Whitehall, Dec. 13th, 1788.
MY DEAR BROTHER,
I must refer you to the papers for an account of our triumphant day
in the House of Commons yesterday. You will see by that, that I was
not mistaken in my opinion that the doctrine of the Prince's right
was not likely to be a very popular one. Fox found that by what he
said before he had offended so many people, that he was obliged to
take the very first moment of explaining it away; still, however,
he has left it in such a shape that we cannot fail of debating it
with great advantage. He intends, as you will see by his speech, to
move the previous question on Pitt's proposition, which he is
afraid to attempt to negative. After this recantation was over, the
day was closed by such a blunder of Sheridan's, as I never knew any
man of the meanest talents guilty of before. During the whole time
that I have sat in Parliament, in pretty warm times, I never
remember such an uproar as was raised by his threatening us with
_the danger of provoking the Prince to assert his right_, which
were the exact words he used.
You may conceive what advantage all this gives us, especially when
coupled with the strong hopes entertained of the King's recovery.
The account, as given at St. James's, is rather less favourable
this morning. I do not well know how to account for this
circumstance, as the letters from persons immediately about the
Queen continue as favourable as ever. I rather guess it to be
Warren's malice against Willis, who was yesterday put into
possession of many points which they had disputed with him,
particularly the right of signing the reports. I imagine he was
unwilling the first day of this to contest with Warren about the
precise words.
There is a report, which I heard yesterday before I went to the
House, and which Fox's speech appeared to countenance, of their
intending to acquiesce in the limitations, provided they are
established only for a short time.
The precise mode of carrying our propositions into effect is not
yet settled. Our general idea is, that the two Houses should
authorize the Chancellor to put the great seal to a Commission,
empowering the Prince to open the session. And that then the
propositions should then be brought forward in the shape of a Bill,
to which the Prince may, by a similar Commission, be authorized to
give the royal assent. We shall, however, in the course of two or
three days have reduced this to form, and I will then send it over
to you.
Ever most affectionately yours,
W. W. G.
The report alluded to above turned out to be true, which could be said
of few of the reports that were so industriously circulated during the
King's illness. The Prince's party, finding it impossible to get rid of
the restrictions, were ready to enter into a compromise, and to agree to
them, provided their duration was limited to a certain period. A Bill to
that effect was afterwards introduced. But Ministers were not inclined
to accept compromises when they had the power in their own hands to
dictate conditions; and so the limited Regency scheme came to nothing.