Ld. Wellesley expressed his intention to resign, because his general opinions for a long time past on various important questions had not sufficient weight to justify him towards the Public, or towards his own Character in continuing in Office, and because he had no hope of obtaining from the Cabinet, (as then constituted) a greater portion of attention than he had already experienced.

Lord Wellesley’s objections to remaining in the Cabinet, arose, in a great degree, from the narrow & imperfect scale, on which the efforts in the Peninsula were conducted. It was always stated to him by Mr. Perceval, that it was im-

AND ITS REWARD

113

practicable to enlarge that system. The Cabinet followed Mr. Perceval implicitly. Ld. Wellesley thought that it was perfectly practicable to extend the Plan in the Peninsula & that it was neither safe nor honest towards this Country or the Allies to continue the present contracted scheme. No hope existed of converting Mr. Perceval, or any of his Colleagues; no alternative, therefore, remained for Ld. Wellesley but to resign, or to be the Instrument of ‘a System, which he never advised, & which he could not approve.

Ld. Wellesley had repeatedly, with great reluctance, yielded his opinions to the Cabinet on many other important points. He was sincerely convinced by experience that, in every such instance, he had submitted to opinions more incorrect than his own, and had sacrificed, to the object of accommodation & temporary harmony more than he could justify in point of strict public duty. In fact, he was convinced by experience, that the Cabinet neither possessed ability, nor knowledge to devise a good plan; nor temper and discernment to adopt what he now thought necessary unless Mr. Perceval should concur with Ld. Wellesley. To Mr. Perceval’s judgment, or attainments, Ld. Wellesley (under the same experience) could not pay any deference, without injury to the Public Service. With these views and sentiments, on the [blank in MS.] of January, Ld. Wellesley merely desired permission to withdraw from the Cabinet, not requiring any change in his own situation, and imploring no other favour than the facility of resignation.

This plain request was notified to the Prince Regent & to Mr. Perceval as nearly as possible at the same moment of time, with the expression

114

POLITICAL INFLUENCE

of Ld. Wellesley’s wish that the precise time of his resignation might be accommodated to the pleasure of his Royal Highness, & to the convenience of Mr. Perceval, as soon as the Restrictions should expire. The P. Rt. received this notification with many gracious expressions of regret, & Mr. Perceval in writing, used expressions of regret, & also of thanks for the manner, in which Ld. W. had signified his wish to resign.

Mr. Perceval without any communication to Ld. W. instantly attempted to induce the P. Rt. to remove him before the expiration of the restrictions & repeatedly urged the attempt with great earnestness, severally proposing Ld. Castlereagh, Lord Moira, & Ld. Sidmouth or some of his party to supersede Ld. W., without an hour of delay. Mr. P. never gave any intimation to Ld. W. of these proceedings, nor even of his wish for Lord W.’s immediate retirement.

The P.R. still pressing Ld. W. to retain the Seals, he submitted to His Royal Highness’s commd. declaring at the same time his anxious desire to be liberated as soon as his R.H. should establish his Government.

When it appeared, at the expiration of the restrictions that the P. Rt. intended to continue Mr. P.’s Government, Ld. W. again tendered the Seals to His R.H. with encreased earnestness: on that occasion, being informed, that H.R.H. was still at liberty, & was resolved to form his Cabinet, according to H.R.H. own views, and being commanded to state his opinions on the subject, Ld. W. declared, that in his judgment, the Cabinet ought to be formed first on an intermediary principle respecting the Roman Catholic claims, equally exempt from the extremes of

AND ITS REWARD

115

instant, unqualified concession, & of peremptory, eternal exclusion, and secondly on an understanding that the War should be conducted with adequate vigor. Ld. W. said that he personally was ready to serve with Mr. P. on such a Basis; that he never again would serve under Mr. P. in any circumstances. He said that he would serve under Ld. Moira or Ld. Holland on the proposed principle, but that he desired no office, & entertained no other wish, than to be instrumental in forming such an Administration for the P. Rt. as should be consistent with H.R.H.’s honor, conciliatory towards Ireland, and equal to the conduct of the War, on a scale of sufficient extent. He made no exception to any Prime Minister but Mr. P., whom he considered to be incompetent to fill that office, although sufficiently qualified for inferior stations. He offered to act under any other person approved by H.R.H., but he stated that his own views rendered him much more anxious to resign instantly.

The P. Rt. commanded Ld. W. to continue until H.R.H. should have communicated with Mr. P. through the Ld. Chancellor. Ld. W. stated, that such a communication must prove useless, but submitted to H.R.H. earnest desire; in two days afterwards, Ld. W. received through the Ld. Chancellor, the P. Rt.’s acceptance of his resignation, & accordingly delivered the Seals to H.R.H. on the 19th Feby. 1812.