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House of Lords, June 5, 1812. We cannot but feel highly gratified by the kindness of the motive on which Lord Moira acts. Personal communication with him will always be acceptable and honourable to us but we hope he will be sensible that no advantage is likely to result from pursuing this subject by unauthorised discussions, and in a course different from the usual practice.

Motives of obvious delicacy must prevent our taking any step towards determining the Prince Regent to authorise Lord Moira to address us personally. We shall always receive with dutiful submission his Royal Highness's commands, in whatever manner, and through whatever channel, he may be pleased to signify them, and we trust we shall never be found wanting in zeal for his Royal Highness's service, and for the public interest: but we cannot venture to suggest to his Royal Highness, through any other person, our opinions on points in which his Royal Highness is not pleased to require our advice.

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tried: and he adopts their princi ple for an interview, though he doubts if the desired conclusion is likely to be so well advanced by it, as would have been the case in the mode suggested by him.

He has now the Prince Regent's instructions to take steps towards the formation of a ministry; and is authorised specially to address him. self to Lords Grey and Grenville. It is, therefore, his request to know, when and where he can wait upon them. He would wish to bring Loid Erskine with him. June 6, 1812. Eleven f.renoon.

Na. 29.

Minute of a conversation between Lord Moira and Lords Grey and Grenville, at which Lord Erskine was present.

St. James's Place,

June 6, 1812. Lord Moira stated to Lord Grey and Lord Grenville, that he was authorised by the Prince Regent, to consult with them on the formation of a new government. satisfactory explanations having taken place between them, respecting such measures as appeared to be of the greatest urgency at the present moment, more especially with reference to the situation of his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects, and the differences now unhappily subsisting with America; and that Lord Moira had received this commission without any restriction or limitation whatever be ing laid by the Prince, on their considering any points which they judged useful for his service; they expressed their satisfaction with the fairness of this proposal, and their readiness to enter into such discus

sions as must precede the details of any new arrangement. As a preliminary question, which appeared to them of great importance, they thought it necessary immediately to bring forward to prevent the inconvenience and embarrassment of the further delay which might be produced, if this negociation should break off in a more advanced state, they asked, "Whether this full liberty extended to the consideration of new appointments to those great offices of the houshold, which have been usually included in the political arrangements made on a change of administration; intimating their opinion, that it would be necessary to act on the same principle on the present occasion."

Lord Moira answered, "That the Prince had laid no restriction upon him in that respect, and had never pointed in the most distant manner at the protection of those officers from removal; that it would be impossible for him (Lord Moira) however, to concur in making the exercise of this power positive and indispensable, in the formation of the administration, because he should deem it on public grounds peculiarly objectionable.'

To this Lord Grey and Lord Grenville replied, they also acted on public grounds alone, and with no other feeling whatever than that which arose from the necessity of giving to a new government that character of efficiency and stability, and those marks of the constitutional support of the crown, which were required to enable it to act usefully for the public service; and that on these grounds it appeared to them indispensable, that

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the connection of the great offices of the court, with the political administration, should be clearly established in its first arrangements.

A decided difference of opinion as to this point having been thus expressed on both sides, the conversation ended here, with mutual declarations of regret.

Nothing was said on the subject of official arrangements, nor any persons proposed on either side to fill any particular situations.

B. and C. Two Letters (which passed between Lords Moira, and Grey) subjoined for the purpose of throwing light on the ground of part of these Transactions.

(Copy) B.

May 31st, 1812. My dear lord; a just anxiety not to leave any thing subject to misunderstanding, must excuse me if I am troublesome to you. Since I quitted you, the necessity of being precise in terms has occurred to me: and, although I think I cannot have mistaken you, I wish to know if I am accurate in what I apprehend you to have said. I understood the position, stated by you as having been what you advanced in the house of lords, to be this, "That pledges had been given to the Catholics, a departure from which rendered their present disappointment more galling; and that you said this in the hearing of persons who could contradict you if you were inaccurate." Just say whether I have taken your expression correctly or not. Believe me, &c. &c. MOIRA.

Holland

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Holland House, May 31st, 1812. My dear lord; I cannot sufficiently thank you for your kind anxiety to procure an accurate statement of the words spoken by me in the house of lords. It is difficult to remember precise expressions so long after they were spoken; but I am sure I cannot be far wrong in stating the substance of what I said, as follows:

I was speaking on the subject of the Irish Catholics, and particularly on the charge of intemperate conduct which had been made against them. I stated, that great allowances were to be made for this, considering their repeated disappointments; and I cited, as instances of these, the recal of Lord Fitzwilliam, and the union. I then said, that the most distinct and authentic pledges had been given to them, of the Prince's wish to relieve them from the disabilities of which they complained; that I spoke in the hearing of persons who would contradict me if what I said was unfounded, and who would, I was sure, support its truth if questioned; that now, when the fulfilment of these pledges was confidently expected, to see an administration continued in power, which stood on the express principle of resisting their claims, was, perhaps, the bitterest disappointment they had yet experienced; and that it was not surprising, if, under such circumstances, they felt, and acted, in a way that all well wishers to the peace of the empire must regret.

This I give as the substance, and

by no means as a correct repetition of the particular expressions used by me; and this statement I can neither retract, nor endeavour to explain away. If, in consequence of it, the Prince feels a strong personal objection to me, I can only repeat what I have already said to you, that I am perfectly ready to stand out of the way; that my friends shall have my full concurrence and approbation taking office without me, and my most cordial support in the government of the country, if their mea. sures are directed, as I am sure they must always be, by the principles on which we have acted together.

