378 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



c. 



Holland House, 

 May 31*/, 1812. 

 My dear Lord, — I cannot suffi- 

 ciently thank you for your kind 

 «uxiety to procure an accurate 

 statement of the words spoken by 

 me ill the House of Lords. It is 

 difficult to remember precise ex- 

 pressions so long after they were 

 spoken ; but I am sure 1 cannot 

 be far wrong in stating the sub- 

 stance of what 1 said, as follows : 



I was speaking on the subject of 

 the Irish Catholics, and particularly 

 on the charge of intemperate con- 

 duct which had been made against 

 them. I stated, that great allow- 

 ances were to be made for this, 

 considering their repeated disap- 

 pointments; and I cited, as in- 

 stances of these, the recal of Lord 

 Fitzwilliam, and the Union. I then 

 said, that the most distinct aud 

 authentic pledges had been given 

 to them, of the Prince's wish to 

 relieve them from the disabilities 

 of which they complained ; that I 

 spoke in the hearing of persons 

 who would contradict me if what 

 I said was unfounded, and who 

 would, I was sure, support its truth 

 if questioned ; that now, when the 

 fulfilment of these pledges was 

 confidently expected, to see an 

 administration continued in power, 

 which stood on the express princi- 

 ple of resisting their claims, was, 

 perhaps, the bitterest disappoint- 

 ment they had yet experienced; 

 9nd that it was not surprising, if, 

 under such circumstances, they 

 felt, and acted, in a way that all 

 well wishers to the peace of the 

 empire must regret. 

 This I give as the substance, and 



by no means as a correct repetition 

 of the particular expressions used 

 by me; and this statement I can 

 neither retract, nor endeavour to 

 explain away. If, in consequence 

 of it, the Prince feels a strong 

 personal objection to me, I can 

 only repeat what I have already 

 said to you, that I am perfectly 

 ready to stand out of the way; 

 that my friends shall have my full 

 concurrence and approbation in 

 taking office without me, and my 

 most cordial support in the govern- 

 ment of the country, if their mea- 

 sures are directed, as I am sure 

 they must always be, by the prin- 

 ciples on which we have acted 

 together. 



1 write this from Lord Holland's 

 in a great hurry, and in the middle 

 of dinner; but I was unwilling to 

 defer, even for a minute, to an- 

 swer an inquiry, which I feel to 

 be prompted by so friendly a soli- 

 citude for me. I have not the 

 means of taking a copy of this 

 letter. I shall therefore be ob- 

 liged to you to let me have one; 

 and I am sure, if, upon recol- 

 lection, I shall think it necessary 

 to add any thing to what I have 

 now said, you will allow me an 

 opportunity of doing so. I am, 

 with the sincerest regard, my dear 

 lord, your's very faithfully. 



Grey. 



Address to the Prince Regent, of the 

 Religious Society of FriendSyWith 

 his Royal Highnesses Answer. 



To George Augustus, Prince Re- 

 gent of the United Kingdom of 

 Great Britain and Ireland. 

 May it please the Prince. Seeing 



that in consequence of the lament- 

 ed 



1 



