SECRET HISTORY OF THE COURT, MINISTRY, AND TIMES OF

GEORGE IV.

WITH ANECDOTES OF REIGNING DYNASTIES, ARISTOCRACIES, AND PUBLIC

MEN, INCLUDING RUSSIAN CZARS, AUSTRIAN EMPERORS, FRENCH KINGS, ROYAL DUKES, SECRET SERVICES, &c. &c.

BY AN OLD DIPLOMATIST.

CHAP XII.

London, January 17, 1817. The Opposition are bewildered by a most extraordinary and unexpected event. What think

you of their leader becoming an inmate of a cabaret? Yet such is actually the case ! The town of Milton, near Peterborough, in Northamptonshire, is infected with the plague ; a putrid fever rages there with terrible violence, and numbers are dying from its effects. The following detail will best explain the seeming mystery :-Lord Grey, anxious to retrieve his character with the country, had pledged himself to make a strenuous exertion this year to upset the ministers ; he had, therefore, pledged himself to Holland and Tierney, to be with them on the 10th instant! His lordship left Howick at Christmas to make a détour, promising to be at Woburn on the 6th, when a grand political meeting was to have been held. But “man appoints, and God disappoints ;" the measles attacked Lord Grey's family, and, therefore, his lordship could not approach the mansion of the Bedford family. Grey, therefore, wheeled about, and went to Lord Fitzwilliam's to try his influence over that peer's mind to produce a change in favour of Parliamentary Reform. Soon after Lord and Lady Grey's arrival (the children proceeded to London), the latter was attacked by the scarlet fever ; and, in three days, reduced to an extremity! Lord Grey says, in his last letter, “ Lady Grey has been three days in a dying state ;" subsequent accounts represent her as out of danger. Ad interim, they are removed from all society. They occupy one wing of the mansion; and the peer receives his food, and other necessaries, by drawing it up into the window by a string! Thus, by this unfortunate event all co-operation is prevented among the party,

party, to their extreme mortification; they will meet Parliament without

any settled plan of operations, unless some unforeseen event occurs. They are not so sanguine as they were, as to their success with Lord Fitzwilliam.

In the meantime, ministers exult at the event! It affords them a subject of merriment; if it can be supposed that men can be

merry,

who have such a heavy responsibility to encounter! The Opposition insist upon it, that our affairs are approaching to a crisis ! The ministers affect to doubt this; they say that every arrangement for the present year, as far as relates to the finance, is completed.

Public opinion is greatly divided upon the subject of the loan, now negotiating for the French government. The Opposition have fixed the guarantee on ministers, and they, through their organs--the Courier, Post, and Sun-deny that government are in the slightest degree a party. Byrne assured me, last night, that the different contradictions which he

had inserted to the statement in the Chronicle, had come to his hands expressly from ministers ; who had assured him in the most unqualified terms, that such was the truth. He added, “they are deceiving me ; may the evil light on their own heads !”

What is to become of our starving population ? The 41,0001. subscribed for the poor of Spitalfields are exhausted. The whole of the United Kingdom is in the same state ; to add to these evils, we had incessant rain, and heavy falls of snow, which, together, have inundated every part of the country; the fields at the rear of my house represent a vast sheet of water, literally a lake. About Egham, Staines, and Windsor, the inhabitants have been obliged to desert their residences. A gentleman said this morning, that on coming down stairs he found his bookcase, the chairs, and tables, gambolling about the parlour—the water five feet deep ; on opening the opposite doors, it only partially decreased ; it had found its level. It passes through some houses like a roaring torrent.

Three o'clock.--The topic of conversation to-day is upon the subject of the meeting at the Freemasons' Tavern. Ris one of the Committee. They dine together at six o'clock. The Lord Mayor cannot attend ; he assigns as a reason, the necessity for his attendance at the Old Bailey Sessions. Apprehensions are entertained that the speeches will be intemperate, and thus defeat the object; the paramount wish in the Committee is to defend Hunt and Cobbett ; also to upset Burdett! It is the opinion of Mr. Nicholls that the members of this new club will fall into the hands of the Fitzwilliams; the ministers are upon the watch!

London, January 21, 1817. The Marquis of Tavistock's speech is ready! He will go great lengths in the work of Reform. His “morsel of eloquence” was read last night in a select circle at Holland House, and highly approved of. Mackintosh (the prolix Sir James) brought this bantling forth!

Holland and Grey boast of their fixed principles, they are become staunch Republicans ; are determined to risk every thing to gratify their deadly hatred to the present system.

