London, July 4th, Twelve P.M. 1782.
My dear Brother,
My letters by the post have been so unfortunate, and the subject
of the present hour is so important, that I have waited all this
day for the certainty of a courier, and I am now promised that
one shall be dispatched immediately. I was in the country when I
received from Mr. Fox an express with the news of Lord
Rockingham's death, and an earnest entreaty to come to town;
which I did, and found him anxious for the future arrangements.
I told him, in the course of our conversation, that I held
myself engaged to support the measures of the body of the Whigs,
and deprecated any precipitate resolution, unless there was
reason to imagine that _measures_ would be changed. He told me
that a meeting had been held of the four friends of Lord
Rockingham; viz., the Duke of Richmond, Lord J. Cavendish,
Keppell and himself; that they had agreed to submit the Duke of
Portland's name to the King, for the Treasury, but with little
hopes of success; that he had writ to other great peers, &c., to
come to town, and wished for their opinions; that he took it for
granted that Lord Shelburne would insist upon the Treasury, and
that the King would support him in that claim; that his idea was
to quit immediately, but that others differed upon this, but
that he was to see Lord Shelburne, and should then know more.
This interview took place, and the first account I had of it was
from Lord Shelburne, who came to me in the House of Lords and
desired to tell it to me. He stated general willingness to
accommodate, and a fixed determination at all events to adhere
to every measure of reform which had been proposed, and to
facilitate Cabinet arrangements as far as could be hoped from
him; that it was natural that the Treasury should be an object
to him, that he knew no reason why he was always to forego, and
stated the indisposition of the King's mind to any other person
at the head of that board. This was attended with every
expression of civility to me, and an earnest wish that I would
not decline employment, but would engage in the King's service.
To this I made the answer which you can so easily conceive, and
told him very fairly my intention to act with the great body of
the Whigs; I proceeded to state the inconceivable difficulties
attending our situation, the necessity of union, and the certain
consequences of a breach between himself and the other great
features of the Ministry.
I can hardly give you the detail of this very long conversation.
It was very free and open on both sides, and convinced me that
he was certainly, and at all hazards, to have the situation, of
which I hardly had a doubt before. He pledged himself repeatedly
to the public measures, and to a variety of details which it is
not necessary to state, and left me with every personal
expression and many wishes that I would reconsider my answer.
The next moment, Fox came to me in the Prince's chamber, and I
had nearly as long a conversation with him; he stated his
knowledge that Lord Shelburne would succeed to Lord Rockingham,
and his idea of throwing up. I stated Lord Shelburne's promises
to measures, which I found Lord Shelburne had made to him; but
the loss of the object, which was evidently a favourite point
with him, seemed to affect him much. I repeated my apprehensions
that the people would not stand by him in his attempt to quit
upon private grounds, which from their nature would appear to be
a quarrel for offices, and not a public measure. He saw all
this, and said that it had been urged to him by several, but
that he was not _determined_. I went into the House of Lords,
where I found the Duke of Richmond, who was outrageous at the
idea of a resignation, and who went before me in all I had said
to Fox upon this subject; and you will easily conceive that this
opinion was strengthened by the most explicit speech that I ever
heard, which Lord Shelburne gave as his creed and the test of
his conduct, and which indeed seemed satisfactory to every one
who heard him.
This day has opened a new scene: the King declared his intention
of giving the Treasury to Lord Shelburne; and it was proposed to
Lord J. Cavendish to take the vacant seals, which, from variety
of reasons, Lord John declined; and notwithstanding all that the
Duke of Richmond could urge, Fox has resigned, and the King has
accepted the seals. _En nova progenies!_ Lord Shelburne keeps
the Treasury, and it is _supposed_ that Pitt is his Chancellor
of the Exchequer; Duke of Grafton, Lord Camden, Conway, Duke of
Richmond and Keppell remain, and mean to go on; who are the two
Secretaries are not known. I have had a long conversation just
now with the Duke of Richmond, who is unhappy, but determined to
go on till the first breach on fair public grounds; and wherever
or whenever he finds Lord Shelburne tripping, he has apprized
him that he will quit, and the other has agreed to it, with
every seeming profession of cordiality; and thus matters stand.
My opinion, from all whom I have seen, is that Fox has undone
himself with the public; and his most intimate friends seem of
the same opinion. I am now to request and desire of you, in the
strongest terms, not to return from France till you hear further
from me. Fox tells me, that you (being envoy) cannot come
without the King's leave; and I must entreat of you, for the
sake of the public, and of that Ministry which I trust and hope
will still stand its ground, for the great and important objects
which we had in view in March last--let me add, for your own
sake--do not spread the alarm of returning till you hear from me
again, which you certainly shall in a very short period. With
every anxious hope and wish that affection can form,
I am,
My dear brother,
Ever yours,
N. T.
I am anxious to inform you that the Duke of Richmond has pressed
me to take the Secretary of State, as named by all our Whig
friends; and I shall accept.[1] This is another reason for
wishing you to stay till a few days clear up all our doubts and
difficulties, in which I need not say how happy I shall be to
see you so, and how cordially I love and esteem you. Adieu, my
dear Tom.
[Footnote 1: This first part of the postscript is written in cypher.]