Memoirs of the Court of George IV. 1820-1830 (Vol 1): From the Original Family DocumentsBuckingham and Chandos, Richard Plantagenet Temple Nugent Brydges Chandos Grenville, Duke of
History
Memoirs of the Court of George IV. 1820-1830 (Vol 1): From the Original Family Documents
Buckingham and Chandos, Richard Plantagenet Temple Nugent Brydges Chandos Grenville, Duke of
Great Britain -- History -- George IV, 1820-1830
I don't know whether you have heard the particulars of Bloomfield's
dismissal. He received on Thursday last in town a notification from
Brighton of what was intended, and he got at the same time a note
from Lord Liverpool, desiring him to call upon him at ten o'clock
the next morning. This he accordingly did, when the Minister
formally announced the King's order of dismissal from all his
employments and offices, together with the order to quit his
residence at Carlton Palace and the Stud House (Lady Bloomfield
retaining the Rangership of Hampton Court Park, which she holds for
life); an offer was at the same time made to him to retain his
salaries, which he rejected. No ground was given for the dismissal.
Sir Benjamin claimed a Peerage which had been promised by the King
under his hand within the last month. This was rejected on the part
of Lord Liverpool, but the person who communicated this to me, and
who had it from Bloomfield himself immediately on his leaving Lord
Liverpool, told me that on this point Bloomfield said he should
make his stand. No private secretary is to be appointed with the
rank of Privy Councillor; Mr. Watson is to remain to arrange the
King's papers, and to lay them before his Majesty. The Privy Purse
not named. Thus far I tell you as knowing distinctly, and from the
very best authority, the facts. On what ground the dismissal has
taken place I cannot tell you more than common report, which varies
and invents ten thousand different reasons--one that there was a
large sum to be accounted for in the expenses of the Coronation,
incurred for diamonds. The whole of these expenses were referred to
an auditor, and Bloomfield was summoned to give an account of these
diamonds; his answer was that they had been furnished by order of
the King, and his directions were to place them on the Coronation
account. Whether they were so applied he could not say, but took it
for granted they were. It was not, however, so proved; and the
King, considering such a disclosure, or rather explanation, on the
part of Bloomfield as a breach of confidence, made it the ground of
his dismissal. There may or may not be some truth in this report;
but depend upon it, the measure has arisen from an intrigue in the
party now governing at the Pavilion. For my own part, I think
nothing can augur worse for the Government than this very bout. I
am quite confident Bloomfield was devoted to this Government, and I
am also sure that no new nomination of private secretary takes
place, because in such an event the Ministers must have a voice,
and no one could be appointed but under the sanction of Government.
There is a large party of Opposition gone down to Brighton this
week--Duke of Devonshire, Lord Lansdowne, &c. &c.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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