The leading Whigs are astonished at the success of the meeting on Friday last, at the Freemasons' Tavern. “What!" said Tierney, previously; are there to be no advertisements-no tickets given away! none of the old Whigs invited ; it is quite impossible that the meeting should be effective." The chairman's sentiments were in unison. He said, at three o'clock, in the committee-room,- “ I do not think a dozen persons will attend. There were ninety-six. Perry, and all the old Whigs are prodigiously jealous! they threw cold water, even when the first propositions were made. “ How is this,” said Holland, “ eyes but just opened? What, has there been a meeting convened like this! and that not with one shilling expense to the party! On all the former occasions, have we not been called upon to deposit a thousand pounds at a bankers ?"

Ministers find themselves ill at ease! They are alarmed! They dread this progress of public opinion. The speech of Curran, however, has given them a breathing time! It has done injury to the cause. The Opposition are indignant at it--they were not without their fears, and these fears are unhappily realised. It has alarmed many

are our

.

to join the new club : they will not enlist under its banners, and the Fitzwilliams are now fixed unalterably.

The next proceeding of this self-created Whig Committee (it is composed of twelve men, each of whom are said to possess two thousand pounds per annum), is to appoint Delegates throughout the United Kingdom-they meet again on Friday next.

One observation and I have done : if Ministers do not look sharp about them, this new Association will be successful ; talent and industry are not wanting-the leaders have a heart and hand in the service.

Three o'clock.—The gaieties in the Pavilion continue with undiminished splendour! Miss is the queen of the place. The Archduke Nicholas, at the Ball the other evening, applied to the Regent to recommend him a partner: his Royal Highness was introduced to Miss

Lord Grey, on his arrival, proceeded to Holland House, wherein a long consultation was held. This morning, Major Maxwell, Sir R. W. and Mr. L-, went in a body to Tierney. The latter candidly acknowledged that he was influenced in his opinions ; the fact is, that he had received a rap from the Fitzwilliams for presuming to give his sanction to the meetings without first consulting them. Tierney's friends declare that he will not desert the great cause : in reply to this, B. K- said, not five minutes ago, “ If the Grenvilles go over, Tierney will go

with them.”

Notwithstanding these inauspicious appearances, Lord Grey is very sanguine. He says, “ If the New Club persists in pursuing its present measures, the object will be successful, for Ministers will be beaten, and the Cobbetts also. Aye,” say the Grenvilles, “if the Merchants, Bankers, and the Great Landowners, will come forward and support the Reform System, we will do so too !"

The first Grand Meeting of the Opposition takes place at Devonshire House, on Monday night next, when a Copy of the Prince Regent's Speech will be read.

It is expected that the approaching fashionable season will be the dullest ever known in London: scarcely a single M. P. will bring his family to town-they are absolutely without the means.

The leading Whigs are in such an impoverished state that they have been obliged to borrow money at fifteen per cent. to bring them to town.

Recollect what I told you long since of the depreciated state of Newspaper property--therefore buy by all means. There are now in the market the Sun and Star—the Herald and British Press: the former are Evening, the latter Morning papers.

London, January 24, 1817. The Opposition are in amaze! the Grenvilles have been playing off a ruse de guerre. Instead of voting for the suppression of their sinecures, they are going over to ministers as the only alternative for the preservation of them. The poor Whigs were really so credulous as to place reliance upon professions! But what adds to their chagrin is the vacillating conduct of T—; they fear that he will go too ! From the Fitzwilliams he receives the major part of his magnificent pay (i. e., three thousand a year). Indeed, his conduct to the new Whigs stamps the current report in the best informed circles. Since the late meeting which he had previously panegyrised so highly, he has thrown cold water on

Oct.VOL. LXXXI. NO, CCCXXII.

N

every proposition, and in consequence Lucas, the chairman, threatens to publish an exposé.

In this situation were the affairs of the Opposition yesterday. In the evening Lord Grey came to town, and held a conversazione at Grillon's Hotel, in Albemarle-street, at which was present

From that channel, in the course of the day, I shall learn what passed at the meeting.

The Opposition, during the approaching session, will consist of

Earl Grey, as leader ; Lord Holland, Marquis of Lansdowne, Duke of Bedford, Marquis of Tavistock, Earl of Thanet. In the other house, Brougham, Bennett, Lambton, Weston, M. A. Taylor, General Fergu

Also the whole of the Cavendishes. Lauderdale and Folkstone are doubtful.

E - ratted long since : he played booty as long as he could.
66 What is
your friend doing ?” said Jekyll

, in one of the law courts, to Romilly, when he heard that his lordship had accepted the ribbon.

“Oh,” replied R-," he is become the Green Man and Still !”

