Memoirs of the Courts and Cabinets of George the Third From the Original Family Documents, Volume 1

Produced by Paul Murray, David King, and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)





THE COURT AND CABINETS

OF

GEORGE THE THIRD.

VOL. I.

[Illustration: George the Third.]


MEMOIRS

OF THE

COURT AND CABINETS

OF

GEORGE THE THIRD.

FROM ORIGINAL FAMILY DOCUMENTS.

BY

THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM AND CHANDOS,
K.G.

IN TWO VOLUMES

VOL. I.

LONDON:

HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,
SUCCESSORS TO HENRY COLBURN,
13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
1853.


LONDON:
Printed by Schulze and Co., 13, Poland Street.




INTRODUCTION.


In the selection and arrangement of the Correspondence contained in
these Volumes, the intrusion of unnecessary commentaries and political
opinions has been carefully avoided. The letters themselves are so lucid
and complete, that the interest of the publication has been left to rest
upon their details as far as possible. But as a collection of
communications of this confidential nature, written from day to day upon
passing events, must necessarily involve numerous allusions which,
intelligible at the time, are either obscure or liable to
misapprehension now, occasional notices of the principal topics and
circumstances referred to have been introduced wherever they appeared to
be required. By the help of this illustrative frame-work a certain
degree of continuity has been attempted to be preserved, so that the
reader will have no difficulty in blending these materials into the
history of the period they embrace.




Contents

1782.

The Close of Lord North's Administration--The Second Rockingham
Cabinet--Mr. Thomas Grenville's Mission to Paris--The Shelburne
Administration--Lord Temple Appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland--Irish
Affairs.

1783.

The Renunciation Bill--The Fall of the Shelburne Administration--The
Cabinet Interregnum--The Coalition Ministry--Resignation of Lord Temple.

1784.

Mr. Pitt's Administration--Lord Temple Created Marquis of
Buckingham--His Private Notes on the Coalition.

1785.

The Breach Between the Marquis of Buckingham and Mr. Thomas Grenville.

1786.

Mr. W. W. Grenville Joins Mr. Pitt's Administration.

1787.

The Dawn of Free Trade--The Assembly of Notables--Affairs of
Holland--Arthur Wellesley--The Marquis of Buckingham Assumes the
Government of Ireland for the Second Time.

1788.

Irish Correspondence--The India Declaratory Bill--Trial of Warren
Hastings--Contemplated Changes in the Administration--The King's
Interference in Military Appointments--The Irish Chancellorship--The
King's Illness--Views of the Cabinet Respecting the Regency.




1782.

The Close of Lord North's Administration--The Second Rockingham
Cabinet--Mr. Thomas Grenville's Mission to Paris--The Shelburne
Administration--Lord Temple Appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland--Irish
Affairs.


As no inconsiderable portion of the Correspondence contained in these
volumes relates to the structure and conduct of Cabinets, throwing light
upon public affairs from those secret recesses to which historians
rarely have access, it may be useful, by way of introduction, to glance
at certain circumstances which, during the period embraced in the work,
exercised a special influence over the Government of the country: an
influence no less directly felt in the councils of Ministers than in the
measures and combinations of the Opposition.

The history of Administration in the reign of George III. presents some
peculiarities which distinguish it in a very striking degree from that
of most other reigns. The key to these peculiarities will be found in
the personal character of the Sovereign. To that character, and its
immediate action upon political parties, may be traced, to a greater
extent than has been hitherto suspected, the parliamentary agitation and
ministerial difficulties which were spread over nearly the whole of that
long and eventful period. The means of forming an accurate judgment on
matters of this nature exist only in confidential details, such as are
disclosed in the collection of letters now for the first time laid
before the public. In order, however, to render intelligible the
allusions that are scattered through them, and to point out their real
value as materials for the political history of the time, it is
necessary to offer a few preliminary remarks on the circumstances to
which reference has been made.

George III.--whose admirable business habits and inflexible integrity
inspired the highest deference and attachment amongst the personal
friends he admitted to his confidence--was remarkable in no one
particular more than in his jealousy of the prerogatives of the Crown.
He carried his zeal in that matter so far as even to draw upon himself
the charge of desiring to strain the rights of the Crown beyond
constitutional limitations.