15th March.—(On Friday, the 13th, Ld. Sidmouth did offer to resign, but it was not accepted by Ld. Grenville.)
There was a Cabinet to-day at which neither Ld. Ellenboro’ or Sidmouth assisted. It was then determined to withdraw the Bill which had given His Majesty so much uneasiness, but to reserve to the members of the Cabinet as individuals to express their opinion on the Catholic claims if brought before Parlt. by the Catholics, which measure, however, the members of the Cabinet pledged themselves not to encourage or recommend the Catholics to adopt.
The reasons for giving up the Bill were as follows:—
1st. The K. considered himself as pledged to no more than ye Irish Act of ’93, and was determined to resist any further concession to the Catholics. But the mere extension of the Irish Act of 1793 would not tend in any degree to satisfy the C., nor to allay their discontent, while it would be unjust and unfair to the English Dissenters, whom it would place on a worse footing than the Irish Catholics.
THE CATHOLIC QUESTION
2nd. But if the Bill, modified and reduced as it is by the King, would be useless and objectionable, the prosecution of the original Bill could not be persisted in, without incurring the reproach of having taken advantage of the King; of having deceived him into acquiescence with a measure not properly explained to him; and when the mistake was cleared up, of having made use of the opportunity to commit the House of Commons on a measure so decidedly contrary to his opinion. If the Bill was dropped on acct. of those last considerations, the Ministry must either resign, or go on with the disadvantage of having abandoned a measure of so much importance, and of having been baffled by the K. and a most contemptible colleague. In their voluntary resignation there were many objections. It would preclude them from employing their present strength in the H. of Commons in addressing the King against the change of his confidential advisers, because whatever might be the cause of their resignation, the act, if voluntary, necessarily compelled the King to look for other advisers; and till those advisers were tried, it would appear factious to move addresses against them. Besides this reason for not resigning, the question of the C. was not popular in the kingdom, and a cry could be easily raised against it and its friends. It was therefore resolved to go on for the present, but as the King had now discovered his strength, and as little confidence or cordiality could longer exist between him and his present Ministers, it was determined to take the first popular ground of difference, and to resign upon it; and to take off the impression of having been baffled by Ld. Sidmouth, it was determined that he should be instantly turned out. Besides these reasons for the line taken upon this occasion by the Cabinet, there were several who persistently indulged the hope that the King would not be satisfied with this concession, but that he would demand some further pledge on which they might make a stand on better ground than they occupied at present. The event proved their sagacity.
16th March.—On Monday, 16th, Ld. Grenville went down to Windsor with the Minute which had been agreed to on the day before in the Cabinet. The K. required 24 hours to consider of his answer, and on Tuesday morning he sent the following to Ld. Grenville:—
17th March, Windsor Castle.
‘The King having fully considered what is submitted in the Minute of Cabinet which he received yesterday morning, desires Ld. G. will communicate to those who were present his sentiments and observations upon the contents of that Minute as hereafter explained.
‘His Majesty has learned with satisfaction that they have determined not to press forward any further the discussion of the Bill depending in Parlt., and he is sensible of the deference shown to his sentiments and feelings, but he regrets that while they have felt bound as his Ministers to adopt this line of conduct, they should as individuals consider it necessary to submit to Parlt. opinions which are known to be so decidedly contrary to his principles, at a moment too when it is the declared object of his Governt. not to encourage any disposition on the part of the R. Catholics of Ireland to prefer a Petition to Parliament.