The National Register. — London, England, 1812-06-14 00:00:00

36S the claims of that body of his Majesty's subjects, should he taken into " immediate consideration, with a view to a conciliatory adjuitmeut of those claims; Secondly, That the war in the Peninsula should be prosecuted on a scale of adequate 'vigour. Lord Wellesley stated, that as Mr. Canning and he agreed in these principles, he had requested Mr. Canning to communicate them to Lord Liverpool. Lord Wellesley has reduced the substance of this communication to writing, and now submits it to Lord Grey and Lord Grenville. (Signed) WELLESLEY. No. 2.—Minute of Mr. CA NNING'S Proposition to Lord LIVERPOOL, dated Fife House. Ma 123 1812. The Prince Regent having laid his commands upon Lord Wellesley to form a plan of an Administration, to be submitted for his Royal High ness's approbation, Mr. Canning was requested by Lord Wellesley (as the channel of communication thought. likely to be most agreeable to Lord Liverpool) to inquire of Lord Liverpool, whether there would be a disposition on the part of Lord Liverpool, and of his Colleagues, or of any of tkem,to entertain any proposal which should be made to them for forming part of that Administration. The principles upon which the Administration was intended to be ' formed were Stated to be, Ist, the taking into the early and serious consideration at the Executive Government the state of the laws affecting the Roman Catholics, with a sincere and earnest desire to bring that im portant question to a final and satisfactory settlement : 2dly, The pro secution of the war in the Peninsula with the best means of the country. It was state,l, that there would be the strongest wish to comprehend Ir. the arrangement, without any individual or party exclusion what ever, as many as possible of such persons as might he able to agree in giving their public services to the country on these two principles. With respect to the distribution of offices, it was stated, that nothing of any sort was decided or stipulated ; but that every thing would be open to be arranged to the honour and satisfaction of all parties. Flo. S.—Memorandum from Lords GREY and GRENVILLE, dated May 24, 1812. In such a moment as the present, we feel ii to be the duty of all pub lic men, both by frank and conciliatory explarations of principle, and by the total abandonment of every personal objection, to tacilitate, • as far as may he in their power, the means of giving effect to the late vote of the House of Commons, and of averting the imminent and unparalleled dangers of the country. Lord Wellesley has selected two, among the many important subjects vrhich must engage the attention of any men, who could, In such circum stances, be called upon to consider of the acceptance of stations of pub lic trust. On those two points our explanation shall be as distinct as it is In our rower to make it. . On the first, indeed, our opinion is too well known, and has been too recently expressed, to need repetition. We have derived a very high gratification from Lord Wellestey's powerful exertions in support of the claims of the Roman Catholics ; as well as from the manner in which that subject is adverted to in his minute ; and we do not hesitate to assure him, that we will warmly support any proposal made by Ministers for the immediate consider ation of those claims with a view to their conciliatory adjustment : a measure without which, we have already declared, that we entertain no hope, in any case of rendering our own services useful. As to the second point, no person feels more strongly than we do the advantages which would result from a successful termination of the present contest in Spain. But we are of opinion, that the direction of military operations in an extensive war, and the more or less vigor ous prosecution of those operations, are questions not of principle but of pnlicy ; to be regulated by circumstances in their nature temporary and fluctuating, and in many cases known only to persons in official sta tions—by the engagement of the country, the prospects of ultimate suc cess, the extent of j i lr; exertions unnecessary for its attainment, and the means of supporting these efforts without too great a pressure on the finances and internal prosperity of the country. On such questions, therefore, no public men, whether in or out of office, can undertake for more than a deliberate and dispassionate con sideration., according to the circumstances of the case as it may appear, and to such means' of information as may then be within their reach. But we cannot in sincerity conceal from Lord Wellesley, that, in the present state of the finances, we entertain the strongest doubts of the practicability of an increase in any branch of the public expenditure. 4.—Letter from Lord Livearoot. to Mr. CANNiNGIs dated Fife House, May 23, 1812. MY DEAR CANNING, I have communicated to my Colleagues the memorandum which I received from you bit aftei hoop. They do not think it necessary to enter into any discussion of the pdn-, ciples stated in that memorandum; because they all feel themselves bound, particularly after what has recently passed, to decline the pro lout of becoming Members of au Administration to be formed by Lord Believe me to be, with sincere personal regard, • My dear Catming t very iitithfully your's, (Signed) LivkarooL. JUNE 14 No. 6..