Part 47 (1/2)
MY DEAR B----,
Canning not having come up to town, I have not been able to speak to him on the subject of your letter, but after communicating with Lord Liverpool, I can, I believe, say with certainty, that though of course no part of the King's speech has yet been framed or considered, you may depend upon its containing such a recommendation of relief from taxation as will satisfy the principle upon which Lord C---- wishes for information.
I have much pleasure in telling you that a change will, I trust, take place by the retirement of Bragge Bathurst, which will enable us to take the field with better auspices at the meeting of Parliament.
It is proposed that Vansittart shall succeed to the Chancellors.h.i.+p of the Duchy, with a _Peerage_; Robinson to the Exchequer; Huskisson, Board of Trade and Treasurer of the Navy, without Cabinet; Arbuthnot, Woods and Forests; Herries, Secretary to the Treasury. As yet, this is completely a secret even to the Cabinet, but as the King has approved it, it probably cannot long so continue. One consequence I apprehend will be, that Peel and I must stand the pelting of the first fortnight of the Session by ourselves, which probably your kindness will admit as an additional reason for my wis.h.i.+ng C---- to listen favourably to Canning's request.
I really do not think that there is the least ground for your supposition of intentional neglect on the part of Government towards you. Nothing which I have seen looks at all like it. It is possible that you may think that you ought to have been written to oftener, but it has naturally been supposed, that as I was in constant communication with you, it was not necessary for anybody else.
I have to-day heard from Dublin that the Grand Jury has thrown out Bills preferred against the rioters for a misdemeanour, very much in consequence of the feeling originally excited by the first design of proceeding against them capitally for a conspiracy to a.s.sa.s.sinate. Plunket has, I understand, immediately declared that he would file an _ex officio_ information against them. Whether this is wise or not depends, I think, wholly on the nature of his evidence; if he can produce sufficient to warrant a conviction it will be quite right, and expose the Orange spirit of Dublin; but if it is deficient, it will have a most mischievous effect to subject them to such a proceeding, after the Grand Jury has thrown out the Bill.
I am very sorry that you differ with me about Henry, but it really seems to me that after Canning has intimated this opinion in favour of the reduction of the mission, he has only the choice of leaving it or of carrying into execution his original offer of taking it with his own rank, but a reduced salary. In the event of a repet.i.tion of last year's attack, it would be no trifling change if the Secretary of State were in his heart against us, and if, perhaps, his intimates knew that he had proposed an arrangement for averting it. I will also fairly state that, after thwarting Canning's favourite plans for Huskisson, I am the more anxious not to interpose unnecessary difficulty in the way of this.
I have to-day heard from Lord Hastings, that he awaits his successor in India. The last _Guardian_ is not quite as good as that of the preceding week, but the letter to Lethbridge is excellent, and the general tone and conduct quite right.
Ever affectionately yours,
C. W. W.
THE RIGHT HON. CHARLES W. WYNN TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.
Audley End, Jan. 14, 1823.
MY DEAR B----,
The mission of Lord F. Somerset[103] is not of a nature to give any jealousy to A'Court, being rather despatched by the Duke of Wellington to Alava, and some of his old friends in the Spanish army, than by Canning to the King of Spain; besides, he having been at Verona, can more correctly state to them the means by which they may enable us to avert the war with which they are menaced.
Henry accepts Stuttgart, though extremely reluctantly. You have never made any observation on the changes which I announced to you before I left town, and which I thought would please you. An attempt was made to persuade me to take Robinson's succession, but I really was exactly of Mr. Huskisson's opinion, and thought 2000_l._, or rather 1800_l._ a-year, worth more than a house, coal and candles; besides which, I did not like the idea of a second time undertaking a new department of the business, of which I knew nothing, just at the outset of the Session.
I think Old Nick ought to be Viscount Van, for alliteration sake. I believe he trusts still to his own loins to perpetuate the peerage, and applies for no remainder. With this exception, I think the arrangement as far as it goes good. Indeed, I do not know why Arbuthnot should have the Woods and Forests, but that the diplomatic pension list is full. I wish Lus.h.i.+ngton would retire also, for I believe he does his work ill. I suppose you have had a due announcement of the marriage of M. F----. Poor man, with such a simpleton of a wife, and such a collection of radical brethren-in-law, I think he has a good thing of it. Lord Braybrooke has been ill, and was last week very largely bled; he is now better, but has not yet quite recovered.
Lord Liverpool positively a.s.serts that he has neither directly nor indirectly pensioned Cobbett. I really think the Duke of Wellington not a little indebted to him for forcing the Whigs to declare county meetings a farce.
Ever affectionately yours,
C. W. W.
[103] The late Lord Raglan.
East India Office, Wednesday.
Reginald Heber has, after much hesitation, to-day accepted the Bishopric of Calcutta; I grieve at losing him, but believe that the appointment will be most extensively beneficial. Our Brighton detachment reports the K---- to have been in excellent humour and spirits, and the general health good, but so lame as to occasion considerable doubt whether he may recover the use of his feet, which are much contracted.
THE RIGHT HON. CHARLES W. WYNN TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.
East India Office, Jan. 20, 1823.