Memoirs of the Court of George IV. 1820-1830 Part 29

The biographer of Lord Eldon implies that this accession of strength was regarded with much dissatisfaction by a certain portion of the Government, of which the Lord Chancellor may be considered the representative, and acknowledges they were of opinion that the honours and advantages conferred on the new recruits would have been better bestowed on themselves. An extract of a letter, dated January 14th, from the learned Lord to Lady F. J. Bankes, supports his views: "This coalition," he writes, "I think will have consequences very different from those expected by the members of Administration who have brought it about. I hate coalitions."[77] The Lord Chancellor was in truth very much put out of temper by an arrangement in which he had not been consulted, and revenged himself by circulating all the jokes (harmless enough) he could hear or invent, at the expense of his new colleagues.

[77] Twiss's "Life of Lord Eldon," vol. ii. p. 61.

There is no doubt that this junction firmly established the Government in their position. If only a moiety of the rumours that had long been circulated affecting their stability was true, they were in an unenviable state. The King's dissatisfaction had been confidently reported, and changes threatened of a very sweeping character; but, though his Majesty had no doubt been greatly irritated by the result of the Queen's trial, the unexpected removal of the cause of irritation, and the agreeable impression created by his Irish and German tours, caused a sensible reaction in favour of his long-tried servants, and he only permitted the removal of one--replaced by a younger and more active statesman, who had already acquired high political eminence. How these changes affected the parties most interested in them, will be found fully detailed in their correspondence.

MR. W. H. FREMANTLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.

Bagshot Park, Jan. 11, 1822.

MY DEAR LORD,

Most sincerely and truly do I congratulate you on your creation, which, thank G.o.d, closes an event so many years looked for, and anxiously desired by your good father and yourself; I did not flatter myself with the hopes of living to see it take place, and more so, from the honour conferred upon you two years ago. The addition of the entail of the Earldom in the female line, is a mark of most singular and partial favour altogether. It is as much as any subject of the empire could acquire, and bestowed on one whose family and himself have been unconnected with the Government, and generally opposing it for the last fifteen years. We have been here for three or four days, and leave it to-morrow. The Duke was quite flattered and pleased with your letter. From all I learn, I am inclined to believe the Opposition are very low, and do not flatter themselves with a great stand this session. The revenue is a great aid to us. I have not heard a word since from Lord Liverpool, but take it for granted (which I shall lament) that he will not be able to succeed in vacating the Treasury; I am rather of opinion that he would wish it if he well could.

Most faithfully yours,

W. H. FREMANTLE.

MR. CHARLES W. WYNN TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.

Tuesday.

MY DEAR B----,

In consequence of Lord Liverpool's summons, desiring me to be in town two or three days before the 16th, and that he would meet me there any day I would appoint, I announced to him that I would come up Sunday evening, and call upon him any hour that he would fix on Monday. On my arrival on Sunday night I found an answer to this, stating, without one word of excuse or apology, that he was going down to Combe Wood, but would return on Tuesday and receive me at twelve o'clock on that day. This certainly is anything but civil, but I suppose it is the nature of the animal. I have been with him this morning, and he told me that there would be a Council on Thursday at Carlton House for the purpose of swearing me a Privy Councillor, and that he thought it would be as well that you should take the same opportunity of kissing hands for your Dukedom. Most heartily do I congratulate you upon its completion.

I find that both Sturges Bourne[78] and Lord Binning[79] have desired to retire from the India Board; both, however, expressing their strong wish to support the Government, and that their retreat may be considered as unconnected with Canning's.

Their successors are not yet fixed upon. It is proposed to Charles Grant to be one, which I am told he has not yet positively declined, but I can hardly believe that he will accept anything so much lower in the scale of office than what he has previously held.

This is unlucky, as it will so much delay my own appointment and the commencement of my salary, which begins to be an object. I also find the finances of this Board in such a state of embarra.s.sment that there is a debt of 2000_l._, and the charges next year likely to exceed the income 1600_l._ a-year, to meet which, a deduction of five per cent. on all our salaries is talked of as the only resource.

Lord Liverpool professes readiness to appoint Phillimore to a seat at one of the Boards, but not to be held with his profession, which is a mere contrivance to negative it.

[78] Right Hon. William Sturges Bourne, Secretary of State in 1827.

[79] Son of the Earl of Haddington. In 1833, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

THE RIGHT HON. CHARLES W. WYNN TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

St. James's Square, Jan. 17, 1822.

MY DEAR DUKE,

I have not yet seen Sir Scrope, but I understood yesterday from Hobhouse that your patents were all in progress, and that it was determined that you should have a new Earldom of Temple, remainder to your own male issue, remainder to the male issue of Hester, Countess Temple, the original grantee, remainder to your granddaughter and her heirs male. I am going to-day to be sworn in and to kiss hands, and shall previously see Lord Liverpool, whom I find very impracticable about Phillimore.

