favourable notice; but I assure your Majesty that I had not a notion that the existence of these letters would ever be made known to your Majesty; still less did I intend, in writing them, to manifest any desire to withdraw my resignation of the office of Commander-in-Chief. Your Majesty has been pleased to observe that the command of the army is still open, and that if I choose to recall my resignation of that command I have your Majesty's permission to do so.

I earnestly hope that your Majesty will have the goodness to refer to the reasons which I stated to your Majesty on the 12th of April, and more fully to your Majesty's minister on the 6th of May, as having imposed upon me the painful necessity of offering to your Majesty my resignation of the command of your Majesty's forces.

I humbly entreat your Majesty to bear in mind that those reasons still continue in force, and that were I under such circumstances to recall my resignation, I should by that act admit that I had not been justified in retiring; and I should disable myself from rendering that useful service to your Majesty which it would be, as it ever has been, the pride of my life to render. All of which, together with the expression of my gratitude for the kind sentiments contained in your Majesty's letter to me, is submitted to your Majesty by your Majesty's most devoted subject,

WELLINGTON.

Lisbon, 24th May, 1827.

Sir William Clinton to Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington. MY LORD DUKE, I have been very desirous of writing to your Grace, but as my chief motive for doing so, in this instance, has regarded myself, I have felt extremely unwilling to trespass on your time.

I request to be allowed to preface what I have to say by the expression of my unfeigned and heartfelt concern that any circumstances should have arisen to deprive the country of your Grace's valuable services, the importance of which it cannot but highly appreciate, while every well-wisher to its prosperity must earnestly desire to see those services again in full activity.

Permit me now to say a few words on the very minor subject of my own concerns, and relative to the high situation I have the honour to hold at the Board of Ordnance; a situation which, of all others, I considered most eligible. I am extremely desirous of stating to you the grounds upon which I still continue, and propose remaining at the post where (at your Grace's very flattering recommendation) his Majesty was pleased to place

me.

From the best considerations I have been able to give to the subject, it appears to me that, circumstanced as I am here, employed on a particular service (a distinction it again behoves me to say I owe to your Grace), and having to fulfil to the best of my endeavour and ability a measure of government, I cannot be supposed to take any part in political questions at home, and that my resignation, therefore, while so employed, is neither called for or to be expected of me.

In taking this line I confidently hope that all my friends will see reason to approve my conduct, but there is no one whose approbation in this instance I am more solicitous to obtain than that of him to whose notice I owe what little military fame I possess, and whose good opinion it is my most earnest wish to merit and to retain.

I have the honour to be, my Lord Duke,

your faithful and obedient servant,

W. H. CLINTON.

Sir Charles Metcalfe to the Governor-General.

EXTRACT from an Official Letter from SIR CHARLES METCALFE, Bart., Resident at Delhi, to the Secretary of the Governor-General, dated 28th May, 1827.

It would, I consider, be entirely contrary to our established policy to interfere in any possible disputes which might arise in the Punjab, on the demise of Rajah Runjeet Singh, unless they took a turn dangerous to the tranquillity of our own dominions.

So far as merely the internal strife of contending competitors is concerned, I do not foresee any probability of any serious inconvenience to ourselves, but a case might arise out of such contentions which would require our earnest attention.

If the empire established by Runjeet Singh be torn to pieces after his death by internal contests, or even if it fall undivided into hands less able than his to hold it together, the invasion of the Punjab by the Mahomedan fanatics who lately made the attempt may be renewed with better success, and were they to succeed the event would be of eminent importance to our interests, for it seems certain that Syed Uhmud, Moolvee Ismael, and their colleagues, have established a very extensive, if not universal influence over the minds of our Mahomedan subjects. During the period of their recent attack on Runjeet Singh's territories, the most fervent anxiety for their success pervaded the Mahomedan population of Delhi; numbers quitted their homes and marched to join them, including some who resigned their employment in the Company's service, both the civil and military branches, for that purpose.

It is said that the King of Delhi encouraged this spirit. If he did, the fact was not forced on my attention so as to compel me to notice it, and I preferred letting the ardour burn out of itself to adding fuel to it by opposition. If, however, the fanatics had been successful, it would undoubtedly have increased. It subsided on their failure, but eager eyes are still directed towards them.

*Afterwards Lord Metcalfe.

It is remarkable that no intelligence has been received regarding them since the defeat of their coadjutor Yar Mahomed Khan of Peshawur. The subsequent occupation of Peshawur by Runjeet Singh, Yar Mahomed Khan's submission, and his sending of his son in token thereof, are matters of notoriety; but whether Syed Uhmud and Moolvee Ismael, &c., are still in arms, or have fled to any distant country, and relinquished the actual prosecution of their design for the present, does not clearly appear; and it is not decidedly established that they and their immediate followers were engaged in the encounter between Yar Mahomed Khan and the troops of Runjeet Singh.

