terms on which they would undertake to carry the augmentation of the army through Parliament. "I found," wrote Townshend to Shelburne, "by the means of Mr. Prime-Serjeant,[1] with whom they are most strongly united, and upon whom, as their man of business for conducting this matter through the House of Commons, they intend to rely, that this late transaction[2] had made the political connection between Lord Shannon and Mr. Speaker much stronger than ever, and if certain points could be obtained for them, they would heartily support and carry through the ordinary business of Government, and even the augmentation itself, to the extent wished for by His Majesty, if certain persons could be brought to lend their names and co-operate with them: it being understood that they themselves should have their share in the disposal of His Majesty's other favours here, in proportion to the number of their friends and their weight in the country."
Lord Shannon wished, during the absence of the LordLieutenant, to be appointed one of the three Lords Justices. Mr. Ponsonby expected that the office of Examinator of the Customs, now in possession of his eldest son, should be given to him and his brother for their joint lives. The Prime-Serjeant expected that provision should be made for the lives of his two sons then mere boys, by a grant to them, or the survivors of them, of some office of at least the value of £500 a year; if no vacancy should happen before the rising of Parliament, that either a pension or a salary of that amount should be added to some office to be enjoyed by his two sons during their joint lives; that his wife should be created a Viscountess at the end of the session, and a sum of £4000, which he insisted upon as a debt due to him and acknowledged by Lord Hertford, should be at once paid.
"I am sorry to say," wrote Townshend, "these are the terms upon which they promise to support and carry on the King's business, because, from the situation in which they are at present, I think it is the duty at least of the two former to do so without any consideration whatever.
