addressed a letter to the Duke of Port land, containing a representation on the State of his Administration, and expressing my wish and inten tion, unless some change were effected in it, to resign. Arm 1 to fh—Upon the Duke of Portland's re quiring a more detailed explanation, as to the mu tires of My proffered resignation, I stated, among other things, that a change either in my own depart ment, or in Lord Castlereagh's, appeared to me to ;be exPedient for the public service. I stated my per fect willingness that 'the alternative should be decided for my retirement ; and only requested that the deci ston might (it possible) take place before the re-com mencement of business in Parliament, after the Easter holidays. The Duke of Portland requested me to suspend the execution of my intention to resign ; wishing to have an opportunity of consulting with some of our col leagues, before he determined what advice to lay be fore the King. • APRIL. 16.—The Easter holidays thus passed away. On the 16th of April, shortly after his Grace's return to town f - --6M Bulstrode, the Duke of Portland opened the subject to one of the Members of the Cabinet, whose name, (not having been hitherto brought for ward), Ido not think it necessary to mention. Your Lardsitip is perfectly acquainted with it. By the Duke of Portland's desire, I h el a commu nication with that Member of the Cabinet, within a very few days after his interviese with the Duke of Portland. He strongly represented the difficulty of making any new arrangement, during the sitting of Parliament ; and urged ' me to defer the pressing my own resignation till the end of the session. To this recommendation I did not promise to accede ; but we agreed, (whether upon his suggestion or upon mine I am not confident), that, at all events, no step what ever could properly be taken, until after the decision of the question upon the writership ; which was about this time brought forward in the House of Commons. Area. 23.—That question was decided on Tuesday the 25th of April. . Arum 28.—0 n Friday the 28th, the Duke of Port- Auld cu:nin n nicated fully with your Lordship ; and informed ire, as the result of that communication, that your Lordship thought a change in Lord Cas tlereagh's situation in the Government desirable— provided it could ie effected honourably for Lord Castlereagh, and that it " could be reconciled to Lord Castlereagh's feelings." ! From this period, I understood that your Lordship was constantly consnlted by the Duke of Portland in eeery step of the transactien. Other Members of the Cabinet were .also consulted by olie Duke of Port land how many of them, or at what precise periods, I neither knew at the time, tier can now un &mike to say. The stescreent on re; behilF, which har, alse foned • Shortly after veer Lordship's first interview with • saes (withent ray uonsent and against my v.i.l)),' the Duke of Portland, (I am sure before the sth •i- the tesblie pipers, was written wider a sense of of May) that MeMber of the Cabinet with 'whom • icecy end reeiraint as to the p ar ti e ulars of the his Grace had first communicated, reported to me , aste; ion, which from the character of the transac- • a suggestien of your Lordship's of a change of office os must alwevs continue to prevail in a gre'tt for Lord Castlereagh, evidently calculated on the c but leans which, until Wednesday, the I th principles which your Lordship had stated as indiss Osiober, the day.en whii'h I gave op the seals, 1 pensable to such a change. Whether this commuai: a ea , en op port; of soliciting any dispensation. cation to me was in the nature of a direr= message 'r :he indideence which I then most humbly solici- from your Lordship, Ido not exactly know. But I 'rest I shall $e able to avail myself sufficiently understood distinctly that you knew of its being made' .own eindicition, without losing sight of those • to me ; and that whatever observation I might make ( !;:n0.:Ce:18 Li' duty and propriety, by which the upon it, was to be reported to your Lordship. What se of such an inThilgence must necessarily be rcgu- , I observed upon it, was in substance, that it was not and eenfined. for me to presume to say what change would be pro h. is sited in Lord Castlereagh's letter, " That I per ; that I had dune all that 1 had thought myself therreided• and procured from the Duke of Port- either called upon or at liberty to do, in stating tOthe beihre the rising of Parliament, a promise for • Duke of Portland my Opinions, and my intention to 7.• (::! •tl removal from the War Depart- resign ; that the Duke of Portlaad alone could either ; that, be this promise, Lord Castlereagt's si- propose any cirano,e, or obtain the necessary authority !atiee, a' a Minister o f t h e Crown, was made de- for carrying it into effect ; and that I therefore re -7 'eel , rl 1:1)::11 my pleasure ; and that this promise I commended that your Lordship should state your sug : . thoueht myself entitled to enforce." gestion to the Duke of Portland. " Te.e, after, and notwithstanding this virtual Mae s.