pressed to him my conviction, that Ireland could neither be happily settled, nor firmly united to Great Britain, without a concurrent settlement of the claims of his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects. The opinions which I declared to Mr. Pitt, at that time, respecting the substance of those claims, were precisely similar to those which I have stated in the House of Lords during the present session of parliament.

It is not necessary to enter upon any review of the transactions which passed during my absence · in India, with relation to Ireland, or to the claims of the Roman Catholics.

I arrived from India in the month of January, 1836; and after one short interview with Mr. Pitt, I assisted in performing the last sad office of following his remains to the grave.

You are aware, that long before that period of time, the " high considerations" to which you refer, had been fixed in full force; that no attempt to change those sentiments could have been made with any prospect of successs; and that the result, even of a successful proceeding in parliament, would have tended only to produce the most dreadful extremity of confusion.

You must remember, that I have always lamented (as serious national calamities, menacing the constitution of the monarchy) the reference, which has necessarily been made to the existence of those personal sentiments, and the causes which have occasioned that necessity.

With the warmest sentiments of personal veneration, attachment, and gratitude, my opinion has al

ways been, that the duty of loyalty and affection towards a British sovereign does not consist in submissive obedience, even to the honest prejudices or errors of the royal mind, but rather in respectful endeavours to remove those prejudices and errors, by free advice in council, and by temperate remonstrance in Parliament.

But the time for such endeavours had passed: and I submitted reluctantly, not to my sense of the genuine duty of a faithful counsellor towards his sovereign, but to the painful, and, by me, irreversible necessity of the case.

This is a subject of the utmost, of the most perilous delicacy:your letter has opened it :-I will pursue it no further than to assure you, that when, on the 31st of January, I declared in the House of Lords, my sentiments respecting the Roman Catholic claims, the necessity which had occasioned my silence appeared to me to have entirely ceased.

The second point of your explanatory letter refers to the management of the war in the Peninsula.

Your suggestions are necessarily indistinct, with regard to the additional means (which have occurred since my resignation), of extending our military efforts in that quarter: I think I can collect even from your hints, that although those means are extraneous, the probability of their existence might have been foreseen, as the natural result of instructions which were in progress of execution previously to my resignation.

But my objection to the system pursued in the Peninsula, at the time of my resignation, was applied to the whole frame and fabric

of

No. 1. Minute of Mr. Canning's Communication to the Earl of Liverpool, May 23d.

Fife House, May 23d, 1812. The Prince Regent having laid his commands on Lord Wellesley to form a plan of an administration, to be submitted for his Royal Highness's approbation, Mr. Canning was requested by Lord Wellesley, (as the channel of communication thought likely to be most agreeable to Lord Liverpool,) to inquire of Lord Liverpool, whether there would be a disposition on the part of Lord Liverpool, and of his colleagues, or of any of them, to entertain any proposal which should be made to them for forming part of such an adminis

tration.

The principles upon which the administration was intended to be formed, were stated to be,

1st. The taking into the early and serious consideration of the executive government the state of the laws affecting the Roman Catholics, with a sincere and earnest desire to bring that important question to a final and satisfactory settlement.

2dly. The prosecution of the war in the Peninsula, with the best means of the country.

It was stated that there would be the strongest wish to comprehend in the arrangement, without any individual or party exclusion whatever, as many as possible of such persons as might be able to agree in giving their public service to the country on these two prin ciples.

With respect to the distribution of offices, it was stated that nothing of any sort was decided, or stipulated; but that every thing would be open to be arranged to the honour and satisfaction of all parties.

No. 2. Lord Liverpool's Letter to Mr. Canning, May 23d.

Fife House, May 23d, 1812. My dear Canning, I have communicated to my colleagues the memorandum which I received from you this afternoon.

They do not think it necessary to enter into any discussion of the principles stated in that memorandum, because they all feel themselves bound, particularly after what has recently passed, to decline the proposal of becoming members of an administration to be formed by Lord Wellesley.

Believe me, &c. &c.
LIVERPOOL.

No. 3.

Lord Melville's Letter to Mr. Canning, May 23d.

Park Lane, May 23d, 1812. Dear Canning,-You will probably have received to night from Lord Liverpool, the answer to the proposal which you left with him and communicated to me this afternoon. Having stated to you my strong repugnance, or rather my decided objection, under present circumstances, to join an administration of which Lord Wellesley was to be the head, it might be sufficient for me to refer to Lord Liverpool's reply, more especially as I do not wish to enter into any detailed reasoning on a question relating to a matter of personal feeling. I think it due, bowever, to you, as well as to myself, to state distinctly, that I have no objection to act with an administration formed on the two principles mentioned in your memorandum; though I think it improbable that any consideration, which the government can give to the subject of the restrictions on the Roman Catholics, will enable it to propose such a system as will wholly satisfy their claims, and at the same time afford that degree of security to the Protestant establishment, which is generally felt to be necessary. I remain, &c.

MELVILLE.

No. 4. Minute of a Communication made by Lord Wellesley to Lords Grey and Grenville, at Lord Grey's house, May 23d.

Lord Wellesley stated that he had received the commands of his

royal highness the Prince Regent, to lay before his Royal Highness the plan of such an administration as he (Lord Wellesley) might deem adapted to the present crisis of affairs.

