Most faithfully yours,
W. H. Fremantle.
MR. CHARLES W. WYNN TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.
Tuesday.
My dear B——,
In consequence of Lord Liverpool's summons, desiring me to be in town two or three days before the 16th, and that he would meet me there any day I would appoint, I announced to him that I would come up Sunday evening, and call upon him any hour that he would fix on Monday. On my arrival on Sunday night I found an answer to this, stating, without one word of excuse or apology, that he was going down to Combe Wood, but would return on Tuesday and receive me at twelve o'clock on that day. This certainly is anything but civil, but I suppose it is the nature of the animal. I have been with him this morning, and he told me that there would be a Council on Thursday at Carlton House for the purpose of swearing me a Privy Councillor, and that he thought it would be as well that you should take the same opportunity of kissing hands for your Dukedom. Most heartily do I congratulate you upon its completion.
I find that both Sturges Bourne[78] ] and Lord Binning[79] ] have desired to retire from the India Board; both, however, expressing their strong wish to support the Government, and that their retreat may be considered as unconnected with Canning's.
Their successors are not yet fixed upon. It is proposed to Charles Grant to be one, which I am told he has not yet positively declined, but I can hardly believe that he will accept anything so much lower in the scale of office than what he has previously held. This is unlucky, as it will so much delay my own appointment and the commencement of my salary, which begins to be an object. I also find the finances of this Board in such a state of embarrassment that there is a debt of 2000l., and the charges next year likely to exceed the income 1600l. a-year, to meet which, a deduction of five per cent. on all our salaries is talked of as the only resource.
Lord Liverpool professes readiness to appoint Phillimore to a seat at one of the Boards, but not to be held with his profession, which is a mere contrivance to negative it.
THE RIGHT HON. CHARLES W. WYNN TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.