332 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



moment, appeared even any ap- 

 proximation towards such an agree- 

 ment of opinion on the public in- 

 terests, as can alone form a basis 

 for the honourable union of parties 

 previously opposed to each other. 



Into thedetail of these differences 

 we are unwilling to enter ; they 

 embrace almost all the leading 

 features of the present policy of the 

 empire; but his Royal Highness 

 has, himself, been pleased to advert 

 to the late deliberations of parlia- 

 ment on the affairs of Ireland. 

 This is a subject, above all others, 

 important in itself and connected 

 with the most pressing dangers. 

 Far from concurring in the senti- 

 ments which his Majesty's ministers 

 have, on that occasion, so recently 

 expressed, we entertain opinions 

 directly opposite : we are firmly 

 persuaded of the necessity of a 

 total change in the present system 

 of government in that country, and 

 of the immediate repeal of those 

 civil disabilities under which so 

 large a portion of his Majesty's 

 subjects still labour on account of 

 their religious opinions. To re- 

 commend to parliament this repeal, 

 is the first advice which it would 

 be our duty to offer to his Royal 

 Highness ; nor could we, even for 

 the shortest time, make ourselves 

 responsible for any further delay in 

 the proposal of a measure, with- 

 out which we could entertain no 

 hope of rendering ourselves useful 

 to his Royal Highness, or to our 

 country. 



We have only therefore further 

 to beg your Royal Highness to lay 

 before his Royal Higtness the 

 Prince Regent, the expression of 

 our humble duty, and the sincere' 

 and respectful assurance of our 

 earnest wishes for whatever may 



best promote the ease, honour, and 

 advantage of his Royal Highness's 

 government, and the success of his 

 endeavours for the public welfare. 

 We have the honour to be. &c. 

 (Signed) Grey, 



Grenville. 

 To his Royal Highness the 

 Duke of York. 



Message from the Prince Regent 

 respecting Lord Wellington, Fe- 

 bruary 18. 



" George P. R. * 



" The Prince Regent, in the 

 name and on the behalf of his Ma- 

 jest)', having taken into his royal 

 consideration the eminent and sig- 

 nal services performed by General 

 Lord Viscount Wellington in the 

 course of a long series of distin- 

 guished exploits in the campaigns 

 in Spain and Portugal, and being 

 desirous to mark the sense he en- 

 tertains of services so honourable 

 to the British arms, and so eminent- 

 ly beneficial to the interests of the 

 nation, has conferred, in the name 

 and on the behalf of his Majesty, 

 upon General Lord Viscount Wel- 

 lington, and the heirs male of his 

 body, the rank and dignity of an 

 Earl of the United Kingdom, by 

 the name, stile, and title of Earl 

 of Wellington. 



" The Prince Regent, further 

 desirous of granting to the Earl of 

 Wellington a nett annuity of2,000/. 

 in addition to the annuity already 

 granted by parliament, and subject 

 to the same limitations imposed in 

 that grant, recommends to the 

 House of Commons, to enable his 

 Royal Highness, in the name and 

 on the behalf of his Majesty, to 

 grant and settle such annuity, and 



to 