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I write this from Lord Holland's in a great hurry, and in the middle of dinner; but I was unwilling to defer, even for a minute, to answer an inquiry, which I feel to be prompted by so friendly a solicitude for me. I have not the means of taking a copy of this letter. I shall therefore be obliged to you to let me have one; and I am sure, if, upon recollection, I shall think it necessary to add any thing to what I have now said, you will allow me an opportunity of doing so. I am, with the sincerest regard, my dear lord, your's very faithfully, GREY.

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ed affliction of our beloved Sovereign thy father, thou art called to the high office of administering the regal government of this country, we, his dutiful subjects, the religious Society of Friends, are desirous of representing to thee a subject in which we believe the welfare of our country is deeply concerned.

It is now many years since war has been spreading its desolation over great part of the civilized world, and as we believe it to be an evil, from which the spirit of the Gospel of Christ would wholly deliver the nations of the earth, we humbly petition thee to use the Royal Prerogative, now placed in thy hands, to take such early measures for the putting a period to this dreadful state of devastation, as we trust the wisdom of thy councils, as they seek for Divine direction, will be enabled to disco

ver.

Impressed with a grateful sense of the religious privileges we enjoy under the present Government, we submit this highly important cause of suffering humanity, which is peculiarly near to our hearts, to thy most serious consideration; that thus thou may'st become an honoured instrument in the hand of the Almighty, in promoting his gracious designs respecting the inhabitants of the earth.

Signed in, by order, and on be-
half of the yearly Meeting of
the said People, held in Lon
don, this 29th day of the fifth
month, 1812, by

JOHN WILKINSON.
Clerk to the Meeting this year.

To which Address his Royal
Highness was pleased to return

the following most gracious an-
swer:

I am deeply sensible of the cala-
mities which necessarily attend a
state of war.

It would, therefore, be most grateful to my feelings, to observe such a change in the views and conduct of the enemy as would admit of a cessation of hostilities, consistently with a just regard to the important interests which have been committed to my charge, and which it is my indispensable duty to maintain.

I reflect with great satisfaction on the religious privileges secured to you by the wisdom and benevolence of the laws, and you may rest assured of my constant protection.

[Presented by William Allen, London; Morris Birkbeck, Guildford; Joseph Smith, London; George Stacey, Tottenham; Edward Jonson, Tottenham; Rich. Philips, London; Anthony Horne, Clapham-Common; Joseph Foster, Bromley; Luke Howard, Plaistow; John Wilkinson, High Wycomb.]

Revocation of the Orders in
Council.
At the Court at Carlton-House,

the 23d of June, 1812; present
his Royal Highness the Prince
Regent in Council.

Whereas his Royal Highness the Prince Regent was pleased to declare, in the name, and on the behalf of his Majesty, on the 21st "That if at day of April, 1812, any time hereafter the Berlin and Milan Decrees shall, by some authentic act of the French Government, publicly promulgated, be

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absolutely and unconditionally repealed, then and from thenceforth the Order in Council of the 7th of January, 1807, and the Order in Council of the 26th of April, 1809, shall, without any further order be, and the same are hereby declared from thenceforth to be, wholly and absolutely revoked."

And whereas the Chargé des Affaires of the United States of America, resident at this Court, did, on the 20th day of May last, transmit to Lord Viscount Castlereagh,-one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, a copy of a certain instrument, then for the first time communicated to this Court, purporting to be a Decree passed by the Government of France, on the 28th day of April, 1811, by which the Decrees of Berlin and Milan are declared to be definitively no longer in force, in regard to American vessels.

And whereas his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, although he cannot consider the tenour of the said instrument as satisfying the conditions set forth in the said Order of the 21st of April last, upon which the said Orders were to cease and determine; is nevertheless disposed on his part to take such measures as may tend to reestablish the intercourse between Neutral and Belligerent Nations, upon its accustomed principles; his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, is therefore pleased, by and with the advice of his Majesty's Privy Council, to or⚫der and declare, and it is hereby ordered and declared, that the Order in Council bearing date the 7th day of January, 1807, and the Order in Council bearing date the

26th day of April, 1809, be revoked, so far as may regard American vessels, and their cargoes, being American property, from the 1st day of August next.

But whereas by certain Acts of the Government of the United States of America, all British armed vessels are excluded from the harbours and waters of the said United States, the armed vestels of France being permitted to enter therein; and the commercial intercourse between Great Britain and the said United States is interdicted, the commercial intercourse between France and the said United States having been restored; his Royal Highness the Prince Regent is pleased hereby further to declare, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, that if the Government of the said United States shall not, as soon as may be, after this Order shall have been duly notified by his Majesty's Minister in America to the said Government, revoke, or cause to be revoked, the said Acts, this present Order shall in that case, after due notice signified by his Majes ty's Minister in America to the said Government, be thenceforth null and of no effect.

It is further ordered and declared, that all American vessels, and their cargoes, being American property, that shall have been captured subsequently to the 20th day of May last, for a breach of the aforesaid Orders in Council alone, and which shall not have been actually condemned before the date of this Order; and that all ships and cargoes as aforesaid, that shall henceterth be captured under the said Orders, prior to the 1st day of August next, shall not be proceeded against to

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