The Sun.
London, England, 1812-06-12 00:00:00

quiz Wellesley to do, when he was called up9u to
farm an Administration, but to surrender back
his 'commission to his Sovereign, or to request
his permission to transfer it over to the Nobln
Friends 'of the Right Hon. Gentleman. He was
not then contending Whether the views of Mar-
quis Wellesicy, or those of the Right Hon. Gent.
and his Friends were more correct, but stated this
merely. to show that there was a difference betvveeti
them. The View that was entertained by Marquis
Wellesley and himself upon the subject was, cer-
tainly not when such a Commission was entrusted
to a public man, that, because he May not have a
great numerical folloWing in the House of Corn-
Mons, therefore, both he and his 'Commission
.shoild merge in the superior pretensions of those
he may confer with, who may have a greater Par-
liamentary Teaming. If the Right Honourable
Gentleman would. but consult th e ' history of,. such
transactions4.2be would be satisfied that his was
not the principle upon which they were gene,-
rally conducted, that the practice founded on
his principle was not borne out by the precedents.
It was perfectly true that an Administration would
be niost strong and efficient when- formed of Mem-
bers, ainorigst whom there could be no canvass-
ing of principles, no-clashing ,-of contradictory
opinions—of men united closely by previous-con-
sent 'and
.concurrence upon all the great leading
featUres of policy and government—intimately
connected by the ties of confidential intercourse,
and the. habitual attachment to long settled prin-
Cilles-s7andlikely, from this union of private con.:
-fic:emie: an& Public .. assoCiation • to . be unani-
mous .. - .
upon. all . the . great measures of state
yolicy upon VOillell they would have to de-
cide. . But when he admitted .thiS to the Right
HorOientleman, he admitted a prineiple Which, k
ifit were to be acted
upon, would render it itn-
possible' for any change. of Administration to take
.place in this country, but such as -would include
only the Right• Hon. Gentleinan and his friends. , •
He did 'not blame the Right Hon. Gent. for enter-
taining such a view. All he meant to csay was,.
that if such a principle had been stated to Marquis
Wellesley, itsvonld not have altered his conduct,
though it would have extinguished his commission :
it would have prevented him from . entering into
details, because it would have been in effect to '
reject his Offer. Where an Administration was
to be found or formed in this country, in the
state of. parties, wherein there would be no
ground's of immediate discussion, no recollec-
lion of past differences, he was, lie would con-
fess, at a loss to knOW 'Ilion& such an Admi-
nistration, if it .cOuld be formed, Would be the
strongest,
.yet .he was of opinion, and. in this he
- concurred with Marquis Wellesley, that an Admi-
nistration of . considerable strength might be
formed of public men, who, though they might
pefhapf differ 'upon questions of comparatively
minor interest, should yet agree upon subjectsand measures of vital importance,as connected
with the external and internal policy of the Em-
.pire.;. In taking this view of , the ,case, there-
fore, his, -Noble Eriend
.had. selectea the two
greet and ;prominent questkons which, appeared
most essentially affecting the highest, interests of
the State,.-• 'Undoubtedly,
,there were many other
points of .doubtfOl policy, upon Which a difference
of opinion :alight prevail, whiCh difference, how-
ever, might in
.discussion be accommodated by
mutual concession, if not by amicable and effec- -
',toad persuasion on either side. Why even the
question of the Orders in Council, which had
been adverted to by the Right Honourable.
Gentleman, was one of this description—in
volving much important matter for consideration,
and creating strong if not fundamental ditfe
recces. When they came to consider that topic
they foresaw' there would be Much difficulty in
adjusting it; the difficulty in all its discoura,gements
they .did not disguise from themselveS,
,hut they did
not despair that by candid and liberaldiseus.don
it might-be surmounted. If, therefOre, it should
be necessary that there shoUld be a previous con-
sent upon all points of public policy and principle,
it would he, absolutely impossible to form any Ad-
ministration. The best practical mode then was,
to endeavour to obtain a concurrence upon some
~ t , it .
great principles, a could not be had upon all
points previous to the formation of an extended
Administration.. it. was under this impression that
Maliptis Wellesley and himself had fixed upon
the two propositions ' quoted, as the • basis of
..the new Government ; the one presenting the
great leading feature 'of ' internal policy—the
other laying ,down the principle of the. whole
system of external policy of the • empire. ' it
,was unnecessary for him to repeat, that the basis
contained in these propositions embraced coneni-
- aim' to the Catholics, and an effective, prosecu-
tion of the war in the Peninsula.-•-a basis upon
which it Was confidently hoped that the super-
.structure of a:strong united Administration might
be4ormed. Though these were the main points
to be previottdOettled, there were others, the
differences upon which, as of minor 'importance,
. might afterwardS be adjusted. The question
with respect to America, he would not deny,
was one which would be very fairly open to
discussion. There had been a considerable variance
of circumstances since the Orders in Conficil had
been first enforced,which might require a deliberate
revision ()Vie policy Upon which they were found-
ed ; and without venturing to state the- opinion,
which upon such revision he may entertain upon
the solnect, he had no hesitation to state, that he
was then perfectly .ready to enter into a serious
and dispassionate consideration of . that whole
question. : But he felt it necessary here to guard
himself by adding, that if it. had been meant
to depart from the principles of the policy
on which the Orders in • Council. were ori-
ginally issued, or to abandon the assertion of
any part of the great maritime rights of the coup-'
try, that would have amounted to a difference which
Would be vital to the negociation. With respect to
the basis which-had been suggested, he was most
ready to admit, that the proposition had been me:
by the Noble Lords to whom it had been addres:,-e I
in, a fair, candid, manly, and consistent manner. .
The objection they took to the second proposition,
he admitted; was pit, as it was not, to be denied,
that it involved a question of policy rather than of
principle,„ But the Right Hon. Gentleman must at
the same time admit, that all that was kskea of
them in agreeing to the basis, was to recogn se ge-
- nera.lythe principle of continuing the coute t in-