480 STATE OF PARTIES. [1827. 



to Canning ; and, in consequence, they were much, 

 blamed for giving way to such a feeling, whereby they 

 had opened the door to the admission of the Whigs. 

 Wellington's conduct after Canning's death, when he 

 not only again became Commander-in-Chief, but ulti- 

 mately Prime Minister, somewhat confirms the view 

 that it was more on personal than on public grounds 

 that so many members of Castlereagh's Government 

 had resigned. 



When Wellington, Peel, Eldon, and the rest of the 

 high Tory party, separated from him, Canning soon 

 found that he could not hope to carry on the Govern- 

 ment without our help. A negotiation was then opened 

 with me, and I proposed that a coalition should be 

 formed ; but as the King's objection to me was pro- 

 bably insurmountable, I said I could at once remove 

 that difficulty by declaring that I would on no account 

 take office. Of course political office was out of the 

 question, as I could not quit my profession; but I 

 wrote a letter, to be used by Canning with the King, 

 stating that, for particular reasons, I declined taking 

 professional office, and should give the Government 

 my hearty support upon all ordinary questions, hoping 

 that they would not take such a part on Parliamentary 

 reform and the Irish question as might compel me to 

 make any exceptions. This removed all difficulty, 

 and Lansdowne, Holland, Tierney, and others took 

 office. Grey at first seemed rather disposed to approve ; 

 but in a day or two, having reconsidered the matter, 

 he declared himself strongly opposed to any coalition 

 with Canning. Both in his letters and conversation 

 he expressed the strong feeling he had upon what he 

 considered the effect of it in splitting the party. This 



