sioners of Accounts. He told me that Lord Sheffield' had frequently been with them from Sir H. Clinton, to say how ill he had been used by them. Their answer was, that if he would do them the honour to come to their Board, they flattered themselves they should be able to explain their conduct to his satisfaction. This he would not agree to, but wished them to enter into a correspondence. They however positively rejected this proposal, probably not being encouraged by my example. Yours, &c., DEAR ROSS, 3 CORNWALLIS. EARL CORNWALLIS TO LIEUT.-COLONEL ROss. Culford, Nov. 23, 1783. I enclose a letter from Digby. Since I wrote to you on Friday I hear that bad news is come from the East Indies. General Matthews and his army taken by Tippoo Saib. This event will, I think, operate powerfully in favour of Administration in the present contest. It would have been a pretty beginning for me if I had gone last spring. DEAR ROSS, Yours, &c., CORNWALLIS. EARL CORNWALLIS TO LIEUT.-COLONEL ROss. Mansfield Street, Dec. 16, 1783. Notwithstanding my delicacies and resolution I could not resist the solicitations to come up. Arthur Pigot, b. 1750, d. Sept. 6, 1819; m. 1773 a dau. of Donnington, Esq. of Manchester. Solicitor-General to the Prince of Wales, 1787, and Attorney-General to the King from Feb. 1806 to March, 1807. M.P. for Steyning Feb. to Dec. 1806; then for Arundel till his death. He was born in Grenada, where his family was settled. John, 1st Lord Sheffield in Ireland; so created Jan. 9, 1781; made Lord Sheffield in England, July 29, 1802, and Earl of Sheffield in Ireland, Jan. 22, 1816; b. 1735, d. May 30, 1821; m. 1st, 1767, Abigail, dau. of Lewis Way, Esq. of Richmond; 2nd, Dec. 26, 1791, Lucy, dau. of Thomas, 1st Earl of Chichester; and 3rd, Anne, dau. of Frederick, 2nd Earl of Guilford. M.P. for Coventry from Oct. 1780 to March, 1784, and for Bristol from Nov. 1790 to June, 1802. Stephen Digby, grandson of Simon, 5th Lord Digby, and brother of Edward, 6th Lord, and of Henry, 7th Lord and 1st Earl Digby, b. May 10, 1742, d. July 11, 1800; m. 1st, Oct. 1, 1771, Lucy, dau. of Stephen, 1st Earl of Ilchester; and 2nd, Jan. 6, 1790, You will have seen that we Charlotte Margaret, dau. of Sir Robert Gunning, Bart., K.B. (whose younger daughter m. General Ross). In early life Colonel Digby served in the Guards-Groom of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales from 1780 to 1782, and then Vice-Chamberlain to the Queen to 1792; Master of St. Catherine's from Aug. 1788 till his death. He was much in the confidence of the Royal Family. 3 Having been ordered, in the beginning of 1783, to invade the Mysore territory, he captured Bednore, Jan. 28; but was shortly after besieged there, and surrendered May 3, upon very favourable terms. Those terms were immediately violated, on the plea (which seems to have been well founded), that the public treasure, instead of being given up to the captors, according to agreement, had been divided among the officers of the garrison, the whole of whom were thrown into irons, When or how General Matthews was put to death, has never been ascertained. Few of the captives survived to tell their tale of horrors. beat the Administration yesterday,' and I have no doubt but the bill will be rejected to-morrow by a greater majority. From the means that were taken to effect this everybody seems to conclude that there must be a change of Administration and dissolution of Parliament. Lord Shelburne did not attend the House, so that he probably will not be included in any new arrangement. Should any proposals be hereafter made to me relative to India, I do not feel at all inclined to listen to them. I am handsomely off, and in the present fluctuating state of affairs at home with violent animosities about India, I can see no prospect of any good. I am aware that present ease may have some weight, but it requires great resolution to engage a second time in a plan of certain misery for the rest of my life without more substantial encouragements. Write to me freely your thoughts on this head. It is, however, very possible that no such proposal may be made to me, but I think that Lord Temple, who will certainly have a very considerable share in a new system, seems inclined to be civil to me. You may easily imagine the confusion that now reigns in this town, and the different countenances of hope and despondency that occur every instant. My boy is in perfect health at Culford, and I hope to return thither on Friday next. DEAR ROSS, Believe me, &c., CORNWALLIS. EARL CORNWALLIS TO LIEUT.-COLONEL ROSS. Mansfield Street, Dec. 18, 1783. Mr. Pitt and, I believe, Lord Temple were with the King to-day, yet they say the Ministers have been in since, and give out that they were well received, and that there is to be no change. I suspect it will be a repetition of March 3 last. As soon as I find that no material negotiation is on foot I will resign the Tower. In these perilous times I will at least save my honour. 