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 makes me respOnsible
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:ninnnicated 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 partieulars 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 of the 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 qualities 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 repeatedto 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 Bortladd mostenziously deprecated •
thereupon his Majesty's, &Acton§ commands to retain. my resignation., as leading, hi his apprehension, to
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 olaceeet the terminationstated 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 Department, retirement) 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. ngenient was not the 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 Scheldt. • . 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 calculated; ings of individuals ;• and that, so far from finding
to remedy all the difficulties 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 express cone
were, I was determined not to remain-in office:" 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, and I confess against n-a
thorised to carry into effect ; and stated, that he 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 Wellesley
land, either the next day, or the day following it, that was arrived.
'to this plan Lord Castlereagh 'certainly could not be SEPT. 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 settled, should
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..at7 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 Setiternberrl•declkned attending the Celina ;
Wednesday, the 28th' of June, f liactan andience.:of istating. 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 (but
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, thato 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 first 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 earnestly upon, WAS LO be immediately carried into effect, alai

•

I

i
1

•• to be co-am: imitated to Lord Castlereagh by your
' I,irhip ;
Ttiat, on the 27th of June, no step appearing to
e been taken, either to execute the intended ar-
;gement, or to apprise Lord Castlereagh of it, I
nottstrated against the delay, and againa the con-
ilmeat flirt Lord Castlereagh ; and that, on the
th, I again tendered my resignation ; and that on ,
• • same day your Lord,hip seceived an injunction
.;orimtunicate the intended arrangement to Lord
astlereagh.
That, on the sth of July, a new plan was stated
me to be in contemplation ; a planoriginating with
.ar Lordarip, and depending for its execution upon
step to be taken by yourself ; that this plan Was, on
to I.lth. ermoun•:..ed to MC as settled, and as intended,
be vabeOrtted for that which had been first pro.
That I at that time renewed my remonstrances in
the strongest manner, both against the delay and
against the concealment ; but that it was stated to me
tea he an iudis.pensible condition of this plan on your
Lordship's pa-t, that it was not to be acted upon till
the rerrainatimo of the expedition to the Scheldt,
aiid that the time of making the communication to
Lod C.,•tlereagh should be left to your Lordship's
discretion ;
That at Icrigth, in cnmpliance with the representa-
tions and entreaties of the Duke of Portland, and of
ethers, Lord Castlereagh's friends, and upon the most
Adenan assurances that Lord Castlereagh should in
tho mean time he prepared by his Mends for the
change, and that the change should positively take
place at the period fixed by your Lordship, I con-
sented to remain in office. •
That on Wednesday, the.fith of September, find-
ing that nothing had been done towards preparing
Lord Castlereagh for the arrangement, and that the I
execution of it would be attended with difficulties of
which I had not before been apprised, I desired
the Duke of Portland to lay my resignation before
the King.
Your Lordship will therefore perceive,
That up to the Sth of June so far from being in pos-
session cf any " promise for Lord Castlereagh's re-
moval," and from his continuance in office being
made thereby " dependant upon my pleasure ;" no
decision whatever had, to my knowledge, been taken,
up to that time ; no proposal had been made to me
by .the Duke of Portland, in any way affecting Lord
Castlereagh's political situation ; and no intimation
had be tr given to me, whetlin my own resignation
would be finally accepted or declined ;
That the arrangt'.rnent which was in contemplation
front the Sth June to the sth July, in no degree affec-
ted, and was rifwei intended to affect,
." the conduct'
of the especliion to the Scheldt ;"
That Lord Castlereagh's ‘. removal from the War
Department was first determined upon as part of
the plan of which your Lordship's resignation was
the basis ;"
That hs " removal from the Administration" was
not at any time demanded by me,
And, lastly, that I did employ the tender of my
own resignation, not to enforce decision only (as Lord
Castlereagh's letter supposes), but equally to enforce
disclosure ; and that in fact I did ultimately resign,
rather than enforce the intended change, under cir-
cumstances so different front those which I had been
authorized to expect.
It cannot be expected that I should labour very
anxionily to relate the charge of my having sup-
pose d' your Lordship and others ' to be Lord
Caslereagles friends ;' and having under that im-
prcs.sion deferred to your opinion and authority, in
a matter affecting Lord Castlereagh's interests and
feelings.
That your Lordship in particular, as well from near
connexion as from an active and anxious partiality,
was entitled to consultation and to deference on such
an occasion, is a persuasion which I felt in common,
as I believe, with every Member of the Government ;
and which not even Lord Castlereagh's disclaimer has
induced me to renounce.

