Memoirs of the Court of George IV. 1820-1830 Part 46

Ever affectionately yours,

C. W. W.

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

East India Office, Dec. 7th, 1822.

MY DEAR B----,

I had yesterday a conversation with Canning, when he offered me either Copenhagen or Stuttgard for Henry, as a remove from Switzerland. I obtained from him that the question should be kept open till I heard from him, though I cannot feel a doubt that he will gladly accept the former, as though the business is in truth as little or less than that of his present situation, it is in the public eye a decided promotion, the salary is 1000_l._ a year higher, and whenever anything more desirable may become vacant, any Secretary of State will be better disposed to promote him than from Switzerland, the mission to which can never be vacant without again raising a question upon its suppression. The residence is certainly less desirable as well as the climate, but these are inconveniences which any man who wishes to rise in his profession must be disposed to overlook. The offer is also valuable, as I think it shows good disposition.

We have to-day the D---- of W----'s despatches from Verona of the 26th. He proposes setting off on the 30th, and coming home through Paris. He sends copies of the despatches of Russia, Austria, and Prussia to their Ministers at Madrid, which are to be communicated to the Spanish Government _in extenso_. They are couched in very strong, indeed, offensive terms, announcing their intention to make common cause with France in the event of the violent death of the King or any of the Royal Family, of his dethronement, or any alteration in the succession, or of any aggression on the territory of France. The note of Russia goes through a kind of history of the revolutionary steps of Spain. Meanwhile, Villele continues the a.s.surance of his determination, supported by the King, and _also by Monsieur_ (who I suppose now, as is his custom, has taken fright), to avoid a rupture, and expressing his hope of having the support of Sir C. S----[101] to resist Rozzo di Borgo. Metternich also, while he joins in the impulse which Russia has given to the Congress, begs the D---- of W---- that Sir William A'Court[102] may be instructed to mediate as far as possible with Spain, and to prevent her from resenting these extraordinary measures.

Altogether, if A'Court can succeed in persuading Spain that it is her interest to wait till she is attacked, and only to resent these words with words, I think it is very probable peace may still be preserved, as Villele has extremely increased his strength in the Legislative a.s.sembly, and the danger of again bringing a French army into action is felt by every one but the Emperor Alexander, who, as usual, acts from his own feelings only, and particularly from aversion to the example of a successful military mutiny, to which Prussia also is most sensible.

Ever affectionately yours,

C. W. W.

[101] Sir Charles Stuart, created in 1828 Lord Stuart de Rothesay.

[102] In 1828 created Baron Heytesbury.

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

East India Office, Dec. 30, 1822.

MY DEAR B----,

You will probably have heard from other quarters of the intended appointment of Lord Francis Conyngham to be Canning's Under-Secretary of State. I only know it from report, but am disposed to believe it; and it is added that the King on his late visit to Brighton leant on his shoulder and patted his head.

I cannot conceive how Lord F. C---- can retain the Masters.h.i.+p of the Robes.

The next report is that the newly-erected pillar of orthodoxy, young Bankes, has to encounter an action for crim. con. from Lord Buckinghams.h.i.+re, and that Scarlet is retained for the plaintiff.

Surely Wellesley is making too ridiculous a parade, even for the taste of Paddy, when he talks of the _horror_, the _awful moment_, &c.; and when we consider that the King and his father have both had to encounter bullets, it is but in proper subordination that the piece of a rattle and of a gla.s.s bottle should be directed against the occupant of "_the throne on which he has been placed by the favour of his Sovereign_."

Still it may be of use towards the suppression of the Orange Lodges, which I have great hopes will result from it. It has been proposed to extend the English Act against Secret Societies, to Ireland, with a view to some of the cases of conspiracy which they have been unable to deal with; and upon mentioning to Peel that that was the Act upon which the House of Commons in general agreed in 1813 to consider the Orange a.s.sociation as illegal, I had much pleasure to see that he looked upon this as a recommendation rather than an objection.

