SIR, Gibraltar, Aug. 20. FIND myfelf highly honoured by your obliging letter of yefterday, in which your excellency was fo kind as to inform me of the arrival in your camp of his Royal Highness the Compte d'Ar. tois and the Duke de Bourbon, to ferve as volunteers at the fiege. Thefe princes have shown their judgment in making choice of a mafter in the art of war, whofe abilities cannot fail to form great warriors. I am really overwhelmed with the condefcenfion of his Royal Highnefs, in fuffering fome letters for perfons of this town to be conveyed from Madrid in his carriages; I flatter myfelf that your excellency will give my moft profound refpects to his royal high nefs and to the Duke de Bourbon, for the expreffions of efteem with which they have been pleafed to honour fo infignificant a perfon as

I am.

I return a thousand thanks to your excellency for your handsome prefents of fruits, vegetables, and game you will excufe me, however, I truft, when I affure you, that in accepting your prefent, I have broken through a refolution which I had faithfully kept fince the beginning of the war; and that was, never to receive or

nifhes me with an excufe for the liberty I now take of entreating your excellency not to heap any more favours on me of this kind, as in future I cannot convert your prefents to my own private ufe. Indeed, to be plain with your excellency,though vegetables at this feafon are fcarce with us, every one of us has got a quantity proportioned to the labour he has beftowed in raising them: the English are naturally fond of gardening and cultivation; and here we find our amufement in it during the intervals of rest from pub lic duty.

The promife which the Duke de Crillon makes to honour me (in proper time and place) with his friendship, lays me under infinite obligations: the interests of our fovereigns being once folidly fettled, I fhall with eagerness embrace the firft opportunity to avail myfelf of to precious a treafure.

I have the honour to be, &c.
His Excellency the Duke de
Crillon, &c. &c.

dently wishes to reitore, has commanded his minifters to direct Mr. Grenville, that the independency of the Thirteen Provinces fhould be propofed by him, in the firft inftance, instead of making it a condition of a general treaty?"

Lord George would not have afked this question to fatisfy any private curiofity; but he thinks it his duty to the King to acquaint Lord Shelburne, as prime minifter, that great bodies of the people in the united kingdom of Scotland, are daily preffing Lord George, in the strongest terms, and in the most affectionate expreffions, to write his fentiments to them on the prefent state of public affairs in the united kingdoms; and Lord George finds, among other ferious matters, that the late latter, faid to be written by his Majefty's commiffioners at New York, not being publicly authenticated in the London Gazette, alarms the fufpicions of thofe who ardently with for peace with their brethren, that that letter is a forgery, and that peace with America is not intended : and on the other hand, not being contradicted by the King's prefent fervants, it caufes the greatest anguish and difguft to those who have confcientiously approved and supported the American war.

The people of Scotland are much distracted and disturbed with this apparent mifunderstanding in the cabinet of the united kingdoms, thinking the honour of the united kingdoms is trifled with; and they are anxious in the highest degree, to receive fome information that they may depend upon in fo affecting a concern as the in

dependency of America is to their own national, particular, and im mediate intereft: Lord George therefore hopes Lord Shelburne will condefcend to inform him whether the propofal of independency, in the letter faid to be written by the King's commiffioners, is, or is not, a measure to be adhered to by his Majefty's prefent administration?

Lord George has the honour to affure Lord Shelburne, that be wishes he could understand and approve of the measures of the King's counsellors, that he, and those who act with him, might have an opportunity of demonftrating the uprightness and loyalty of their proceedings and intentions, and of exerting themfelves, according to their vocations, to the uttermost of their power, in fupport of good government, the true intereft of the people, the honour and happiness of the King's Majefty and his pofterity, and the true public liberty, fafety, and peace of the three kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland.

Welbeck-street, O&. 16. 1782.

tain, agreed to by the committee of affociation for the county of York, at a most numerous and refpectable meeting held here this day. It contains their juft acknowledgements of your lordfhip's diinguifhed exertions in the general caute of parliamentary reformation; and expreffes their grateful thanks of your generous endeavours to accomplish a coalition on the principles adopted by this affociation, and other refpectable bodies in different parts of the kingdom.

Thefe, I beg leave to affure you, are the genuine fentiments of this Committee; and not more warmly felt by any one member of it than by, my lord, &c. Earl of Shelburne.

SIR,

C. WYVILL.

Bowood Park, 24 O&. 1782. I was yesterday honoured with your letter of the 17th inftant: The repeated approbation of the committee of the county of York, gives me perfonally the greatest fatisfaction; and I am happy to

find nearly the fame opinions which I expreffed to this country laft year, more ably, as well as more fully, inculcated in the addrefs you do me the honour to inclofe to me. Their perfeverance muft command general refpect, and will, I truft, conquer every difficulty in fo found a caufe. As to myfelf, I am still ready to enter into the strictest and most unequivocal union with any public man. or public body of men, who may be deemed, in point of national weight and opinion, competent to the effecting thofe important ends.

Words cannot exprefs how much I am alarmed at the public fituation at home and abroad; or my apprehenfions for what may be the refult,

The difinterested zeal, as well as temperate conduct which you have shown in the public fervice, has impreffed me with a refpect with which I muft always remain yours, &c.

SHELBURNE.

The Rev. Mr. Wyvill, Chairman, &c.

The