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 jilr; 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 Catmingt 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 be " 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 they
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 0101
in the manner best calculated to answer their end.
(Signed) WELI.ES' F.Y.
GEORGE CANNING.

(To be Continued.)

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