execute what the King desires in Portugal; and Sir Joseph Yorke still declining Spain, through a persuasion that he can regain Prince Lewis to favour, a civil note from whom he encloses to General Conway, I have sent to Lord Buckingham (') to come to town, and expect to find him on my return.

I shall be glad to have your Lordship's advice, at your leisure, in regard to a governor of Jamaica. It is most material that a fit person should go there, and soon; for the lieutenant-governor has to gain the favour of the people there. Your Lordship may, perhaps, at the same time, make this appointment assist other arrangements. I know Mr. Fitzherbert (2), at the board of trade, in general looks that way.

vernor of South Carolina; in 1760, governor of Jamaica; and in October 1766, envoy-extraordinary to the King of Portugal. In 1776, he was created Baron Westcote of Ballymore, in the county of Longford; and in 1794, a British peer by the title of Lord Lyttelton, which had become extinct in 1779 by the death of his nephew, the second lord. He died in 1808.

(1) John Hobart, second Earl of Buckinghamshire. In 1762, he was appointed ambassador to the court of Petersburgh; and in 1776, lord-lieutenant of Ireland. He died in 1793.

(2) William Fitzherbert, of Tissington, esquire, at this time member for Derby, and one of the lords of trade, which situation he continued to hold till January 1772, when he terminated his own existence; "owing," says Dr. Johnson, "to imaginary difficulties in his affairs, which, had he talked of with a friend, would soon have vanished." The whole tenor of his life is acknowledged to have been a constant series of public and private acts of beneficence. In parliament, he distinguished himself as the promoter of every measure tending to advance the internal prosperity of the community. In him originated

Nothing can be so satisfactory as the state of India business is become. Notwithstanding the

communication of government, the advice of the directors and of the honestest proprietors, they came to a declaration of increase of dividend by a great majority, composed of factious sets of men, and appointed the Thursday after to go greater lengths as to Lord Clive, &c.; but though the majority was very great, the public confidence did not follow it, and the stock stood; till they have been obliged, to prevent its falling, to retreat, and join the others in a general language of entire confidence in parliament. (')

Your Lordship's

most faithful servant,

SHELBURNE.

many of the legislative provisions which have so materially contributed to the embellishment of the metropolis, and to the health, safety, and comfort of its inhabitants.

(1) The following account of a conversation with Lord Chatham on the affairs of the East India Company, which took place at Bath a few days subsequent to the date of the above, is contained in a letter from Mr.Walsh to Lord Clive:

"Soon after the new administration was formed, the chairman and deputy chairman were sent for to the cabinet council, and were acquainted that, as the affairs of the India Company were likely to be taken into consideration by parliament, it would be proper for them to be prepared. An intimation of the kind could not fail to alarm, and affect the stock greatly. The quarterly court being over, I made an excursion to Bath, where Lord Chatham, Lord Camden, and Lord Northington were assembled. My private motive for this journey was to discover their disposition towards the Company; and, by means of my intimacy with Lord Camden, to endeavour to put you

P.S. There has been a large correspondence of the Duke of Choiseul's deciphered, which shows

on a good footing with Lord Chatham, who, there was some reason to apprehend, was not the best disposed either towards you, the present direction, or the Company. I recollected Lord Chatham's discourse to me (see p. 62.) about your acquisitions being too vast, and saw Shelburne, Barré, and the enemies of the present direction in the highest employs. Lord Camden immediately removed my apprehensions as to any thing hostile being intended against the Company. I told him that I was ignorant whether the directors had given the administration full information concerning the affairs of Bengal; but whatever their conduct might have been in that respect, I, as acting for Lord Clive, should use no kind of reserve with the administration; that Lord Clive, though a zealous servant of the Company, ever considered his duty to his country to be the first and greatest obligation upon him; that he had formerly submitted to Lord Chatham's consideration, whether the Bengal acquisitions were an object for the state or the Company (see Vol. i. p. 389.); and that, though the Company had in a manner been left to pursue their own measures in that respect, yet it was reasonable that, in such great prosperity as theirs, they should contribute liberally to the exigencies of the state; that your friends would readily concur in such a measure, and that I wished for an opportunity of assuring Lord Chatham of this; but as I knew him, particularly in his present ill state of health, to be inaccessible, I requested his lordship to report it to him. He advised my writing a note to see Lord Chatham, which I accordingly did, and was admitted; though it was then a favour, as I understood, he had only granted to Lord Camden. I should have mentioned that, before I left town, I waited on General Conway; made him the same offer of information; gave him a state of the revenues, and pointed out to him some of the means by which the commerce of the Company might be greatly advanced. He appeared quite unacquainted with these affairs, but very desirous to be informed.

"It was the 11th of October that I saw Lord Chatham. I told him the occasion of my visit in almost the same words I had used to Lord Camden: in answer to which, after complimenting me on the purity, as he styled it, of my intentions, and

his sentiments very much at large. The Spaniards are in the same situation, in all appearance much embarrassed about Falkland's Islands; the ambassador seems to wait the return of his last courier.

of the liberal way in which I had considered this matter, he told me that all matters of fact relating to India would be very acceptable to him, though he did not wish to receive propositions on that head, as the affair was of too extensive and too difficult a nature for ministers to determine; that they could not undertake to decide, between the state and the Company, what was precisely proper for each; that the consideration must of necessity come into parliament; that by the means of so many gentlemen coming from different parts of the kingdom, and turning the subject different ways in their minds, many new lights might be gathered; that the crown had nothing to do in the affair, and that its ministers could only interfere in preventing unreasonableness and oppressions on one side or the other; and that the Company, in all cases, must subsist. On my giving him the state of the revenues, he seemed much surprised at the smallness of the amount, saying that Holwell and common report had made it much larger. He spoke very handsomely of you; said that he heard with concern of the virulent publications against you; that it was incumbent on the Company to support you strongly, and likewise to reward you. I mentioned how greatly the Company's commerce might be extended with the assistance of government; hinted the necessity there was of excluding foreigners from being stockholders, and sharing in our benefits; and concluded with observing, that every thing I had heard from him gave me the highest satisfaction, except the impracticability that he intimated of any arrangement between the administration and the directors before the meeting of Parliament.

"This is the substance of my conversation with this great man, who is certainly not only the most vigorous, but the most comprehensive and judicious minister this country ever had. I hope, in consequence of what I before wrote to you, that you have taken steps to conciliate and attach him. He has a greatness in himself, which makes him feel and assert the great actions of others."

THE EARL OF CHATHAM TO THE EARL OF

SHELBURNE.

[In the hand-writing of his Secretary.]

Bath, Monday, October 5, 1766.

LORD CHATHAM still continues unfortunate in not having a hand to present himself to Lord Shelburne. Many respectful compliments and warm acknowledgments, for the honour of his Lordship's very obliging letter. He is most sincerely happy to understand from his Lordship, that the alarm at Bowood has proved unfounded, or at least prevented in the effects, and joins with Lord Shelburne in wishing most anxiously that his Lordship may find, on his return to London, accounts from other parts more satisfactory than when he left it.

Vigilance and vigour, on the part of government, are indispensable in the present situation, and the laws must be enforced. The letters written by the secretaries of state to the lords-lieutenants are extremely fit, and will, it is hoped, be productive of good effects.

THE EARL OF SHELBURNE TO THE EARL OF

CHATHAM.

MY DEAR LORD,

Hill Street, Wednesday 5 o'clock. [October 8, 1766.]

SINCE my return to town, I have seen Lord

Buckingham. He declines going to Spain: he