Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-12-01
Mr. Lanni,lg's Statement.

the late duel has prodnced the following
statement from Mr.. Canning:
1t is perfectly true, that SO long ago az
Easter, Mr.. Canning had represented to the
duke of Portland the insufficiency Gin his o.
pinion) of the government, as then constitute
ed, to carry on the affairs OF the country,
under all the difficulties of the times, and
had requested that, unless some change
should be effected in it, he might be permit
ted to resign his Office. 1t is equally true
that in the course of the discussion, which
arose out this representation, it was pro.
posed to Mr.. Canning, and accepted by him
as the condition of his conserving to retain
the seals of the foreign Office, thar q change
should be made in the war department.
BUTT is not true thas the time at which
thas change was ultimately proposed to be
made, was of Mr.. Canning's choice and
it is not true that ne was party or consent
ing to the concealment of that intended
change from lord Castlereash.
With respect to the concealment, Mr..
Canning, some short time previous to the
date of lord Castlereagh's letter, without the
smallest suspicion of the existence OF any
intention on the part of lord Castlereagh TO
make such an appeal to Mr.. Canning as
that letter contains, but upon information
that some misrepresentation idid exist as to
Mr.. Canning's supposed concurrence in the
reserve which had been pracllsed towards
lord Casslereagh's most intimate friends: TO
be communicated whenever he might think
proper, the copy of a letter addressed by
Mr.. Canning to the duke OF Protland, IN
the month of July, in which Mr.. Canning
requests, :" in justice to himself, that it May
be remembered, whenever hereafter this
conccalnent shall be slledged Gas ne doubts
not that it wil) egainst hin, as an act OF
injustice towards lord Castlereagh, that It
did not originate IN his gestion-thas SO
far from desiring it, lie conceived, however
erroneously, lord Camden to DC the sure
channel of communication to lord Castle
rcash; and that up to very late period he
believed such communication to have been
actually made.
The copy of this letter and OF the duke OF
portland's answer to it, " acknowledging
Mr.. Canning's repeated remonstranees a
gainst the concealment,' are still in the pos
session Of lord Castlereagh's friend.
The communication to lord Camden, to
which this letter refers, was made on the
2sth of April, with Mr. snning's acknow!-
edge, and at his particular desire. Lord
Camden being the near relation, and most
confidential friend of lord Castlereagh, It
never occurred 70 Nj. Canning, nor was i!
credible 10 him, till he received the positive
reservations OF the fact, that lord Camden
has kept back such a communication from
lord Castlereagh.
With respect to the period at which the
change in the war department was TO take
place, Mr.. Canning was induced, in the
first instance, to consent to It's postpone
nent till the rising Of parliament, partly by
the representations made to himself of the
Inconvenience of any change in the middle
of session, bat principally from a consl-
Iteration Of the particular circumstances un-
der which lord Castlereagh stood in the
house Of commons after Easter; cireun'-
Stances which would have given to his re-
noval at that period of the session, cla-
racter which i, was certainly no part OF MI.
Canning's wish that it should bear.
Mr.. Canning, however, received the
most positive promise that change IN the
war department should take place immedi-
asely upon the close Of the session. When
that time arrived, the earnest and repeated
en,reatiss Of most of lord stleceagh's
friends in the cabinet, were employed 10
prevail upon Mr.. Canning the postpone
nent Of the arrangement.
At length, and most reluctantly, he did
give MS consent to its being postponed 70
the period proposed by lord Cas1lereagh,s
friends, viz. the termination OF the expedl-
t;on then in preparation but he did so Up.