1 On the 15th the Duke of Chandos moved to adjourn the proceedings, which was carried by 87 to 79; and on the 17th the second reading was negatived by 95 to 76. At that time the whole Peerage, including the 16 Scotch and the 26 Spiritual Peers, consisted only of 235, of whom 6 were minors and 6 Catholics, so only 223 could vote. 2 The King's communication to Lord Temple was in writing, and to the following effect:-"The King would deem those who should vote for the bill not only not his friends, but his enemies; and if Lord Temple could put this in stronger terms, he had full authority to do so." 3 Lord Shelburne tendered his resignation in March, but the new government was not formed for six weeks. No member of the Portland Administration had any audience of the King after Dec. 17, except to resign his office. I will write again to-morrow night, as I know your anxiety in matters where my conduct is critical. Believe me, &c., CORNWALLIS. DEAR ROSS, EARL CORNWALLIS TO LIEUT.-COLONEL ROSS. Friday Night, Dec. 19, 1783. The Ministry is out, and Pitt is to have the Treasury, and Lord Temple and, I believe, Lord Sydney, Secretaries of State. I believe the Parliament is to be dissolved, but am not sure. My situation of having been sent for up to vote, and keeping my place, sat heavy on my mind, and before I knew of the change I had determined to resign. After a little reflection, I was of opinion that this circumstance should not alter my resolution; that the imputation of having kept my place, and voted in so essential a point against the Ministry still remained. If my friends continue in power I shall probably have some consideration in my own. line; if they go out, I must either resign with them or be turned out. The King appeared satisfied with what I said, as I hope you are with what I have done. Let me hear from you. Yours, &c., CORNWALLIS. CHAPTER VI. - Resignation of Constableship of the Tower-Prospects of employment - Bruen and the Volunteers-Sir George Yonge-Elections favourable to Ministers -Probability of receiving the Governor-Generalship of India - Lord G. Lennox gazetted for Plymouth-Design of going to the Emperor - Expostulatory Letter to Mr. Pitt-Accepts the Tower. DEAR ROSS, EARL CORNWALLIS TO LIEUT.-COLONEL Ross. Culford, Jan. 2, 1784. If you had been on the spot, I think you would have approved of my conduct; I cannot, on the most mature reflection, repent of what I have done. You will at first consider the nature of the office,' which to be sure by all dispassionate people must be considered as a civil employment: you will then, I believe, agree with me, that, in the present state of parties in this country, it was impossible for me to hold it long without becoming contemptible to all sides, and that perhaps I had already held it too long; indeed I am convinced that I ought to have resigned at the coming in of the Coalition, and that as long as I did hold it, all my military competitors in the government line had a great advantage over me. You will next take a view of my conduct in this last business. When the India Bill was first brought in I left London: both the Bishop of Lichfield and myself resisted the most pressing solicitations to attend it, and gave for reasons for our not doing so, the peculiar situation in which I stood as to India matters. When the Bill was read a first time, and a debate and division expected, neither of us were present, but after the circumstances which you know had happened, both of us appeared to throw out the Bill. I now ask to what would even the candid part of mankind attribute such conduct? Surely they would say that my place was the first object to me, and that I would not venture to vote against the Ministry until I was well assured that I should run no risk of losing it. I have no reason to imagine that any offers whatever will be 2 The personal interference of the King. Constable of the Tower. VOL. I. M made to me in regard to India, nor do I now believe it possible that I could ever bring myself to listen to any. If the Ministry should survive the 12th, I think there is a possibility of its being proposed to me to go to Ireland: I say this without any authority whatever, only that I know that Lord Temple does not go, and that nobody is as yet fixed on for it. I have not heard a syllable of this from any part of the Administration, it is merely wild conjecture, and such as I would not mention to any person living but yourself. I shall, however, turn it well over in my thoughts. Lord Rawdon is here, and as well disposed and friendly to me as ever. His speech has put him in a situation of being highly considered, and indeed, very deservedly.1 Believe me, &c., CORNWALLIS. P.S. Poor O'Hara is once more driven abroad by his merciless creditors. MY DEAR LORD, EARL CORNWALLIS TO LORD SYDNEY. Culford, Jan. 8, 1784. In answer to the first point, I can assure you that my friends want no spur to their attendance-to the second, that you shall certainly have hares, partridges, and pheasants if the frost goes, without which I fear we cannot get any-and to the third, that I will certainly have the honour of dining with you. As your postscript is not quite so clear, I cannot be so explicit in my answer: I therefore shall only say that I should refuse with reluctance any situation in which the present Ministry think I can be serviceable to them, and that my secrecy on such an occasion might be most perfectly depended on. I know it is not pleasant to have employments refused. I am, &c., CORNWALLIS. DEAR ROSS, EARL CORNWALLIS TO LIEUT.-COLONEL Ross. Mansfield Street, Jan. 22, 1784. I have put off writing to you from day to day, expecting to have something to say, but matters still continue just as they were. 1 He spoke Dec. 17, 1783, against the second Reading of the India Bill. 2 The members for Eye, Captain Cornwallis and Major-General Phillipson. There is no other trace of any offer of office at this time. |