(Private.) No. 455. Sir H. Taylor to Earl Grey. St. James's, May 19, 1832. My dear Lord, I have had the honour of submitting to the King your Lordship's letters of last night and this day, and I am directed to assure you that both have proved satisfactory to His Majesty, as they regard your own views and your desire to meet his wishes. His Majesty is sensible of the importance of insuring the absence (if it is impossible to procure for Government the support) of as many of its former adversaries as possible, and he has authorised me to use every advisable endeavour for that purpose. I had indeed already spoken to Lord Skelmersdale and impressed him with he necessity of coming to some understanding or concert and he gave me hopes that there would be a meeting of those disposed to take that course. I have a satisfactory letter from Lord Brownlow, who, in reply to the letter I addressed to him on Thursday, states that notwithstanding what has since passed he still trusts the object proposed is not left hopeless, and he has reason to think that there will be a considerable secession from attendance at the House of Lords. I shall call as soon as His Majesty goes to Kew and Richmond (soon after three) upon Lord Farnborough, and see what I can do through him, but he is unwell. The King orders me to say, that he had already accounted for your Lordship's absence from the Ball, and taken care that no misconstruction should be put upon it, and he hopes that these two days of comparative rest may remove the effects of fatigue. With regard to the persons holding offices under Government and those in the Household whose resignations had been accepted and who are all to be reinstalled, all that will, in His Majesty's opinion, be necessary, is that they should receive from your Lordship or Lord Melbourne an intimation by order of His Majesty, that they should continue as before, with the sole exception of Lord Clanricarde and Lord Foley, who, having delivered up their sticks, may attend tomorrow between three and four o'clock to resume them. The King has expressed himself very satisfied with the assurance given to him yesterday by yourself and Lord Brougham, that you considered him perfectly justified in the communication he had made to the Duke of Wellington and Lord Lyndhurst of such documents as were necessary to put them in possession of the circumstances which had produced his acceptance of your resignations and his application to them. I have, &c. H. TAYLOR. His Majesty will not return until nearly dinner time. to-day. I believe their Majesties will remain in town until 1st of June. No. 456. Earl Grey to Sir H. Taylor. (Private.) Downing Street, May 20, 1832. My dear Sir Herbert,-I received your letters, and one from His Majesty, in answer to that which I had written the night before, yesterday evening. It appears unnecessary that I should trouble His Majesty with any other acknowledgment of the latter than this, which I beg you to make to him with my humble duty. It gave me the greatest pleasure to learn that His Majesty had been satisfied with the communications which have been lately made to him. I can assure you that nothing is more anxiously desired, by all my colleagues as well as by myself, by all means in our power, in circumstances of unparalleled difficulty, to show ourselves worthy of the confidence he has been pleased to repose in us, by doing everything we can to remove every cause of uneasiness from His Majesty's mind. For this purpose the most essential point is the speedy and effectual settlement of this long depending question. What we know of the intended secession, encourages me to hope that this may be accomplished. But I am still under the apprehension of considerable difficulty in the Committee, and I shall be very nervous till the first day is over. I met Lord Palmerston on my way home yesterday, and was very sorry to find that I had missed you, when you called in Downing Street. He told me what you had said, but I am afraid it will hardly be possible to postpone the Committee. I could give no good reason for doing so, and without a good reason, it would have a very bad effect. I had never understood that the Duke of Wellington and Lord Lyndhurst had promised for more than themselves, but I hope their example will be followed by enough to secure the passing of the Bill. It really is a most anxious moment. I know the King doubts the extent and intensity of the feeling which exists on this occasion, but I can assure you that it was, and is, most formidable. I have written to Lords Clanricarde and Foley to attend to-day at St. James's, between three and four, to receive their sticks, but I have some fear that my letters may not reach them in time. In that case, perhaps you would have the goodness to signify to them His Majesty's pleasure when they should attend. I am, &c. GREY. No. 457. Sir H. Taylor to Earl Grey. (Private.) St. James's Palace, May 20, 1832. My dear Lord, I called in Downing Street yesterday afternoon, to tell your Lordship, and not finding you or Mr. Wood, I mentioned to Lord Palmerston, that those Peers, who are using their endeavours to increase the number of seceders or non-voters on the Reform Bill, wished for another day or two. I have, however, since seen Lord Farnborough, Lord Brownlow, and Lord Skelmersdale, and I learn from them that they do not now wish for any postponement of the question. By comparing notes I make out about twenty-four Peers, who have stated their intention to absent themselves or not to vote, and there are some others named as doubtful. These are of course independent of those who may take their line without reference to my friends, or who may be communicated with by others. I have, &c. H. TAYLOR. No. 458. (Extract.) Sir H. Taylor to Earl Grey. (Private.) St. James's Palace, May 20, 1832. My dear Lord, I think it necessary, upon this occasion, to state to your Lordship, that, finding the progress of the endeavours I had been ordered to promote, checked by some uncertainty, or assumed uncertainty, as to the position in which the question stood, I stated to those with whom I communicated, and without any restriction as to their use of the authority, that in case any obstacle should arise in the progress of the Bill, your Lordship had His Majesty's authority to submit to him such a creation of Peers as should be sufficient to carry the Bill, and I added that they, therefore, had before them the alternative of the Reform Bill with an addition to the Peerage, or the Reform Bill without it. I have, &c. H. TAYLOR. |