The conduct of Villele is to me quite inexplicable, nor can I conceive his motive for resorting to so offensive and irritating a step as the publication of a despatch (in itself calculated to provoke a war) immediately after he had triumphed over the war party, and their expulsion from the Cabinet.

Ever most faithfully yours,

C. WILLIAMS WYNN.

CHAPTER XI.

[1823.]

CONTINENTAL AFFAIRS. DIPLOMATIC POSTS. PROPOSED MINISTERIAL CHANGES.

MISSION OF LORD FITZROY SOMERSET TO SPAIN. STATE OF IRELAND. OBJECTS OF FRANCE. APPOINTMENT OF REGINALD HEBER. INCREASING POPULARITY OF MR.

CANNING. THE KING'S SPEECH. TRIALS IN IRELAND. MR. PLUNKET. THE BEEFSTEAK CLUB IN DUBLIN. OBJECTIONABLE TOAST. THE DUKE OF CLARENCE.

IMPRUDENCE OF LORD WELLESLEY. THE LORD-LIEUTENANT'S EXPLANATION.

CHAPTER XI.

Continental affairs were at this time attracting general attention throughout the British Empire, princ.i.p.ally in consequence of the recently-published declaration from the Allied Sovereigns at the Congress of Verona, threatening interposition in the affairs of Spain, and the att.i.tude of France with a view to the same object. To the new Foreign Secretary an opportunity presented itself for directing the policy of Great Britain in a manner worthy of the position she had acquired by her prodigious exertions in the last European war; and remembering the largeness of his professions when out of office, the political world waited with much eagerness the measures of this brilliant statesman to maintain the dignity of his country. Mr. Canning appeared sensible of the gravity of the threatened complication, but occupied himself much more in endeavouring to strengthen himself in the Cabinet than in developing a policy likely to realize the expectations of his admirers.

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

East India Office, Jan. 3, 1823.

MY DEAR B----,

I am sorry to say that in consequence of William Hill altering his mind and declining the Under-Secretarys.h.i.+p, the intended promotion in the diplomatic line which was to have opened Copenhagen to Henry is stopped, and Canning now strongly presses his removal to Stuttgart with the same rank and salary, with a view to an arrangement by which the missions to Switzerland and Frankfort will be reduced to a Minister Plenipotentiary, with about half the present allowances.

This I think, though by no means pleasant to Henry, he ought to accede to, both for the public benefit and the gratification of his immediate superior, it being clearly understood that he is to be considered as ent.i.tled to promotion on the first occasion.

Canning is very gracious and confidential. He certainly wishes in no moderate degree to get his friend Huskisson into my particular office, but would be quite willing to give me any other I chose in exchange which he could obtain, but as I really prefer it to any other which could be given to me, except that of Secretary of State, or possibly the Admiralty, if there were no better claimant, I do not see any probability of his wishes being gratified _a l'aimable_.

It is most vexatious that, in spite of all admonition, the _Courier_ persists in its warlike tone and justification of the interference of the Continental Powers in the internal affairs of Spain, in opposition to all the known views and declarations of the British Government.

Of this I have given a hint, and desired that it may be noticed in the next.

With respect to France, I can tell you hardly anything which you do not already know. They continue a.s.surances of their pacific intentions to us, and it seems clear that Montmorenci resigned because his note was deemed too warlike; and yet one can scarcely conceive how it could have been more likely to create a rupture than that of Villele, particularly followed up as the latter has been by the very offensive step of giving it publicity in the _Moniteur_ within forty-eight hours after it had left Paris.

It cannot be denied that this note so published is in itself a legitimate ground of war to Spain if she chooses to avail herself of it C---- believes that she is not yet sufficiently ready, and will prefer remaining at peace. Meantime she has made the greatest haste to grant all our demands which had been so long pending, and to promise immediate satisfaction on our different grounds of complaint.

Ever most affectionately yours,

C. W. W.

I agree with you in thinking that the Indian Juggler has disappointed expectation most lamentably, and I fear that we must say the same of _our_ own friend, who seems to me a _Diabolus Domini Vice Regis, tout comme un autre_.

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

East India Office, Jan. 6, 1823.