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
The bias of his own mind is evidently to defer the agitation of it
till the next session, and he dwelt much on the disadvantage which
might arise if Lord Londonderry, though supporting the measure,
should cool in the active personal exertion to influence votes and
to fix the wavering which he exhibited last session. Altogether, he
considered the question as too important for him to decide upon
singly, and therefore was disposed to request a meeting of its
principal Parliamentary friends on Tuesday, the 16th, the day
before the Houses re-assemble. In the interim he hoped to hear
again from Ireland, and to see Lord Grenville. He would also be
very anxious to communicate with you on the subject. It is obvious
that if it is to be brought forward, it must be before Canning's,
as it would be absurd to carry up the general measure after the
Lords have rejected the more limited one.
My uncle Tom is very favourably inclined to Canning's proposition,
as he thinks that the admission of the general proposition is too
great a change to expect at once from the House of Lords, while the
proposition of the strongest of the detailed points, one by one,
might be more likely to succeed. With this view, he told me that he
had himself more than once suggested trying a personal Bill to
enable the present Duke of Norfolk to sit and vote, and afterwards
for the other peers, leaving the laws as they stand. This, I
confess, I should not be so well inclined to. It will be an
advantage, if we are to fight it in the proposed shape, that we are
at once rid of all the details of oaths, securities, &c., for I
conclude the consciences of the Roman Catholic Peers will, if the
declaration be omitted, be disposed to swallow the Oath of
Supremacy without a single wry face, which will be a most useful
example to the other Catholics, and will of itself go far to bring
the priests into order. Plunket does not apprehend any jealousy of
the limited measure from Ireland, as he thinks that they will
consider it as a stepping-stone, and will be much alive to the gain
of six votes.
Plunket mentioned confidentially the opinion of Lord Wellesley in
favour of deferring the general Bill till next year, for which
likewise Lord Londonderry and Lord Melville seemed very anxious.
How far what has passed in Parliament, and the eagerness of the
Opposition, may drive the Catholics in Ireland forward, he could
not calculate, but otherwise conceived them to be content to
acquiesce in its postponement. At all events, I am most desirous
that, whether you entirely approve of the manner in which the
question is brought forward or not, you would acquiesce in the
course to be determined upon, which I am sure is of the greatest
importance to the public character of us all.
Ever most affectionately yours,
C. W. W.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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