of acting justices therein, and as the elections are all finished, I flatter myself that your Lordship will expedite this in such a manner, as to have it come out at the next assizes, which will cause great satisfaction to the county in general, and be of public utility. I have taken all the precautions that have been in my power, to prevent the inserting any improper persons in it; but have endeavoured, after having struck out all against whom there is any well-grounded suspicion of disaffection to his Majesty and his Royal Family, to make it as general as possible with regard to all persons of good character and fortune in it, without regard to party denominations. It is very probable I may have erred in some instances, I not being personally so well acquainted with the gentlemen there as I could wish, and have therefore been obliged to take my information from the relation of others, in which I have been as careful as it was possible for me to be. I have nothing further to trouble your Lordship with upon this subject, and shall do myself the honour of waiting on you at Powys House, whenever I shall be able to come to town; in the meantime any commands your Lordship may have for me may be sent to Woburn, where I purpose to be within this fortnight. I am, &c. BEDFORD. 1754. 1754. THE EARL OF HARDWICKE TO THE DUKE OF BEDFORD. Powis House, May 25. 1754. My Lord, I received, by yesterday's post, the honour of your Grace's letter, with four several lists enclosed, relating to a new Commission of the Peace proposed to be issued for the County of Devon. Your Grace certainly judged extremely right in postponing this affair till the elections were all over, and I make no doubt but your good affection to his Majesty, and regard for the public utility, in forming the lists to govern yourself by those very proper rules which you are pleased to mention in your letter. I have not yet had time just at the close of the term, to read over the papers, and fear I shall not have a full opportunity of considering them till after the approaching little session of Parliament shall be over; and I apprehend from some expressions in your letter, as well as from what you were pleased to say to me in the winter, that it is your Grace's intention that I should make some inquiry. But, as the next assizes will not be till August, I can entertain very little doubt but the commission may be ready against that time. If I should learn any thing material upon the subject, I will not fail to inform your Grace of it, either by letter or when I have the honour of seeing you in town. Having called the approaching session a little one, I will take the liberty to add, that as it will begin on Friday next, the day of the return of the writs, I believe it will not last longer than the Thursday following. The only intention of it is to give a perfect consistency to the new parliament, on the foot of the Regency Bill, in case (before the usual time of meeting) a certain fatal event should happen, which I hope in God will not, and I think is not likely. In order to this, a Speaker must be chosen, and a bill pass, because without passing some bill it is not deemed a session. About the Speaker*, I think no dispute is intended by any body, and the bill will be only a naturalisation bill, and that no Jew. This is the whole, and no point of general business, either foreign or domestic, is intended by the administration to be brought before either House. As to petitions relating to elections and returns, I understand that the leading men in the House of Commons think of postponing them all till the next session in the winter, giving just the same time and opportunity then, as if that was the first session of the Parliament; and I suppose we must do the like in the House of Lords in respect of petitions of appeal. I have now told your Grace the whole plan of the session, and have nothing to add but my best wishes that your Grace and my Lady Duchess may find the greatest benefit from the waters * Mr. Onslow was re-chosen tion was passed, and the parliament speaker; one bill for naturalisa- prorogued on the 5th of June. 1754. 1754. where you are, and that I am with the utmost respect, My Lord, &c. HARDWICKE. ALDERMAN BECKFORD TO THE DUKE OF BEDFORD. Soho Square, June 4. 1754. I hope the respect and regard I have for your Grace's public character will plead my excuse for being further troublesome; but as I do it with a good view, and act in a manner I should desire others to act with me, I hope it will not be taken amiss. As the eyes of most people are looking toward your Grace as the head of an opposition, founded on true patriot principles, it certainly will redound to your Grace's honour, and the reputation of that opposition to endeavour to bring into Parliament men of abilities and integrity. For this reason, I take the liberty just to mention the name of Counsellor Forrester, whose steadiness, honour, and elocution, are not exceeded by many in these kingdoms. By the desire of a very worthy gentleman, Mr. Henry M'Culloch, I have sent a small treatise to your Grace's house, and will do myself the honour some day or other of paying my respects to you with the said gentleman. I am, &c. WILLIAM BECKFORD. SIR C. HANBURY WILLIAMS TO THE DUKE OF 1754. BEDFORD. Cashiobury, August 2. 1754. My Lord, Lord Essex and my daughter have desired me to be their scribe, and to return the Duchess of Bedford and your Grace their most sincere thanks for the honour you have done them in sending your servant over to enquire after their healths and to wish them joy upon their marriage. All I know about them is that I asked Lord Essex, this morning, s'il était content, and he answered très-content.* Your Grace will have already heard of the Marquis d'Ensenada's disgrace and imprisonment. But as I know the detail of the affair I will send it to you exactly as it passed. The Duke d'Huescar finding d'Ensenada did not act in concert with him nor upon his plan, resolved to send for Wall from England to assist him in destroying the other, and in a private letter to Wall, before he left London, there were these words: "Come over as soon as you can, and we will either get the better here, or I will return to such an estate (which he named and I have forgot), and will give you one in that neighbourhood for you to live upon." Soon after Wall's arrival at Madrid, there happened an occasion which he seized of doing William, fourth Earl of Charlotte, daughter of Sir Charles Essex, married August 1. 1754, Hanbury Williams, K.B. |