364 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



nature temporary and fluctuating, 

 and in many cases known only to 

 persons in official stations, by the 

 engagements of the country, the 

 prospect of ultimate success, the 

 extent of the exertions necessary 

 for its attainment, and the means 

 of supporting those efforts with- 

 out too great a pressure on the 

 finances and internal i)rosperity 

 of the country. 



On such questions, therefore, no 

 public men, either in or out of 

 office, can undertake for more 

 than a deliberate and dispassionate 

 consideration, according to the 

 circumstances of the case as it 

 may appear, and to such means 

 of information as may then be 

 within their reach. 



But we cannot in sincerity con- 

 ceal from Lord Wellesley, that in 

 the present state of the finances 

 we entertain the strongest doubts 

 of the practicability of an increase 

 in any branch of the public ex- 

 penditure. 



No. 9. 

 Lord Wellesley to Lord Grey, 

 dated May 27th, communicating 

 the termination of Lord Welles- 

 ley's Commission. 



Apsley House, May ^th, 1812, 

 1 0^ Clock, p. m. 



My lord, — I take the earliest 

 opportunity of communicating the 

 inclosed papers to your lordship. 

 The paper inclosed (No. 11.) has 

 not reached me until within this 

 hour. It appeared to me to be 

 important, that the intelligence 

 which it contains should be con- 

 veyed to your lordship, to Lord 

 Grenville, and to your respec- 

 tive friends, so soon as may be 

 practicable. 



I shall be happy to have an 

 opportanity of stating to your 

 lordship, and to Lord Grenville, 

 at any time that you may appoint, 

 the whole course of my conduct, 

 since I had the honour of seeing 

 you. 



1 have the honour to be, with 

 great respect, my lord, your lord- 

 ship's most obedient and faithful 

 servant, Wellesley. 



I shall remain at home for some 

 time, and shall be happy to see 

 your lordship and Lord Grenville, 

 if it should be convenient. 



No. 10. 



Mr. Canning's Statement to Lord 



Melville, inclosed in No. 9. 



Park Lane, May 26i?/«, 1812. 



Lord Melville having stated to 

 Mr. Canning that the ministers, 

 his colleagues, were considering, 

 under the special command of his 

 royal highness the Prince Regent, 

 how far they could advance to 

 meet the first of the two proposi- 

 tions laid down as the basis of the 

 administration, proposed to be 

 formed by Lord Wellesley ; Mr. 

 Canning feels it necessary before 

 he offers any observation on that 

 statement, to inquire in what situ- 

 ation Lord Melville's colleagues 

 consider themselves as standing 

 at the present moment. 



1st. Do they consider Lord 

 Wellesley's commission at an end, 

 and the former administration as 

 re-established ? 



2d. Are the discussions, which 

 are now going on among them, 

 directed to the ascertaining the 

 possibility of the individual mem- 

 bers of that administration, or any 

 of them, acceding to an adminis- 

 tration to be formed by Lord 



Wellesley 



I 