—On the sth of May, the Duke of Port . seessien cif Lord Castlereagh in his office, I al- land inflnmed me, that he had determined to lay the •se-; him to originate and conduct the expeditioe to whole subject, on the following Wednesday, before ie . ;" his Majesty. And that, during this whole period, I knew MAY 10.—On Wednesday the 10th of May, he in eft the ;eitation and die decision of the question for formed me, that he had done so ; and that his Ma- Lis rsmosed were concealed front him, and was party jesty had been graciously pleased to say,that he would concealment." take the 'subject into his serious consideration. I .' rd Castlereagh, indeed, admits, • I MAY 31.—0 n 'Wednesday, the 31st of May, sp- Tiiat he has no tight, as a public man, to resent prehending it to be possible that my intention might dernaraboh, trop public grounds, his removal not have been fully explained to his Majesty, and ifAa his Aiico,•outvgn from Adaiiili‘VtiOli, as chi king it my duty to leave no doubt upon it, I At. ino !clan who lcoows fhe affectionate respect and attach, which the manly and generous qualit ies of the Duke of ?-rland'A mind were calculated to command, and which I inva flelly hole to him, will suspect toe of being willing to establish ny own viadization, at .the exptace of the slightest disrespect to memory, or predjudice to his fame. I have the honour to he, my Lord, Tour Lordship's most obedient . humble Strvant, • GE, .ItGE CANNING. . . I humbly repeated to his Majesty the 'representations '' entreated th. t a.l • f' • 'erTght be, advised now to 1. his l eve.* ~...,i which I had before made to the Duke of Portland, accept my resignation. / • and humbly tendered my resignation. I reCeiveda The Duke of B ort l a dd mostenziously deprecated • thereupon his Majesty's, &Acton§ commands to retain. my resignation., as leading, hi his apprehension, t o my situation until his Majesty should haie considered the dissolution. of the •Admiaietraeaxt. -He declared the whole subject. • himself to be aathori zeeato assure trite; in the most so _ just B.—Seme time in . the course of the next week, lemn manner, that the arrangement. now in contem- I think on the Bth of Jane, the Dttke of Portland platicin shoCtlZlPositiv'elk take o l aceeet t h e termin ation stated to me, that lic had received his Majesty's corn- of the Eipedition. ; that tlieSeale: of the . War De mands, to propose, and to carry into effect, at the partnieritshinild then,be offered to Lord Wellesley ; end of the Session of Parliament, an arrangement for (an office to be iicated by means of your Lordship's a partial change in the War Dep ar t ment , ret i rement ) being at -the smite time: to be offered to The particular: of this arrangement Ido not think Loyd. Castlereagh : and Thee : iee. the inteeval, and it proper to detail ; feeling it my duty to limit my- without loss. of time, Lord Castlere.igh's friends self strictly to wh:tt is absolutely necessary for the cx- shoal tape opportnnities• of prepai Mee him for the planation of my own conduct. It is sufficient to state, chapge, and-reconciling him to it, by representing. to ... that the object of this arr. ngeni en t was not t h e re. hitei the . gteat advantage to be derived front it in the moval of Lord Castlereagh, but a new distribution • acquisition cf additional strength to the Government. of the business of the War Department, whereby that ' • . „key 1.3 io. la.---Net enly the . Duke of Portland, part of it which was connected with political - corres- but other Members o.fthe.Cabinet, Lcrd Castlereagh's pondence would have Ikea transferred to the Foreign • friends, some direcela, • and some, though common - Office ; and the business of anothef ofice, then va- friend% tir - n.ed me, in the most earnest manner, to ac= cant, Ns ould have been transferred to Lord Castle- qUiesce in cite postpottetnent noWeproposed. -It was. magi!. •It is only necessary to add, that the effect of represented td me, that if, instead of pressing for the this new distribution would not have been to take but ' exeCutiori•of the arrangement now, time were allowed of Lord Castlereagh's hands the superintendence, of . to 'Lord Cettleieegh's friends to prepare him for the the Expedition to the S c h e ldt. • . I change, and to reconcile Itim to it, the arreoge- JUNE 13t11.