The difficulty about my office is, that the payment by the India Company being limited to 26,000_l._ a-year by Act of Parliament, Canning introduced a new scale of salary for the clerks, increasing according to the number of years' service, so much faster than seniors have dropped off, that there would in the coming year be an excess of 1600_l._, besides the past debt of 2000_l._ already contracted to the tradesmen. This Courtenay proposes to meet by a general deduction of five per cent. from every salary in the office, of which I cannot approve, unless some such system should pervade the public service. It appears to me that the fitter course is to pay the debt out of Bathurst's lapsed salary of last year and to oblige the clerks to revert to a fixed scale of salaries.

I dined yesterday at the General's and met Lord Bathurst, who as I see most plainly, is very hostile and bitter against Lord Wellesley, quizzing his speeches, &c. &c. All seems to be going on well, but I am sorry to find that Joy is likely to be Solicitor-General.

Goulburn has written to Grant that their only difference is upon a legislative measure, and that he has no inclination at all to depart from his official and executive system. The regular and constant manner of doing business is very much _p.r.o.nee_ by the Orange party, contrasted with the indecision and idleness of Grant, though they allow that abstinence from wine is a new and dangerous feature in an Irish Secretary.

I fear that the country gentlemen will make a desperate effort to diminish the taxation, and that the friends of the Government are disposed to take the front of the battle.

There are considerable apprehensions in Ireland of distress from the utter failure of the potatoes, which are all rotten, and of the turves which they were prevented by the wet from cutting.

As I was stepping into the carriage to go to Court, Sir Scrope put into my hand the copy of your letter, and I could only desire him to call to-morrow at eleven. Fremantle and I were duly sworn in, and I kissed hands as President of the Board. The K---- looked glum and out of humour, but as there was no opportunity for him to speak to us, we could not ascertain whether it belonged to us individually, or from a previous long Recorder's report, which I believe always makes him nervous and uncomfortable. Lord Liverpool seemed much more coming about Fremantle, but I fear there is little hope of my Board being completed so that the Commission shall issue before Wednesday next.

Ever yours affectionately,

C. W. W.

THE RIGHT HON. CHARLES W. WYNN TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

London, Jan. 23, 1822.

MY DEAR DUKE,

I have this morning seen Lord Liverpool, and received from him the offer of a seat at the India Board for Phillimore, which will be thankfully accepted. It is rather odd that they do not place him at the Admiralty, since they have an opportunity for it. Berkeley Paget accepts a place at the Audit Board, Fremantle will go to the Treasury, and Sir George Clerk come to the India Board from the Admiralty, where he is to be succeeded by Douglas (brother to Lord Queensberry). If B. Paget declines the Audit Office, Fremantle will come to the India Board, and Sir G. Clerk remain at the Admiralty.

As yet we have had little talk of business. The general plan of business for the session will be opened to us the day after to-morrow, at Lord Liverpool's, where we all dine for that purpose.

He concurred with me generally upon the principles you suggest, of, in the first instance, bringing forward as our own measure all that we think we could with any degree of propriety concede, instead of waiting till it is wrung from us. Upon corn I really think that the eyes of the public are beginning to open, and that a large proportion of the House of Commons will be ready to resist any proposition for again tampering with its price, notwithstanding the nonsense of Mr. Webb Hall and his pet.i.tioners.

I find by the accounts from Paris there is rather more hope of co-operation between the Right and Centre parties than had at first appeared, but there are many symptoms of restlessness and cabal among the military, particularly the non-commissioned officers.

My uncles are extremely alarmed at the threat of a question being brought forward on Henry's appointment to Switzerland, which, it is contended, ought to be left only to the care of a _charge d'affaires_. At any other period than the present I should think nothing of it, and even now I do not think it can produce much effect, since Stratford Canning held the same appointment in 1820, or till the end of 1819, and as the difference between the expense of an envoy and _charge d'affaires_ to the public is only 2400_l._, one-half of which is covered by the cessation of Henry's pension.

Lord Liverpool told me that your Dukedom had produced many very urgent applications--Lord Hertford, &c., and Lord Waterford for an Irish Dukedom.

LORD GRENVILLE TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

Dropmore, Jan. 20, 1822.

I most heartily congratulate you on the attainment of an object which you had so much at heart. The additional provision respecting the Earldom is certainly a very considerable fresh mark of favour, but I hope a very unnecessary one. My newspapers have missed me for these two last days, but I conclude I am not premature in directing this to you by your new t.i.tle.

Plunket's appointment has actually been recommended from Ireland.

Wellesley had indeed told me, when he was here, that he had full powers to carry that arrangement into effect, and in all contingencies; and he certainly has not taken much time to do so.

Saurin refuses both the Chief Justices.h.i.+p and the Irish Peerage, both which were offered to sweeten the pill. It is said--but I know not how to credit it--that although this thing had been directed from England ever since last spring, the first intimation which Saurin ever had of it was subsequent to Wellesley's arrival.

Tho only uneasiness I now feel is lest the Irish Chancellor should feel his consequence so much superseded by this event, as to induce him to look to his retreat, which would of necessity remove Plunket from the station where his services are most wanted, to one of higher dignity but less ability.

I feel the greatest anxiety about poor Hodson. It was not till this morning that I heard of his danger. Few things ever gratified me more than his appointment, and I had looked forward with infinite delight to the hope that you might be, as I am sure you wished to be, of much further use to him.

Ever most affectionately yours,