130] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



should expire. Mr. Perceval is 

 then accused of using all his en- 

 deavours to procure the removal of 

 Lord Weliesley before that period, 

 and proposing various persons to 

 the Regent to supersede him in 

 his office. The Regent, however, 

 continued to press his lordship to 

 retain his post; but when, at the 

 expiration of the restrictions, it 

 appeared to be the intention of his 

 Royal Highness to continue Mr. 

 Perceval at the head of the govern- 

 ment, Loid Weliesley again ten- 

 dered the seals to the Regent with 

 increased earnestness. Being.com- 

 manded to state his opinion on the 

 formation of a cabinet, he declared 

 that in hisjudgment it oughtto be 

 formed on an intermediary princi- 

 ple between instant co\icession and 

 eternal exclusion with respect to 

 the Roman Catholics, and on an 

 understanding that the war should 

 be carried on with adequate vigour. 

 He added, that he should be ready- 

 to serve tvilh Mr. Perceval on such 

 a basis; but would never again 

 serve under him in any circum- 

 stances. The sequel of this pro- 

 posal was, that in two days after- 

 wards Lord Weliesley received, 

 through the Chancellor, the Prince 

 Regent's acceptance of his resigna- 

 tion, and accordingly delivered up 

 the seals on Feb. 19. 



While this trial of strength be- 

 tween Mr. Perceval and Lord Wel- 

 iesley, with their respective friends, 

 was depending, a remarkable let- 

 ter, afterwards made public, was 

 written by the Prince Regent to 

 his brother, the Duke of York, 

 dated Feb. 13, in which, after 

 speaking of the motives of duty to 

 their common father which had 

 induced him hitherto to wave his 

 privilege of making a change ia the 



executive government, and notic- 

 ing the present crisis of affairs, in 

 which he had no objects to attain, 

 but such as were common to the 

 whole empire, he said, " I cannot 

 conclude without expressing the 

 gratification I should feel, if some 

 of thoise persons with whom the 

 early habits of my public life were 

 formed, would strengthen my 

 hands, and constitute a part of my 

 government. With such support, 

 and aided by a vigorous and united 

 administration, formed on the most 

 liberal basis, I shall look with ad- 

 ditional confidence to a prosperous 

 issue of the most arduous contest 

 in which Great Britain was ever 

 engaged. You are authorised to 

 communicate these sentiments to 

 Lord Grey, who, [ have no doubt, 

 will make them known to Lord 

 Grenville." 



A negotiation with these lords 

 ensued, the failure of which, with 

 its causes, are stated in our report 

 of the debate on Lord Boringdon's 

 motion in the House of Lords, 

 March 19, for an address to the 

 Prince Regent on the forming of 

 an efficient administration. From 

 that result it appeared that the 

 differences on pohtical opinion 

 between the Grenville party (as it 

 is commonly called) and the ex- 

 isting ministry, were such as pre- 

 cluded any coalition between their 

 leading members. 



Lord Castlereagh, on Feb. 28, 

 received the seals of office as the 

 successor to Marquis W^ellesley in 

 the foreign secretaryship; and from 

 that time the ministry went on un- 

 changed, and without any symp- 

 tom of want of stability, till the 

 assassination of Mr. Perceval, in 

 the beginning of May. Of that 

 atrocity, which will ever rank 



among 



