St. James's Place, May 7th, 1783.
My dear Lord,
Your despatch of the 29th of April, afforded me no small degree
of pleasure, as it conveyed to me such flattering assurances of
your Lordship's esteem and regard; sentiments perfectly similar
to which, I beg to assure your Lordship I entertain for you,
with the utmost sincerity and attachment. I feel likewise, with
much satisfaction and gratitude, those kind and liberal offers
of information and communication upon all points which may tend
to give me an early knowledge of the state and situation of that
country, and shall hope from such assistance to be the better
enabled to encounter the many difficulties and embarrassments
which I already foresee against my Administration. I sincerely
wish it was in my power to answer that part of your Lordship's
letter upon the subject of my speedy departure, as you wish; but
although on many accounts, both of a public and private nature,
some delay is unavoidable, it is my wish and my intention, as
far as concerns myself, that a delay of a moment shall not be
created, that is not of absolute necessity for my own
indispensable convenience. Some attention is likewise necessary
to His Majesty's servants, whose time is now so much employed in
the parliamentary discussion of many subjects of great
importance. The many objects which claim much consideration, as
stated in your Excellency's despatches, and which have been
pressed so frequently, and urged so forcibly by your Lordship on
His Majesty's late servants, and which appeared to them so
weighty in themselves, and of such moment as to require so long
a time for deliberation, cannot be suddenly and easily resolved
upon by Ministers of so short a date in office, and with such a
pressure of public affairs upon them, occasioned by a
discontinuance of any active or responsible Government for such
a period, for which they cannot be in the least responsible.
I could, therefore, much wish your Lordship to believe, that if,
in the desire you have to be relieved, your wishes are not met
by me to the utmost, that you will not attribute it to any want
of a due exertion to remove the difficulties which obstruct my
compliance therewith, or the desire of staying here myself a
week longer; but that if I am enabled to overcome them sooner,
and His Majesty's Ministers are ready to give me their final
opinions earlier than I have expected they will be able to do,
that I shall embrace with pleasure an opportunity to relieve
your Lordship from a situation you feel so unpleasant and
irksome to you.
I have the honour to be, my dear Lord,
Your very faithful and obedient servant,
Northington.