Whitehall, April 5th, 1788.
My dear Brother,
Since I have sent off your messenger this morning, I have had
some further conversation with Pitt about the Mastership of the
Rolls, which is expected to be vacant every hour. A considerable
difficulty arises from this circumstance, that Sir Lloyd Kenyon
has discovered, since he has held the English office, that the
sale of the places, from which a part of his profit arose, is
illegal; and he has, in consequence of this, resolved to give
the offices away, instead of selling them. The doubt arises
under a statute of Richard II.; and after such a man as he has
decided it against himself, it would neither be creditable, nor
even safe, for me to persevere in the old practice.
This makes me think it considerably better, that you should
endeavour to negotiate an exchange for me with some person on
your side of the water, who may not be troubled with the same
scruples. Pitt is to see Kenyon on Monday; and has promised to
inquire more particularly into this point. I shall not deliver
your letter to Lord Sydney till I hear again from you upon it.
If it was not for the difficulty of two re-elections, I should
think the best way would be, that I should take the Rolls
immediately, and take my chance with respect to any exchange
that I could make afterwards; but that, I fear, cannot now be
done.
I will write to you again, when I hear from Pitt what he has
learnt from Kenyon.
Ever most affectionately yours,
W. W. G.