I should not have been surprised, nor should I have
thought myself entitled to take the smallest offence,
it your Lordship had„ instead of concurring in the ex-
pediency of a change in Lord Castlereagh's depart-
snent,protested against it, and had recommended to
the Duke of Portland to advise the King to accept
my resignation : and it was perfectly known by the
Duke of Poriland, and I am confident not unknown
by your Lordship, • that at any moment from the
beginning of these discussions to the end, I was
not only ready, but desirous toterminate them by re-
ih
ai
u when the opinion of the expediency of a change
in the War department had been adopted by so many
of the immediate friends of Lcrd Castlereagh, upon
the condition that it should be reconciled to Lord
Castlereagh's feelings ; and when they, and your
.Lordship among the first, had devised and concerted
with the King's First Minister the moJle of carrying
that object into execution, I cannot help thinkingthat
I should have been much and justly blamed if I had
insisted upon taking the communication to Lord Cm-,
tlereagh out of your hands into my own.
1 now come to your Lordship's statement. That

statement is as follows:
" As it may he inferred, from a statement which has appeared
oil the public Papers, that Lord Camden withheld from Lord
Castlereagh a communication which he had been desired to make
to Lim, it ispecescary that it should be understood, that however
Mr. Canning might have conceived the communication alluded to
to have been made to Lord Camden, it was never stated to Lord
6.:znten, that the communication was made at the desire of Mr.
Canning; and, so far from Lord Camden having been autho-
rized to make the communication to Lord Castlereagh, he was,
absolutely restricted from so doing.
" As it slay also be inferred that I.ord Camden was expected
to prepare Lord Castlereagh's mind for any proposed change,
it is necessary that it should be understood, that Lord Camden
sever engaged to communicate to Lord Castlereagh any eircom-
*tante% re.Tecting it, before the termination of the Expedition."--
STAY , OC C. 10.
This statement appears to me to have been much
:misunderstood. It has been construed as if your
I_,ordship had meant to aver, that what you were
restricted from doily, and what you had not engag-
b,
c,' to do, were one and the same thing; whereas your
statement, in point of fact, contains two
• • 1 ositions, and refers to two separate pa-

to your 'Lordship, to the time at which the proposed
arrangement for thenewdistribution oldie business of
the War Department was superseded by your Lord-
ship's tender of your resignation.
The period during which your Lordship states
yourself not to have engaged' to make a communi-
cation to Lord Castlereagh, extends from the time of
the tender of your Lordship's resignation to the ter-
mination of the Expedition to the Scheldt.
It ought, however, to be observed, that during the
first of these two periods—from the 28th of April to
the 12th of July,—the nature of the communication
to be made to Lord Castlereagh, and the nature of
the restriction imposed upon your Lordship, were en-
tirely changed.
Previously to the Bth of June—the communication
which your Lordship would have had to make to
Lord Castlereagh, was simply that I had represented
the expediency of a change either in his department
or in mine ; and that no decision whatever had yet
been taken upon this representation.
With respect to this communication, it does appear
that the restriction upon your Lordship was absolute
and indefinite.—But I knew nothing of its existence.
Sukeriently to the Bth of June, the communication
to be made to Lord Castlereagh was, that an an ange-
meat was in contemplation for a new distribution of
the business of the War Department.
With respect to this communication, not only was
the restriction upon your Lordship not indefinitely.con-
tinued ; but your Lordship actually received on the
28th of June an injunction to male this communication to
Lord Castlereagh at a period distinctly specified,
viz.—the sailing of the Expedition. And this in-
junction was only superseded by. voluntary act of
your Lordship's—your tender of your own resigna-
tion on the 12th of July, as the basis of another ar-
rangement.
During the whole of the period, from the 28th of
April to the 12th of July, the concealment practised
towards Lord Castlereagh was tither without my
knowledge and contrary7to my belief, or it was against
my ex .nest remonstrances.
It was without my knowledge and contrary to my
belief, up to the week in which Parliament rose ; and
from that time forth it was against my earnest remon-
stances.
Even when I learnt, in June, that the communica-
tion had not been made by your Lordship to Lord
Castlereagh, I did not learn that you had been pre-
vented from making it by any absolute restriction.
It was not till the month of Ally, in the ccurse of
the discussions which toot place from the 13th to the
20th of that month, respecting the proposal for post-
poning the new arrangement to be founded on your
Lordship's resignation, and for leaving to your Lord-
ship's discretion the time of disclosure to Lord Cas-
tlereagh, that I learnt that the silence which you had.
hitherto observed towards him, had been imposed
upon your Lordship by the injunction of the Duke of
Pritl:md. I did not ti;l then know with whom the
concealment hitherto practised had originated ; I
frankly own that I thought it had originated with
your Lordship ; I was anxious above all things that
it should not be ever suspected that it had originated
with me ; or that I had been a consenting party to
it, or even (till a late period) conscious of its exist-
ence.
In my correspondence with the Duke of Portland
at this period, therefore, at the same time that I re-
sisted the new delay then proposed, I disclaimed any
concurrence in the concealment which had been hi-
therto practised—and requested " that it might be
remembered hereafter, whenever that concealment
should be alleged against me, as an act of injustice to
Lord Castlereagh, that it did not originate in my sug-
gestions, that so faiO from desiring it, I had conceived
(however erroneously). your Lordship to be the sure
channel of communication to Lord Castlereagh ; and
that up to a very late period I had believed such com-
munication to have been actually made."
The Duke of Portland, in answer, acknowledged
my repeated remonstrances against the concealment;
stating himself at the same time not to have been
aware that I had at any time believed the communi-
cation to have been actually made.; but assuring me
" that he should be' at all times ready to avow that
the concealment had originated with himself, (the
Duke of Portland) ; that he had injoined it to all those
with whom he had communicated—from motives
which he was at all times ready. to justify ; aad that
he was desirous of taking whatever blame might have
been, or might at any time be, incurred by it, upon
, himself."

