&T. 35.] WILBERFORCE AND YORK. 49 



and my own, and it really seems very selfish in me to 

 be occupying so much of your time with my concerns, 

 when you must naturally be occupied with your own. 

 But I know you are a contradiction to your great law 

 about a body not occupying a place till a former 

 occupier has left it, and I may act on that presump- 

 tion. I will, however, assure you of my best wishes 

 for your happiness and honour. 



" May you be as great and as useful, and as great 

 because truly useful, as your own heart, or they who 

 love you best, can desire. I am, in extreme haste, 

 ever yours, W. W." 



After I left the circuit I wrote as follows to Lord 

 Grey : 



TO EARL GEEY. 



"BROUGHAM, September 10, 1812. 



< I arrived here yesterday, and leave it on Saturday, 



having thus not had one week of holiday since last 



October; but I shall have plenty soon, in all probability. 



" Is not Jack Calcraft's conduct rather singular \ * 



* The Right Hon. John Calcraft of Kempsthorne, county Dorset, M.P. 

 for Rochester and Wareham, born 1766, succeeded to estates in county 

 Dorset, purchased by his father, who was an eminent army agent. 



In the Whig Government of 1806 Calcraft was Clerk of the Ordnance, 

 and in 1828 Paymaster of the Forces in the Duke of Wellington's 

 Government from June 1828 till November 1830, when he was succeeded 

 by Lord John Russell. 



On the second reading of the Reform Bill he voted against his party 

 and for the Bill, which was at that stage carried by a majority of one ; 

 and the supposition that it was by his single vote fatally affected his 

 spirits. 



His property in the district gave him the command of the borough of 

 Wareham. After his death his son sat for it ; but his grandson, the 

 present proprietor, was beaten by his neighbour, Mr Erie Drax, who now 

 sits for Wareham. 



VOL. II. B 