—On the 13th of Julie, I wrote to the ment might ultimately take place in an amicable Duke of Portland, signifying to him that although ' manner; that every public object might thus be an 'such an arrangement had never entered into my con- . swered, without any unnecessary harslmees to the feel templation, and although . I did not think it cal c ula t ed ; i n g s of individuals ;• and that, so far from finding to remedy all the di ffi culties which had induced me . fresh impediments raised to'-the execution of the ar-• .to bring the state of the Administratioa under his ' rangemeot, when tha time arrived, I sheuld find all Grace's consideration, I was ready, so far as I was ' those to whose rapresentations I yieklej, considering concerned, to undertake and discharge, to the best of themselves pledged equally with the Duce of Port my ability, any duty which his Majesty might be • land to see it carried into effect. .. • graciously pleased to devolve upon me; but I ex-1 It is due to your Lordship to say, that your Lord pressed at the same time, great doubts, whether this ; ship's name %Vas pot; so fee as I recollect, specifically arrangement could be expected to be acceptable to 1 mentioned to me on this occasion : but it is equally Lord Castlereagh, or (in all its parts) satisfactory to i• due to myself to declare, that I never for a moment the public feeling. • I imagined, nor could have believed, that the general Jura: 181.1 e—On Sunday, the 18th of June, (Par- description of" Lord Castlereagh's friends," as stated liament being expected to rise on the '2oth or 21st), to me, without exception or qualification, by the I wrote to the Duke of Portland, to enquire whether -Duke of Portland, did not comprehend your Londe this arrangement, or any other, was to take place ; ship, whose proffered resignation was•the basis of dre ' stating to him, that, " if things remained as they then ; whole arrangement, and without *hose expre ss co n e were, I was determined not to r emai n -i n o ffi ce: " I sent, therefore, rio other person could announce the Jose 18t11.—In answer, the Duke of Portland arrangement to Lord Castlereagh. mentioned to me a new plan of arrangement, alto- Jets 20.—8 y these representations and assurances, gether different from that which he had been attei at length, most reluctantly, an d I confess against n-a thorised to carry into effect ; and stated, t h a t h e 1 better judgment, I was induced to acquiesct in the pre had sent for your Lordship, and the other Mem- 1 posed postponement of the change ; and consented to tiers of the Cabinet, with whom your Lordship and remain in office till the termination of the Expedition. the Duke of Portland had been in constant commtini- Seer. 2.—On Saturday, September the 2d, the le cation; to co-operate.with him, in forwarding this new suit of the expedition to the Stheldt being tine plan, and to urge Lord Castlereagh to consent to it. known, I wrote t,. the Duke of Portland, at Bulstrode, The particulars of this new plan, I do not think it , reminding his Grace, that the period fixed for offering necessary to state, as I leant front the Duke of Port- the seals of the War Department to Lord Well e sley land, either the next day, or the day followin g i t , th a t wa s arrived. 'to this plan Lord Castlereagh 'cert a i n ly cou ld not b e S EPT . 6.- - --On the following Wednesday, the Gth brought to agree. Whether this was known to his of September, the Duke of Portland informed me, Grace only front your Lordship, or through your that no steps whateveia had been taken by any of Lordship from Lord Castlereagh himself, I was not Lord Castlereagh's frien.ds te reconcile him to the apprised. change, or to prperere him for it ; that the execution JUNE 21.—0 n Wednesday, the day of the rising of the arrangement - would be-attended with other re of Parliament, I was assured by the' Duke of Port- signations, or.at .least whit, pie other resignation (of land, that the specific arrangement which he had in which I had never befoie received the slightest inti the first instance proposed, viz. the new distribution mation) ;—and , that he had himself determined to of the business of the War Department should be car- retire. aied into effect ;—and that his Majesty had directed Upon receivirig this intelligence, I immediately him to desire your Lordship to communicate his de- disclaimed any wish that: the arrangement, however cision to Lord Castlereagh. . . positively I understood it to have been settl e d, s ho u ld Just 27.—0 n Tuesday, June the 27th, finding no be carried into effect, under circumstances to me so communication had yet been made to Lord' Castle- unexpected ; and instantly re:erted to that " alterna reagh, I wrote to the Duke of Portland, in terms of the". which; upon each successive stage of difficul the strongest remonstrance, both against 'the conceal: - ties and delays, I.had uniformly pressed—that of the ment and the delay ; and intimated thy determination!' tender of my own resignation ;—which I desired the to recur to my original intentioneand'tte . presi'die . .at 7 Duke of Portland m lay-that day before the King. ceptance of my resignation. - - • :• - ' :Setter. 7.—Op the following d AY, Thursday, the Just; 2S.—Accordingly,' on the folloaviniaday, ..7t.knof Setiternber r l•declkned attending the Celina ; Wednesday, the 28th' of June, f liactan andience.:of i stating. in &letter teethe Duke of Portland (which I the King, in which I humbly and earnestly repeatedlefait to hii..Grace to-communicate to the Cabinet, if to his Majesty the tender of inyaresignation. • . he should thinkproper.), that I considered my resig . JUNE 28.