THE EARL OF CHATHAM TO THE EARL OF SHELBURNE. Hayes, Saturday night, September 29, 1770. MY DEAR LORD, Ir is with extreme pleasure that I learn, by the kind favour of your Lordship's letter, that you are arrived in England; if this wretched island is still to be called by a once respected name. I was counting the hours till I could be assured of your return towards these parts; which, from the information at Shelburne House, I understood was to be about this time. I trust I need not say, that to see your Lordship is at all times a truly sincere and sensible satisfaction to me. In the present melancholy and most perilous moment, the friends of the public and of each other cannot meet too soon. The dangers from abroad are great; but to men, even those will never supersede the fixed determination to pursue inflexibly reparation for our rights at home, and security against the like future violations. I wait anxiously to learn the result of the meeting at York. I trust it will aim right; but nothing, I expect, will hit the mark full but the city of London, where the constitution is not yet called faction, and where the modern dictionary does not yet enough prevail to proscribe the word re monstrance. I will expect your Lordship at Hayes, according to your most kind intention. I have no sort of en 472 CORRESPONDENCE OF 1770. gagement that can stand in the way during the whole week, except a little law business on Wednesday morning. I will therefore only beg your Lordship to consult your own convenience; and be assured, that to embrace Lord Shelburne there is no difference of days, but the earlier or the later. I have the honour to be, with the truest esteem, my dear Lord, Your Lordship's most faithful and affectionate friend and humble servant, CHATHAM. THE EARL OF CHATHAM TO THE EARL OF SHELBURNE. MY DEAR LORD, Hayes, Wednesday morning. [October 4, 1770.] I AM just going to London to visit my nephew, Mr. Pitt, on the late melancholy event of Sir Richard Lyttelton's death.(') This allows me only a moment to return your return your Lordship a thousand thanks for the honour of your most obliging letter, with the enclosures. I have cast a hasty eye over the sketch of the remonstrance, and will fully consider it before I have the pleasure of (1) Sir Richard died on the 1st of October at Chelsea. In the following year, his nephew, Mr. Thomas Pitt, afterwards Lord Camelford, caused an obelisk to be erected to his memory in Boconnoe Park. See Vol. I. p. 180. seeing you to-morrow, according to the hope your Lordship's goodness has given me. On the first view, the style seems not sufficiently measured, nor the expression enough moulded into technical respect to the throne. The House of Commons, too, might perhaps be better pointed out to public odium and indignation, by being described in less abusive terms, and defined by the flagrant invasion of the rights of their constituents. This method would afford less handle against the city, and make more way with the sincere and honest public. Indeed, I think it indispensably necessary, towards maintaining the ground with propriety and advantage, that the city should acquiesce to such a strain of language as their true friends, best able to judge of this matter, think advisable. Fortiter in re I recommend, but less invective in words. I will trouble your Lordship no further at present, but expect with impatience the kind favour you promise to-morrow. I am ever, with warmest sentiments of friendship, my dear Lord, Most faithfully yours, CHATHAM. JOHN CALCRAFT, ESQ. TO THE EARL OF CHATHAM. Ingress, Friday night, October 19, 1770. MY DEAR LORD, MR. SAWBRIDGE(') came here this evening, after having attended the common council. The recorder's business (2) has ended much to the satisfaction of our friends. On looking back, they found the entry of an old order for employing the recorder and common serjeant in all city business; therefore the following resolutions were proposed and carried; — 1. to repeal this order so far as relates to the recorder, 2. to employ the recorder in no city business, he being deemed unworthy their confidence, 3. to retain and consult Serjeant Glynn in all the city affairs, 4. to give the freedom to Mr. Dunning, for having, when solicitorgeneral, defended in parliament the right to petition and remonstrate. - Saturday morning. This morning's post brings the following intelligence from a good quarter: -"The Spanish (1) Alderman Sawbridge was at this time member for Hythe. In 1774, he was chosen for the city of London, and in 1776 obtained the mayoralty. He died in 1795. (2) Sir James Eyre, afterwards chief-justice of the Common Pleas. His conduct, in declining to attend at St. James's with the city remonstrance, gave much offence, and was made a subject of investigation before the common council. In his defence, the recorder alleged, that his conscience would not suffer him to be present at the delivery of, much less to read, an address couched in such harsh terms. ambassador received a courier this morning. Lord Weymouth has been to wait on him, and received for answer at the door, that his excellency was so ill he could not see his Lordship, and also, that his head ached so violently, that he had not been able to read his despatches. You may rely on this." I remain, Most respectfully and faithfully yours, J. CALCRAFT. THE EARL OF CHATHAM TO JOHN CALCRAFT, ESQ. Hayes, Saturday morning, October 20, 1770. MY DEAR SIR, THE kind favour of your letter has brought me a very good account of the issue of the recorder's business. The city comes out of the affair with much propriety and honour, and a due mark is set on the slavish doctrines and petulant behaviour of their servant. The regard to Mr. Serjeant Glynn is highly to my satisfaction: the justice done to Mr. Dunning, I extremely applaud. I could wish Mr. Wedderburn's merit to the cause of the constitution not to be forgot. I think it a species of injustice if, on some proper occasion, it be not intended to show him too that his spirited disinterested conduct is felt as it deserves. I fear some mixture of narrow ideas and local antipathy. To |