MEMORANDUM.
“Having given the Duke of Wellington the usual satisfaction for the
affront he conceived himself to have received from me, through my public
letter of Monday last, and having thus placed myself in a different
situation from that in which I stood when his grace communicated with
me, through Sir Henry Hardinge and Lord Falmouth, on the subject of that
letter, before the meeting took place, I do not now hesitate to declare,
of my own accord, that, in apology, I regret having individually
published an opinion which the noble duke states, in his memorandum of
yesterday, to have charged him with disgraceful and criminal motives in
a certain transaction which took place nearly a year ago. I also declare
that I shall cause this expression of regret to be inserted in the
Standard newspaper, as the same channel through which the letter in
question was given to the public.”
* * * * *
A copy of the preceding correspondence having been sent by Sir Henry
Hardinge to the evening papers of the same day, the following memorandum
was published by Lord Falmouth on Monday the 22nd:—
* * * * *
“Lord Falmouth first became concerned in the affair between the Duke of
Wellington and Lord Winchilsea shortly before he met Sir Henry Hardinge
on the subject, on the evening of Thursday, the 19th. Until that time,
Lord Falmouth knew nothing whatever either of the previous
correspondence, or of the publication which had led to it, beyond having
seen the letter in the Standard newspaper. It may seem material to
state, that when Sir Henry called upon Lord Falmouth, at twelve o’clock
at night, with the proposal to omit the words affixed to No. 6 in
parenthesis, it was after Lord Winchilsea’s answer, No. 7, had been
shown to the Duke of Wellington. This point is not quite clear in the
publication of Saturday. Immediately after Lord Winchilsea had received
his grace’s fire, and had fired in the air, Lord Falmouth was the first
to propose satisfactory reparation for Lord Winchilsea’s publication of
his opinion in the Standard newspaper. Lord Falmouth distinctly declared
on the ground, that it never was a question with him whether that
publication was wrong, but merely whether Lord Winchilsea was in a
situation honourably to subscribe to the terms proposed, after he (Lord
Falmouth) was requested to undertake the business. Before the parties
took their ground. Lord Falmouth delivered a sealed letter, which he had
received from Lord Winchilsea on Friday night, to Sir Henry Hardinge,
who returned it after the affair had been settled.”
BETWEEN CAPT. HELSHAM AND LIEUT. CROWTHER.
April 1, 1829.