JET. 34.] OF THE ORDERS IN COUNCIL. 31 



" Canning's negotiation is off, I hear, on some petty 

 point of personal arrangements the particulars I have 

 not heard ; but it will be on again, and I have little 

 doubt that he will be in office before the opening of 

 next session. He is vehemently desirous of office. 

 The ministers must feel the necessity of strengthening 

 themselves in the House of Commons to secure their 

 own possession, and with these mutual inducements to 

 accommodation, personal difficulties will in all proba- 

 bility be surmounted. Ward, I hear, has declared 

 himself a follower of Canning in form. If he prefers 

 office to a character for public principle and consis- 

 tency, he has acted wisely. I have heard no other 

 news of any kind that you will not see in the papers. 

 If you cannot come now, do not deprive us of the hope 

 of seeing you before your return to London. Ever 

 yours, " GREY." 



Those whom I consulted in town, all but Creevey, 

 held that it would be squeamish, and open to the 

 charge of affectation, if I refused, as it was no offer of 

 money. But Creevey agreed with me in thinking that 

 it might be open to the observation that it was money's 

 worth if taken in what could be converted into money, 

 or if taken in things which were useful, whereby the 

 purse was saved. Erskine dwelt on the gift long after 

 the service performed, and compared it to a counsel 

 receiving a present after a cause was gained, which, 

 however, he was aware, we held to be irregular, and 

 liable to objection ; and I rather think we referred to 

 Topping's refusal of a retainer of 1000 guineas in the 

 Baltic risk cases, which he said would imply that for the 

 ordinary retainers of five guineas he would not equally 



