Whitehall, April 21st, 1788.
My dear Brother,
I have this morning received yours of the 18th enclosing the
recommendation during pleasure. I am not a little distressed at
this circumstance, as I apprehend, from what you mention about
the Chancellor, that your destination of the office will
immediately become public. I am unable as yet, under these
circumstances, to satisfy my mind as to delivering or keeping
back the letter to Lord Sydney; but as I thought it necessary
that he should have your private letter, I called upon him with
that, and mentioned to him my wish of keeping back the other, at
least for the present, in order that I may have time to think it
over, and to consult Pitt upon it. But my present disposition
is, I think, to withhold it till I can hear again from you, in
answer to my letter of Saturday.
My opinion on the subject itself remains entirely the same. If
the grant is made during pleasure what ground can there be for
thinking that another Government would not instantly create it;
especially after it has become, as it probably must, a ground of
some popular clamour, and after that specific office has been in
a manner applied for by their friend the Duke of Leinster.
Surely, under those circumstances, it can never be worth while,
either on your account or even on my own, that I should accept
an object which would only give me about £1,000 per annum in the
very situation in which I do not want it. The arrangement with
Hutchinson, or almost any other, appears to me infinitely
preferable. On the whole, however, I leave it for your
determination; but I think, unless any fresh inconvenience from
the delay, beyond what I now see, occurs to my mind, that I
shall postpone taking any step in it till I have your answer to
my former letter.
As to the state of things here, I know not well what to write. I
have very little expectation of our not being beat whenever the
Navy Promotion is again brought in question; and what the
consequence of such a defeat is to be, I profess not to be
prophet enough to foretel. I do not think that people in general
are aware of the extent and importance of the blow; but it will
not the less have its full effect when it comes. You will not
wonder, therefore, that I look forward with no very pleasing
reflections to it, and that even that circumstance should make
me particularly anxious that the present opportunity may be the
means of securing to me something more permanent than any
Government in this country seems likely to be.
Adieu, my dear brother,
Ever most affectionately yours,
W. W. G.
You will have seen Sir G. Howard's speech, and will hear much
nonsensical speculation upon it. We have no suspicions of that
nature.