On Sir James's return to Guernsey, after his unsuccessful application to ministers for a Peerage, he resumed the works of charity and benevolence which had already done so much good to his native island. The ground on which Sir James's church stands was his property; he made a free gift of it to the building committee, and subscribed one thousand pounds towards the construction of that place of public worship. He assisted in improving the salaries of the masters and mistresses of the parochial schools, and was principally instrumental in establishing the Sunday school in the town parish. He founded an exhibition in Elizabeth College, for the best classical and theological scholar. He gave three hundred pounds in the Câtel parish, where his country seat was situate, for the payment of a salary to the mistress of the girls' school. He distributed at Christmas, every year, warm clothing to the poor of every parish in the island, and, conjointly with the late dean, the Rev. Mr. Durand, succeeded, after many fruitless attempts, in establishing a national school at St. Peter Port. It has been justly said that he considered the great wealth he possessed as "trust money," for which he would have to account to that Being who had confided it to his care.
Sir James's residence being in Guernsey, where he possessed both a town and country house, and considerable landed property, and where he found himself surrounded by the relations both of Lady Saumarez and himself, he was induced to visit England but seldom. After the hundred days' war, when the Continental Sovereigns came to London, he accompanied the Prince Regent and his august allies to Oxford, and assisted in the ceremonies observed on that memorable visit. Had hostilities continued, there can be no doubt that he would have had the command of the Channel fleet, and it is worthy of remark that he was told, on making application for the Victory as his flag-ship, that four or five admirals, who had sought employment, had applied also for that favourite ship, notwithstanding the Howe, Nelson, and St. Vincent, new ships of one hundred and twenty guns, were ready for commission. Sir James having been second lieutenant of the same Victory forty-seven years before he hoisted his flag in her, and being well aware of her excellent sailing qualities, will account for his desire for that ship to bear his flag, although it cannot be denied, that, having only one hundred guns, and her metal reduced to eighteen pounders on the middle deck, she was much inferior in force to those we have mentioned. The glorious victory of Waterloo, however, put an end to all speculations on that subject; and Sir James, having failed in an application for a similar reward to that conferred on others for his meritorious services, retired again to his native island. After Sir James and Lord Nelson had returned from the Mediterranean subsequently to the melancholy death of Captain Miller, they met at Sir Peter Parker's at dinner, when Sir James proposed that a subscription for a monument to Captain Miller's memory should be raised among the Captains who fought with his lordship at the Nile. This proposition was immediately adopted by Nelson, who volunteered to promote it; and the following is a letter on the subject from Nelson to Saumarez, which we insert here because it did not come to our hands until after the first volume had been printed.
My Dear Sir James,—I have written so fully to Sir Edward Berry on the subject of dear Miller's monument, that I can only repeat my words. Sir E. Berry thought that a plain monument would cost only 200l. and be sufficient to mark our esteem, to which I am ready to agree, provided we are to have the honour to ourselves. I mean we, who fought with him on the 1st of August 1798; but if it is judged better to admit those who fought with him on the 14th February 1797, then I think that a less sum than 500l. would be highly improper for such a body to lay out on a monument. Flaxman is to be the artist employed, and Mr. Davison, if he will take the trouble, the manager of the whole business; for permission must be obtained from the Chapter of St. Paul's, &c. &c.
I wish we had all been off Brest when the squadron sailed; we might have had the good fortune to have seen them. The San Josef appears to answer very well; indeed, as far as we can judge at present, she is, take her altogether, the finest three-decker in this country. I am going, as you know, into the St. George, but I wish our Northern matters could be accommodated; however, we must face all our enemies, and, I trust, make them ashamed of themselves.
I know you have a lad of the name of Bate on board; if you wish to part from him, I am bound to take him.
With my best compliments to Lady Saumarez, believe me ever, my dear Sir James,
Your most obliged and affectionate,
Nelson and Bronte.
To Rear-admiral Saumarez.
Although this letter has no date, it is clear that it must have been written just before the battle with the Danish fleet at Copenhagen in 1801; and it is evident that the merit of proposing a monument to the brave Captain Miller is due to Sir James Saumarez.