86] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812 



upon subsequent consideration, so, 

 ou the other, there never was a 

 stipulation for the exclusion of 

 any person ; but the fullest pow- 

 ers were given to the noble Mar- 

 quis to lay before the Regent the 

 most beneficial plan that could be 

 suggested for the formation of a 

 government competent to the pre- 

 sent crisis. 



Lord Grenville said, that he 

 Avished his noble friend who had 

 just spoken had confined his state- 

 ment to a point of which he trust- 

 ed no one entertained a doubt; 

 for as to the rest, the impression 

 made upon liis mind by an official 

 and authorised paper was com- 

 pletely at variance with that which 

 he had expressed. It was there 

 distinctly notified that the Prince 

 Regent had signified his pleasure 

 that one office, particularly desig- 

 nated, should be held by a par- 

 ticular individual pointed out ; and 

 that in the whole, four individuals 

 expressly named should occupy 

 seats in the cabinet. 



This statement was confirmed 

 by Lord Grey, who in his speech 

 read the following paragraph from 

 the written document above- 

 mentioned. 



" That liis royal highness the 

 Prince Regent has signified his 

 pleasure that Lord Welleslej' 

 should conduct the formation of a 

 government in all its branches, 

 and should be first commissioner 

 of the treasury, and that Lord 

 Moira, Lord Erskine, and Mr. 

 Canning, should be members of 

 the cabinet. That it was proba- 

 ble that a cabinet formed upon an 

 enlarged basis must be composed 

 of 12 or 13 membeis ; that the 

 Prince Regent wished Lords Ore}' 

 and Grenville on the part of their 



friends to recommend to his Royal 

 Highness's approbation the names 

 of four persons if the cabinet 

 should consist of Iwelve, and of 

 five persons if it should consist of 

 thirteen members, to be appointed 

 by his Royal Highness to fill such 



situations as might hereafter be ar- 

 ranged. 



That his Royal Highness 

 left the selection of the names to 

 Lords Grey and Grenville without 

 any instruction or personal exclu- 

 sion ; that in completing the ar- 

 rangements the Prince Regent has 

 granted to Lord Wellesley the en- 

 lire libert}' to propose the names 

 of any persons to hold places in his 

 Royal Highness's councils, or any 

 other persons." 



This, said Lord Grey, was the 

 proposition made to them, which 

 they understood, and understand, as 

 naming particular persons, and as 

 limiting and proving by previous 

 arrangement that particular places 

 should be assigned to particular 

 persons. Under such circum- 

 stances, he and his noble friend 

 concurred in a decided refusal of 

 the proposition, sanctioned by Lord 

 Holland. It was true that subse- 

 quent explanations had been af- 

 forded by the noble Earl (Moira), 

 but without professing to have 

 any instructions or authority from 

 the Prince Regent. 



Lord Moira said that the 

 sage just read struck him 

 directly opposite point 



pas- 

 in a 

 of view 

 from that taken by the noble 

 Lords ; and he still contended that 

 the failure rose from misapprehen- 

 sion. A conversation ensued, of 

 which it is not material to relate 

 the heads, and which was termi- 

 nated by the Lord Chancellor's 

 motion for an adjournment. 



In the House of Commons, Fri- 

 day 