Three o'clock.--I have been just put into possession of the following particulars relative to the measures of the party last night. At six o'clock, Lord Grey arrived; at seven, Mr. R. W. dined with him. He was then put into possession of every circumstance connected with the late meeting for reform at the Freemasons' Tavern, and the extraordinary line of conduct adopted by T- After dinner Sir R. was sent to Twith a message demanding an explanation ; T-equivocated, and in the leading points denied an avowal of his motives.

son.

London, January 28, 1817. The subject of my last letter related principally to the situation of the Opposition. I have told you that the Grenvilles, Fitzwilliams and Tierney were on the point of joining the administration. Since then things are altered. If the Whigs are prudent they will prevent this desertion, not that the Grenvilles will support them from love but from fear! “ Fear of whom ?" I think I hear you say. Not of the influence of the Whigs, but the resentment of the people. Lord Grenville is well aware that our affairs cannot long be maintained at the rate they go on, and he therefore dreads the idea of identifying himself with men who have such a heavy responsibility to encounter.

On Saturday Mr. Lucas, the chairman of the late meeting at the Freemasons' Tavern, received a note from Lord Grey, inviting him and the gentlemen connected with the committee for “ general reform,” to meet at his house in Portman-square, on the following day, at one o'clock, P.M. Messrs. Lucas, Holmes and Waithman attended, and met his lordship and Mr. Lambton only. Lord Grey expressed himself in warm terms of panegyric in favour of those gentlemen, who had advocated the cause of the Whigs, and added, that as far as retrenchment and economy he had no doubt of the cordial co-operation of his noble friends ; but as to the measure of general reform, was too delicate a step in the present stage of the business. Lucas fired at this ! He said,

“Nothing, then, remains but to leave the country to Cobbett and Hunt."

Lord G. replied, “He hoped that would not be necessary." “ Will your lordship raise the counties ?”

“ Not upon the grounds you propose. The attempt would be impracticable ; it would also ruin us all, for it would throw the most powerful individuals into the arms of government."

Lucas added, “ If these are your lordship’s sentiments, the efforts of myself and friends have been unavailing ; I shall, therefore, decline proceeding further! Nothing less than a radical reform! If that cannot be attempted I will dissolve the meeting."

Lord G.'s countenance was lighted up with indignation, but which he endeavoured to suppress—he was hurt at the distrust manifested. A Mr. Holme endeavoured to qualify the asperity by observing that he thought the proper mode of procedure would be step by step. "Obtain retrenchment and economy and then attack septennial parliaments; instead of triennial ones try to get them reduced to five years.

Lord G. acquiesced in this. Waithman next spoke. His speech was of the city and nothing but the city. He said that the ground he had lately taken against Hunt and Cobbett had brought over the whole of the moneyed interest. “I will undertake,” added he, addressing himself to Lord G., “to bring into your ranks seven thousand men and seven millions of money; therefore what have you to fear?” Previously to the conference breaking up, Lucas agreed not to call another meeting until he had given the Opposition an opportunity of bringing their motion before the House.

In the evening another political meeting took place at Lord Holland's in Arlington-street-it consisted of the Grenvilles and the leading Whigs. After a long discussion they were of opinion that a temperate line of conduct could alone succeed. "Lord Grenville agreed to support economy and retrenchment, in its fullest extent.

“Now my dear Perry,” said Holland, "we hope you will give us as much of your paper as possible !"

He meant give the speeches of our party very fully, and cut down those of their antagonists.

“My lord,” replied P., “ I have devoted myself to your service for forty years, but I will not consent to sink, as Woodfall did, into beggary

!” The result of the conversation was, the determination to send BK-and Major Maxwell to Lucas and Waithman, to tell them the result of their proceedings. In the course of the day I shall hear what took place at Devonshire House last night.

I am sorry, to hear such distressing accounts of the state of the (French) king's health. Are they true? Peltier read a letter from Paris yesterday to Mr. Nicholls, M.P., a friend of the Duke of Sussex: “ The king cannot live three days—he has water on his chest. The moment he is defunct the minister De Cazes will be arrested, and all his papers seized!” Peltier boasted that the letter came from very high authority. Nicholls asked P. what he thought of the Duke of Richelieu. His reply, “Pooh, he is a fool.” On Russian influence, “De Cazes supplies Pozzo di Borgo with plenty of money;'' “ the Baring loan will be at an end if the king dies;"" " the Ultras will upset De Cazes.”

Lord Grey moves the amendment in the Lords, and Ponsonby in the Commons.

Three o'clock.—The Regent has just returned from the House with the window-glasses broken. In the park the assembled multitude was prodi