This, as I have said, was my first knowledge of
any restriction whatever upon your Lordship's com-
munication to Lord Castlereagh.
If J am asked why I believed your Lordship to
have actually made the communication, I answer, be-
cause it was natural that yOu should make it ; because
the expectation of your making it was the motive
which induced me to desire (and. 4 did desire) that
the communication should be made to your Lord-
ship ;—because the manner in which you first re-
ceived that communication (as reported to me by the.
Duke of Portland) tended to confirm the belief that
your Lordship was the fit channel of communication
to Lord Castlereagh ;—and because I knew not of
the existence of any impediment to your pursuing
what appeared to me (and does still appear to me) the
natural and obvious course to be pursued upon such
an occasi•on.
If it be objected, that I ought not to have been
contented with presuming the disclosure to have been
made, but ought to have diligently ascertained that
it was so ;—first, 1 answer—that no person naturally
sets about ascertaining that of which he entertains no
doubt ;—and, secondly, I answer—that the moment
that my suspicion of the fact was excited, I did set
about ascertaining the truth ; and that upon ascer-
taining it, I did remonstrate in the strongest manner
against the concealment ; and enforced that remon-
strance by the tender of my own resignation.
It was on the '26th or '27th of June (five or six days
after Parliament) that I discovered my suspicion to be
founded. On the 27th I remonstrated. On the 28th
I tendered my resignation. And in the course of the
same day your Lordship (as I have already stated)
received an injunction to make the communication as
soon as the Expedition should have sailed.
•
during whicn your Lordship states I The second of the two periods to which{ your Lord-
-- I abs( !iitely restricted' from
' from ship's Statement refers, begins from the Ith of Jul;,,
• the day of the tender of your Lordship's resignation.
to Lord Castlerea, ex- It does not appear, nor does your Lordship's state-
- i rii, ~Ti 171lic!: yt -e first ment aver, that at any time kli7ing this second period
. . 1-!,/ . • ,nd the restriction which b., • imposed upon

-.
•

your Le p was renewed ; or that any other exist-
ed exceps.4hat which your Lordship had imposed,p-
on ycruisdf, and which was- dierefore no loner bind-
ing upon yoar Lordship than while yon might your-
self be willing that it should bind you.
Of the eitent to which this sq.-imposed restriction
appears to have gone, I had not any suspicion. I
knew indeed that your Lordship had stipulated to
keep the time of the disclosure to Lord Castleieagh
in your own hands : but subsequently to my being
made acquainted with that stipulation, I had received
the assurances, which I have already described, on
behalf of " Lord Cistlereagh's friends"; and had re-
lied upon those assurances.
It was not till the 6th of September that I learnt
that those assurances had-not been carried into effect.
It was not tillsthe 19th of September that I learnt that
your Lordship had been no party to them. Then
indeed I learnt that your Lordship had not only
" not engaged" to make the communication previously
to the a issue of the Expedition being known here"
—but that in July you had " stated to one of our Col-
leagues," (not the Duke of Portland)— 64 who was
urging an earlier communication," that the 44 time of
" communication, so far as you were concerned, was
" for you to decide; but that no one had a right to
" say you did not perform that part in the transaction
in which you were concerned, if you did not open your
" filis to Lord Castlereagh before the issue of the Extedi.
" lion was known here."

This information I received from your Lordship,
in a letter dated the 19th of September. It was then
perfectly new to me.
I leave your Lordship to judge what must have
been my surprise, when, atter receiving from your
Lordship, on the evening of the 19th of September,
this frank avowal of the real origin of the conceal.
ment maintained during this latter and most im-
portant period, towards Lord Castlereagh,' I received
on the following morning Lord Castlereagh's letter
of the same date, making me responsible lcir that con-
cealment. I have not to trouble your Lordship with
any farther observations. I have confined myself to
matters growing out of Lord Castlereagh's letter, and
out of your Lordship's Statement : on those alone
have 1 any right to claim your Lordship's attention.
To this Address to your Lordship I have been
compelled to resort, however reluctantly, to vindicate
my rivate honcur. As to any charges against my
public conduct—this is not the mode to reply to them.
If any such shall be brought against me, at the pro..
per time and in the proper place I shall be prepared
to n:zet and to repel them. -
I have the honour to be, with great respect,
My Lord,
Your Lordship's most obedient humble Servant,
GEORGF. CANNING.