—Letter from Mr. t...ANNING to Lord LivEk POOL, dated Glouccs ter Lodge, May 24, 1812; half past 8 a. m. MY DEAR LIVERPOOL, I have received your letter of last night, which I will immediately transmit to Lord Wellesley. Before I do so, however, and of course, therefore, without Lord Wellesley's consent of privity, I cannot forbear sugcesting to " :::11: ( :: sit:er whether the sort of personal objection which your letter v. irr.l;y and exclusively implies, will stand fairly before the country, moment, as a justification for refusing to act in an Administration, to the public principles of which you do not feel, or at least do t.ot state, :my insurmountable repugnance. I would suggest to you further to consider, whether, resting your re. fusal on an objection merely personal yini do quite justly either by your selves or by the individual concerned, in leaving the precise nature of that objection wholly unexplaine.l. In offering these suixestions, I perhaps exceed the limits of a coral. pondence such as our's is, upon this occasion but they strike me eo forcibly. that I think I owe to you, not to withhold them. `Whether to communicate them to your colleagues or not, I leave entirely to yo!!r discretion; but you at least will rot resent. so CAr as vou are yoimilf concerned, a freedom which may be justified by that reord with which I am, ever, &c. (Signed) GECRGE CANNING. NO. 7.—Letter from Lord LIVERPOOL to Mr CANNING, dated hie House, May 24, 1812. My DEAR CANNING, I have this moment received your answer to my letter of last night. As that letter was not written without all due consideration, I c.o not feel that it can be necessary for me to call my colleagues again to6ether upon the subject of it. , I can answer, however, for myself (and I am confident equal- flr them), that I am not actuated, in &dining the proposal made to us. by any objection of a nature purely personal. But when I advert to the opinions and statements recently st-nt thrth to the world respecting public men with whom I have been connected, and public measures in which I have been engaged, T do not feel that I should have acted con sistently with ?sly own honour and character, or with the r. spect I must ever owe, and shall ever feel, to my departed friend, if, under such circumstances, I could hive consented to have entertained the pro posal which you were authorized to submit to me. As these consid rations afforded an insuperable obstacle to my Les coming a party to the proposed arrangements, I thought it wholly necessary to enter into any explanation on the two principles on which the Administration is star d as intended to be formed, or on other points of the greatest public importance; and I must protest against any interference whatever being drawn from my silence in this reQect. can assure you that I am most willing to render you eNery degree of justice for the motives which have dictated your answer to my letter. And I remain with sincere regard, &c. (Signed) LIVERPOOL. The next are several letters explaining the reason of the verbal differ. ence that existed in the communications of Lord Wellesley and Mr Canning, as contained in Mr. Canning's speech of last Thursday. The following are the only important pas ages : No. 14.—Paper signed by Lord WELLESLEY and Mr. Cs N INO. - A 4 ' conciliatory adjustment" of the claims of the Irish Catholic it the object which Lords Wellesley and Mr. Canning have equally a: heart : and it enters equally into both their views that to b e " Conci ia• tory" that adjustment mu , t be so framed as to embrace the interests and opinions of. the English Catholics—also to obtain the erliii:tered and deliberate consent of the Protestants of bothcoun tries They w oull think any adjustment very imperfect which, instead of e7ttlrguitiJii/ discontent, only transferred it frdin the Catholic to the Protestant. But they concur in entertaining a confident belief, that the gMt purpose of securing the peace of the Empire may be hest answered, not by giving a triumph to any one party, but by reconciling all. If Lord Wellesley's expression, o a scale of adequate vignir," may le construed to imply the proposition, that the late exertions of this COwl. try have not been proportioned to the great objects of the war, or lts, - e not been duly distributed or apportioned; this proposition Mr. Canr.!rs certainly does not intend either to affirm. or to deny; simply hecavo, not having been in the Government during the last two years, he has not sufficient information to be able to pronounce an opinion . , whet! a the exertions of those two years have, or have not, been 11...1 , ...5• the proper scale, or have been well or ill aOministered; nor how far the y n.ay now admit of being extended, or more judiciously applieil. He concurs, however, entirely with Lord Wellssley, in wishing t .) ex • tend them to the UtMOft power of the country ; and to apply 01 01 in the manner best calculated to answer their end. (Signed) WELI.ES' F.Y. GEORGE CANNING. (To be Continued.) gThe Wattling Places now itoast an assemblage of unrival l e d ele g ance. —At th'w ay season whea Bctaty sheds uzi usual lustre and attraction. our f lir reldeis 1-.-- •• embrace, the advantagett of that e7l*.emel article—Hl:3Elo"S !LW::: vfl: POW Dka, which removes superfluous hairs on the eace, ;sleek and Arius -- hilhly improves the delicac", end softness of the skin, refuot"iii4. tau, 1.0110. r, &c. Na lady therefore visltlog the country should omit using it . co;l itant:i.._ Ma) be had of the Proprietor, 93, Itus , •ell-street, Covent-garden: Dunnett. 4 1 C hel P si ' le: 'lieges oh s 114114 . 4-sttcct; aocl of all ccuntr,y Perfwnva .uul LibrAr i° ' Prim is. and Is. ,_. TIII 7 , NATIONAL RECISTER. ■