—That same - evening, the Duke 'of Port- nation as in his 'Majesty's hands, and myself as hold land informed me that he had that day•signified to hag my office only till my successor should be named. your Lordship. the King's desire, that your Lordship 1 SP.'''. Be—On Friday. the Sth, I heard from the should communicate the• intended arrangeMent to Duke of Portland, that Lord Castlereagh had sent in Lord Castlereagh ; and that the comPiunication was 'his resignation. I have-been informed since (b u t to be made by your Lordship, as soon as the Expedi- whether correctly or. not I -cannot affirm), that he tion had sailed ; which, it was expected, wohld be in did so, in consequence of a communication made to less than a fortnight frofn that time. him by your Lordship, after the Cabinet of the pre- Joey s.—But before this fortnight elapsed, viz. on ceding day. Wednesday the iith of July, the Duke of Portland in-♦ Seer..l4.—On Thursday, the lath of September, formed me, that o in consideration of the diffieulties your Lordship called upon me at the Foreign Office, attending the proposed arrangement,- he, and those by your own appointment, for the purpose of explain with whom he had conailted`, were of opinion, that ing the causes which had prevented your making any another should be substituted for ite which he trusted communication to Lord Castlereagh in the earlier would also be more agreeable to me. He told me . stages of the-transaction, that hopes were entertained that your Lordship would . Sere. la—On Tuesday, September 19, your determine to offer your resignation, for the purpose of I Lordship, in answer to a letter of mine of the precede facilitating a general arrangement, in which a come I . ing day, explained to' me the grounds of your silence plete change in the war department might be efected i to Lord Castlereagh, during the latter period of the corsistently with Lord Castlereagh's feelings.-alle transaction. said, however, that your Lordship had not yet finally Stele 20.—an Wednesday morning, September Aade up your mind upon the subject ; but that you the 20th, I received from Lord Castlereagh the letter efould. probably come to a decision before the foie which produced our meeting. lowing Wednesday. From this series of facts it appears, The Duke bf Portland stated his intention, in the That; in April I made a representation to the King's evepi . of your Lordship's resignation, to submit to his First Minister, on the general state oldie administra- Majesty, the nomination of Lord Wellesley to the tien, and that, in the course of the discussions arising War Department. out of that representation, I proposed on public ft:was well lawwn by the Duke of Portland, that grounds, not, as Lord Castlereagh appears to have I had been alwafs anxious for Lord Wellesley's ac- been informed, his removal from the Administration, cession to the Cabinet • hut this was the fi rst mention but the alternative of a change, either in the War or to me, in the course Of this transaction, of his intro. Foreign Department. duction into the War Department. But for a severe That, on the 10th May, the Duke of Portland sub indisposition, Lord Vtiellesley would, before this time, mitted to his Majesty the subject of my representa haveiteen on his way to Spain. Lion ; and. informed me, that his Majesty would be JULY 13.—0 n Thursday, the 13th of July, the pleased to take it into his consideration e Duke of Portland informed me, that your Lordship That, the 10th of May until the Bth of June, • had, the day before, actually tendered your resigna- 1 I was wholly unapprised of the result of that consi tion : but that your Lordship had annexed to it. the: deration ; but that, for fear of misapprehension, I had, conditions, that no change, should take place till after in person, during that interval, viz. on the 31St of the termination of the Expedition to the Scheldt ; and May, humbly repeated my representation, and ten that -it should be left to your Lordship to choose the dered my resignation, to his Majesty ; time of making any communication-to Lord Castle- ,That, on or about the Bth of June, for the first reagh. time, an arrangement was stated to me, which had JULY 13 to 30.—1 made the strongest remonstrances for its object, a new distribution of the business of the against this new delay, and this indefinite renewal of War Department : and that, on the 13th, I signified the concealment from Lord Castlereagh. I said,. that 'my acquiescence in .that arrangement, so far as I was after the repeated postponements which had already concerned. taken place, and after the reserve which had already That, on the 18th, another arrangement was stated been practised towards Lord Castlereagh, I could to me, as intended to be substituted for that in which I not rely upon the execution of any arrangement which had acquiesced; but that, on the 21st, it was announ should not be now completely settled in all its parts. ced to me that the first arrangement was finally decided And, if this were not to be done , I most ea r nest ly u p on , WAS LO be immediately carried into effect, alai • I i 1 TO THE /ARL CAMDrN, LORD—Th 6 statement, which has been pub ;fished in the newspapers in your Lordship's name, has &cidd a question on which 1 had belore•been hesi tating, as to the necessity of an authentic detail of the •raesactinns (so far as I am concerned in them, or accpainted with them) to which that statement Far-that purpose, I think a direct address to your i. , :rdsh;p more decorous, both towards your Lord and for Myself, than an anonymous paragraph in a newspaper. ft is wi,'l the most painful reluctance that i • .! , :ur to a subj,7 which, so far as it concerns Cas rkt'eaqh and my ~ elf. had been settled in a manner is usually, I believe, considered as final. Discussions of the causes of dispute more corn :recede, than follow, the extreme appe:l . , to Lord Castlereagh resorted : and when, after :nature consideration, his Lordship had determined to resort to that appeal la the first instance, I should have thought that such a choice deliberately made, ..VT:',1 1 ,41 have been felt by his friends to b. 2 equally con :: upon then; as upon himself. 11.. it von: Lordship needs wit to be informed, how my character has been assailed by writers :.! tic newspapers, espousing Lord Castlereagh's , -iiarr, and kimposed (1 trnst, m Ist iniurkaisly) to 11:s I.lrdship's narticul tr friends. ;'.21 - versi.)n; and misrepresentaations of aminy-• moas however, would not have extorted from ar,y reply. But to them succeeded the Lord Cas•iere trait's Lacy to me of the 19th of ....~;i ia,)ca'. ..... . I myrely dril-;elieve that Lord Castlzr-agli, ar.d I . :;ne:11 - deny that I ruysTlf, had any knowledge of Mit, by whot me:ms it matters not, the letter is be er.- the world t and ti- t ough .he course originally tic ,'.ore? C.',:stlereagh precluded ti-ie from offer •:l...; any 07:pllnati ,n to, him, th^ c. , ,tirse which has since ..tdi,pted on his behalf (though nndoubt. , ..diy ;thr,rit his prrhlos, have been con as re.-...ie;.in4 !itch an cq - Octuation due to my- It is, 11..-4.. , ., ever, o•Ily since your Lordship's pub th.tt I left it to he indispensab:y ne- "." • .•• CiINNING'S . , ; t: THE E.IRI, CAMDEN, &e. &c. • Gloucester ',age, Nov. 14, 1809. - • hat' written to your Lordship immediately after )11 •••• voirr Lordship's statement; but I delayed aend the hopt of being able previously to submit it to , ;o' the Duke of Portland. i s ia,pc I have beet; disappointed by that fatal event, which , ~.;e.'.this country of one of its moot urright and cl!sin ; •the King, of one of his most faithful, devoted, Josue sebjects ; and the v. orld, of one cl the most • ansi'most. noble-minded of men. sitheed, I have thought it right to revise what I had •. e and scrupulously to expunge every reference to the au ..v o f the Diflse of Portland, which would nhw stand upon testi:nony ; retaining such only as are euitorted, either • critter documents which I shall be happy to communicate to r Lorddiip, or by acts which are well known to your Lord ! •• or to voor tulles sues, anil in which, ler the mo s t p art , your yout self conce.rned. Neither, wever, can I content myself with this precaution, • .! must protean, at the same times in the most earnest manner, any possible misconstruction, by ivhich any thing In the letter can be strained to a meaning unfavourable to the •4nivrs which actuated the Duke of Portland's conduct. It is impoisible, indeed, not to regret the policy, however well w'hich dictated the reserve practised tf,wards Lord ',lstlereagh, in the beginning of this transaction ; or that prac •A:l towards myself in its conclusion. it is to he regretted tb.:t the Duhe of Portland should have hi .;yea, and that your Lordship should have accepted, the comdi coo of silence, I: the first connnunicationo In•twee a you. is 110.1, to bf' regretted, that I should not have learnt in July, Lordship was not party to the assurances then giver. to :; •. e • nn beha:f of Lori Castlereagh's friends in general, and that r:other N . :ember of the Cabinet, comprehended in that clescrip --,a; Lad, as I have wince heard, refused to concur in them. • Had I been made acquainted with these cir-nn:s!ances I should ,• ..•• have resigned ; and my resignation would,- at that;time, .11 t..ken nlace without inconvenience or embarrassment, and 7..ithout stirring those questions no way connectedwith the causes • . retirement, or subjecting me to those misinterpretations of ••.• ,•,,nduct and men which have t-en produced by the coin r f • or my resicai ion with tha: of the D u !go of Portland. :;:a, however this reserve may be to he regretted, it is impos ;,ide to attrihate the adoption of it, on the parr of the Duke of to any other motives than to that gentleness nt nature erniaeo:iy distinguished him ; and which led him to endea -7.-ar (aheve. all things) to prevent political differences frooi grow dissentions ; and to aim at executing whatever ;7ratlit•Mer: might 1:e expedient for improving or ,itreogrl i onink m in i : ,i, l tation, with the concurrence (if possible) of all its .xiqirg members. _~. 1