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WILLIAM, EARL OF SHELBURNE
CH. VIII

Lord Shelburne answered:

Your Grace knows so very well my motives of engaging in and continuing in this system, that I need not repeat them. As to what passed in August, I am a total stranger to it, which may not be surprising, as, since Lord Chatham's illness, I have not heard the least of what has been carrying on or projected, except the business that occurred necessarily in the course of my own office, nor had I the least idea till this moment that any change respecting the Southern Department was ever in the least agitation or thought of by your Grace. As to what you mention, I have not the least objection to talking to you upon it, whenever your Grace thinks proper, as I presume this is not a proper place for it, there being so many people waiting in the next room. Your Grace will only give me leave to ask you for curiosity whether any American event has given rise to this new opinion of your Grace's, for I presume it is so far new as to have been conceived since the forming of the present administration, else if your Grace had possessed it then so strongly, you would certainly have urged it at that time as by far the properest.

The Duke replied:

That it was no event whatever, nor nothing personal towards your Lordship; on the contrary I think the business very sufficiently and very ably managed. I should wish on that account that your Lordship was to remain at the head of that part, but it is my decided opinion that it ought to be divided, and so strongly so, that no consideration whatever should make me continue at the head of the Treasury, and any person whatever in the kingdom, be it who it will, in possession of that department in its present extent. There is no saying what I might do, engaged in the present general election as I am, till that was over, but the first convenient opportunity either he or I should leave the King's service. As to its occurring to me when the system was first formed, I really confess it did not to the degree it does at present: besides Lord Chatham was then in the situation in which I unhappily feel myself in some sort at present: a horse, my Lord, could not go through the business of your office properly; I did not receive till yesterday some papers from Sir H. Moore which were dated before October the 3rd.

Lord Shelburne said in answer to these rather pointed observations:

As to that particular, it was certainly very wrong, but it was the affair of an Under Secretary and not mine, and I did suppose