ページの画像
PDF
ePub

even to the consideration of the causes of their complaints. But is it possible to expect effectual change in the temper of the Roman Catholic body, while you refuse even to inquire into the nature of their grievances?

The repeated rejection of their claim, without any other deliberation than that which has arisen on the mere question of taking the petition into consideration, is not a course of proceeding calculated to mitigate the severity of disappointment.

Reason and moderation must appear in our consideration of their prayer, if we hope to infuse those qualities into their proceedings.

You require, also, a change in the circumstances of Europe.-Ig norant of the events which may have furnished any hope of such a change, since I had the honour of a share in his Royal Highness's councils, I must consider the determination to delay this interesting question, until Europe shall have assumed a new aspect, as a virtual negative upon the substance of the claim; and I feel this point with a greater degree of pain, because I am convinced, that the continuance of Ireland in her present condition, must protract, if not perpetuate, the present unhappy condition of Europe.

But, until these preliminaries shall have been established, you declare, that it will be your duty to resist parliamentary inquiry, which, in your judgment, could be productive of no other effect, than to alarm the Protestants, and to delude the Roman Catholics." At the same time, you offer no hope, that the means of relief will be opened by any other authority.

I cannot understand through what channel of reason, or passion, the Protestants should be alarmed, or the Catholics deluded, by a full and fair consideration of the state of the laws affecting the latter body. Indeed, I cannot conceive any proceeding so likely to remove alarm, and prevent delusion, as that which appears to you likely to create both.

On the other hand, I apprehend much more danger, both of alarm and of delusion, from any system of measures to be founded on the general and indistinct terms, in which you state, that "circumstances may arise, in which some alteration in the laws would be advisable."

You refer to considerations of a "very high importance," which, until a very late period of time, have precluded the executive government and parliament from entertaining this measure; and you suggest, that in the opinion of some persons, these considerations have not lost their weight.

I presume, that you refer to the sentiments of the most exalted and venerable authority in these realms, on the claims of his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects.

As your letter seems to bear some reference to the course of my conduct in parliament, and in his Majesty's councils on this subject, I avail myself of this opportunity to explain the motives, both of my former silence, and of the recent declaration of my sentiments.

At the remote period of the year 1797, upon the eve of my departure for India, I stated to the late Mr. Pitt my solicitude, that he should direct his attention to the settlement of Ireland; and I ex

pressed

pressed to him my conviction, that İreland 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, 1806; and after one short interview with Mr. Pitt, I assisted in performing the last sad office of following his remains to the grave.

66

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 success; 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 na❤ tional 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

[blocks in formation]

Fife House, May 23rd, 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 administration.

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 principles.

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 23rd.

Fife House, May 23rd, 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 23rd.

Park Lane, May 23rd, 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, how ever, 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 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.-1 remain, &c.

No. 4.

the

MELVILLE.

Minute of a Communication made by Lord Wellesley to Lords Grey and Grenville, at Lord Grey's house, May 23rd.

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 administration which it was in his Royal Highness's contemplation to form.

any

Under these circumstances, he requested to know whether 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 23rd, relative to No. 4.

St. James's Place, May 23rd, 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 government, 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 dis tribution 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 23rd, relative to No. 4.

Berkeley-square, Saturday night, May 23rd.

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 minute.

« 前へ次へ »