372 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



which does not strike me, in Lord 

 Wellesley's last paper, surely the 

 construction ought to be sought 

 in the antecedent communication ; 

 and I think the basis on which that 

 communication had announced the 

 intended cabinet to stand was per- 

 fectly clear. With regard to the 

 indication of certain individuals, 

 1 can assert that it was a measure 

 adopted through the highest spirit 

 of fairness to you and your friends. 

 flir. Canning's name was men- 

 tioned, because Lord Wellesley 

 would have declined office without 

 him ; and it was a frankness to 

 apprize you of it : and Lord Er- 

 skine's an<i mine were stated with 

 a vie«v of showing, that Lord 

 Wellesley, so far from having any 

 jealousy to maintain a preponde- 

 rance in the cabinet, actually left 

 a majority to those who had been 

 accustomed to concur upon most 

 public questions ; and he specified 

 Lord Erskine and myself, that you 

 might see the number submitted 

 for your exclusive nomination was 

 not narrowed by the necessity of 

 advertence to us. The choice of 

 an additional member of the ca- 

 binet left to you must prove how 

 undistinguishable we consider our 

 interests and your's, when this 

 was referred to your consideration 

 as a mere matter of convenience, 

 the embarrassment of a numerous 

 cabinet beintj- well known. The 

 reference to members of the late 

 cabinet, or other persons, was 

 always to be coupled with the 

 established point, that they were 

 such as could concur in the prin- 

 ciples laid down as the foundation 

 for the projected ministry : and the 

 statement was principall}^ dictated 

 by the wish to show, that no 

 system of exclusion could interfere 



with the arrangements which the. 

 public service might demand. On 

 the selection of those persons, I 

 aver the opinions of you. Lord 

 Grenville, and the others whom 

 you might bring forward as mem- 

 bers of the cabinet, were to operate 

 as fully as our own, and this was 

 to be the case also with regard to 

 subordinate offices. The expression 

 that this was left to be proposed 

 by Lord Wellesley, was intended 

 to prove, that his Royal Highness 

 did not, even in the most indirect 

 manner, suggest any one of those 

 individuals. 



It is really impossible that the 

 spirit of fairness can have been 

 carried further than has been the 

 intention in this negociation. I 

 therefore lament most deeply that 

 an arrangement so important for 

 the interests of the country should 

 go oft' upon points which I cannot 

 but think wide of the substance of 

 the case. 



(Signed) MoiRA. 



No. 21. 

 Lord Wellesley to Lord Moira, 

 approving Lord Moira's Letter, 

 (No. 20.) to Lord Grey, of the 

 3rd of June. 



Apsleif House, 

 ywneSVrf, 1812. 



My dear Lord, — I return the copy 

 of your lordship's letter to Lord 

 Grey. This communication to 

 Lord Grey is most useful, and the 

 substance of it is admirably judi- 

 cious, clear, and correct. 



My declaration, this day, in the 

 House of Lords, was indispensably 

 necessary to my public and private 

 honour ; both of which would 

 have been involved, if I had not, 

 in full parliament, announced, that 



I had 