Syed Uhmud is in correspondence with Ameer Khan, and was formerly in his service, but is now his spiritual guide, and is said to have great influence over him. The Nuwab has the family of the Syed under his protection; he told me so, in order, as he said, that he might not be charged with it hereafter as a crime against our government. The Syed passed through Ameer Khan's territory, on his way to the north-westward, and the latter is no doubt privy to his designs whatever they may be. It appears, indeed, that they are regarded with intense interest generally by the Mahomedans of this quarter of India.

I have adverted to this matter as one which may possibly give us more positive interest at no distant period in the affairs of the Punjab than we should otherwise have, but as it is one of uncertain character, the rising up of which at all times is not certain, and the prevention of which by premature interference on our part is not certain either, it seems best not to deviate from our established policy until a clear necessity arise for our doing so, which may at the same time indicate, without the probability of mistake, the wisest course to be pursued for the protection of our own interests.

It does not seem to be desirable that any further notice should be taken of the supposed overture of Kurgh Singh than what it has already received in the reply of the Governor of Bombay. If Kurgh Singh be desirous of submitting similar propositions to the Supreme Government, he will find a way to make his wishes known.

I was in hopes that I should have seen you before you left town, to speak to you on the subject of this letter; but as you are gone to Cowes I think it best to write to you.

I have heard it reported that a Russian squadron, consisting of nine sail of the line and nine frigates, and a French squadron, are to be assembled with one of his Majesty's in the Levant this autumn. I ask no question respecting the fact; still less do I give an opinion on a subject on which I can know nothing excepting from common report.

I trouble you upon this subject only as it bears a relation to your department. These will be very extraordinary Allies if they should not require some assistance in stores during their service; and possibly it might be desirable that you should look at the returns of the store of powder at Malta and in the Ionian Islands, and enquire respecting the calibre of the ordnance of these Allies, and send out a supply of shot accordingly, that the most essential articles may not be wanting. This state of preparation in our magazines will not only be creditable to the department under your superintendence, but may have the effect of preventing the Allies from seeking to form establishments of their own in the Levant. The expense, if any, will only be an advance, as of course they will what they take.

pay for

Believe me, &c.,

WELLINGTON.

[733.] To Charles Thorpe, Esq., Senior Master of the Guild of Merchants, Dublin. London, 16th June, 1827.

SIR,

I have received your letter of the 10th instant enclosing the unanimous address of the Guild of Merchants testifying the approbation of my fellow citizens of my conduct, for which I beg you to convey to the Guild my most grateful acknowledg

ment.

I thought it proper to decline to belong to his Majesty's councils for reasons well known to the public; but I did not, nor shall I, refuse my support to the administration formed by his Majesty, upon every occasion on which I shall think their measures calculated to promote the honour, the peace, or the prosperity of the country.

I have the honour, &c.,

WELLINGTON.

Earl Grey to Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington.

MY DEAR DUKE,

Berkeley Square, 18th June, 1827.

I have the honour of returning to your Grace your correspondence with Mr. Huskisson, which I received last night from Lord Jersey, with many thanks for your kindness in allowing it to be communicated to me.

After reading it very attentively, I must acknowledge that the letter of the 24th of May appears to me to admit of the construction put upon it in

Mr. Huskisson's subsequent explanation; but without that explanation, and with reference to what you had stated to be your object in proposing an alteration to guard the warehouse system against abuse, I should have understood it in the same manner as your Grace.

I have had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the 24th May, and it appears to me that you have formed a correct judgment of your position in relation to the government and to your office at the Board of Ordnance.

I resigned my office of Master-General because I did not think it possible for me-for reasons stated in a letter to Mr. Canning of the 11th of April, which has been published in the newspapers-to continue in the Cabinet. But I stated in Parliament, and repeatedly both by letter and in conversation, that no political circumstances or opinions would have induced me to quit the command of the army at the Horse-Guards any more than I would the command of an army in the field. I quitted the command because I received a letter from the King's minister, written in the King's name, and stated to have been submitted to the King, which was not on a subject strictly official, which was couched in such a degree in a tone of taunt and rebuke as to render it quite clear to me, as I believe it now is to everybody else, that I could not retain the command with honour to myself or with advantage to his Majesty or his government.

If circumstances had been different I should have acted otherwise, and should now be in the command of the army. There is therefore no reason why you, being under circumstances quite different, and such as I should have been in if I had not received the letter from the King's minister above referred to, should not retain your command even though you should differ in politics with the King's government. But even upon this point I understand that you have not made up your mind; and in the existing state of things, and in the midst of representations of all colours and descriptions such as I believe never existed before in this country, and I hope never will again,