That he had apprised his Royal Highness of the necessity of ascertaining the views and dispositions of all parties with regard to certain general principles previously to the formation of any such plan.

That he considered himself merely as the instrument of executing his Royal Highness's commands on this occasion, and that he neither claimed nor desired for himself any station in the adıninistration which it was in his Royal Highness's contemplation to form.

Under these circumstances, he requested to know whether any obstacle existed to the concurrence of Lords Grey and Grenville, or their friends, in the following general principles, as the basis upon which an administration might be formed.

First, That the state of the laws affecting the Roman Catholics, and the claims of that body of his Majesty's subjects, should be taken into immediate consideration, with a view to a conciliatory adjustment of those claims.

Secondly, That the war in the peninsula should be prosecuted on a scale of adequate vigour.

Lord Wellesley stated, that, as Mr. Canning and he agreed in these principles, he had requested Mr. Canning to communicate them to Lord Liverpool.

Lord Wellesley has reduced the substance of this communication

to

to writing, and now submits it to Lord Grey and Lord Grenville. WELLESLEY.

No. 5.

Lord Moira's Letter to Lord Wellesley, dated May 23d, relative to No. 4.

St. James's Place, May 23d, 1812. My lord, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the minutes of the conversation which your lordship held with Lords Grey and Grenville; and I feel much indebted for the communication accompanying them.

The proposed consideration of the Catholic claims, and the adoption of a system of support to the Spaniards, such as may be really capable of producing a decisive result, are the two points of policy which I have long thought the most urgent for the benefit of the country. The question relative to the Orders in Council may be deemed as in effect settled by the evidence adduced before the two Houses: and the active correction of internal abuses must be confidently assumed as the object of such a ministry as is likely to be formed through your instrumentality. A plan of govern-ment, therefore, on the basis proposed by your lordship, would have my most cordial wishes. Allow me to say, that this is not to convey any implication of engagement to accept office. This is not mentioned from the remotest regard to the possible distribution of situations; nor does it involve objections to any individual, as there is nothing I should so much deprecate in the present

state of public affairs, as a spirit of exclusion. Indeed, the candour and delicacy manifested by your lordship in these communications, are a perfect pledge that the details of arrangements could not but be entirely satisfactory.

I have the honour, my lord, to be with high esteem, your lordship's very obedient and humble servant, MOIRA.

No. 6.

Lord Lansdowne's Letter to Lord Wellesley, dated May 23d, relative to No. 4.

Berkeley-square, Saturday night, May 23d. My lord,-I am exceedingly sorry not to have been at home when your lordship did me the honour of calling at my house this morning, and am much obliged by the trouble you have taken in sending for my consideration, a copy of the minute of the communication made by your lordship to Lord Grey and Lord Grenville.

As Lord Grey and Lord Grenville thought proper to acquaint me confidentially with that communication, as well as the minute of the answer they proposed to return to it; and as I generally concur in the sentiments they have there stated, I shall take the liberty of referring your lordship to that paper, and shall only add there is no part of it in which I more cordially coincide with them, than in the expression of the gratification they have derived from your powerful exertions in support of the claims of the Roman catholics, and from the manner in which that subject is adverted to in your minnte.

I have the honour to remain with great respect, your lordship's very faithful, and most obedient servant, LANSDOWNE.

No. 7.

Lord Holland's Letter to Lord Wellesley, dated May 23d, relative to No. 4.

My Lord, I had the honour of receiving your note and enclosure, and beg leave to return my sincere thanks for your attention in sending me so interesting and so early a communication.

Lord Grenville and Lord Grey have been so good as to talk the matter over with me confidentially, and I have the satisfaction of finding that I concur generally in their views of the subject, and indeed, know no better way of expressing my opinion, than by referring you to a memorandum which, I believe, it is their intention to deliver to you to-morrow morning.

I am, my lord, your obliged and obedient humble servant,

VASSAL HOLLAND.

Camelford House, May 23d.

No. S. Memorandum from Lords Grey and Grenville, May 24th, in reply to Lord Wellesley's minute, No. 4.

May 24th, 1812. In such a moment as the present, we feel it to be the duty of all public men, both by frank and conciliatory explanations of principle, and by the total abandonment of every personal object, to facilitate, as far as may lie in

their power, the means of giving effect to the late vote of the House of Commons, and of averting the imminent and unparalleled dangers of the country.

Lord Wellesley has selected two' among the many important subjects which must engage the attention of any men, who could, in such circumstances, be called upon to consider of the acceptance of stations in public trust. On those two points, our explanation shall be as distinct as it is in our power to make it.

On the first, indeed, our opinion is too well known, and has been too recently expressed, to nced repetition.

We have derived a very high gratification from Lord Wellesley's powerful exertions in support of the claims of the Roman Catholics, as well as from the manner in which that subject is adverted to in his minute, and we do not hesitate to assure him, that we will warmly support any proposal made by any ministers for the immediate consideration of those claims, with a view to their conciliatory adjustment; a measure without which, we have already declared that we can entertain no hope, in any case, of rendering our own services useful.

As to the second point, no person feels more strongly than we do, the advantages which would result from a successful termination of the present contest in Spain. But we are of opinion that the direction of military operations in an extensive war, and the more or less vigorous prosecution of those operations, are questions, not of principle, but of policy; to be regulated by circumstances, in their

nature