date

1819 March 14 Letter 7. Whigs Anti
1819 March 14

Letter 7. Whigs Anti Reformists

{Erskines Reform} I. or III Shape

Earl Grey

8

2

9

But what Your Lordship is and then was, Lord Grey for the declaration of whose head some of the choicest of your Lordships laudatory /laudative/ flowers are allotted, Lord Grey who deserves the highest praise says Your Lordship for this honest, manly and useful declaration (p. 14) is and then was likewise. Well then his Lordships disposition towards this same reform what is it now? for as it is now so was it then likewise. What then is it now? It is that which I speak of his Newcastle Speech + leads him at the commencement to give us to understand that he has no great objection to it provided it amounts to nothing and at the end of that same speech that it is not in the nature of it to be of any use. ||

Well then if forasmuch as /supposing/ of this “honest, manly and useful declaration” – manly and useful are epithets which I join /concurr/ most sincerely in bestowing upon it reform in practice was not the object, what then it may be asked was the object? The object? Why my Lord it was the everlasting object – the driving the Ministry out and stepping into their places. The great body seated as it was impossible that any considerable number of them should concurr in aiming at the professed object – at any one good object – at the pretended /professed/ end or at the pretended /professed/ means – at stemming the tide /at lessening the flux/ of waste and corruption or at giving to the great body of the people the real choice of these agents whom they were said to choose nothing was more natural nothing more thoroughly to be depended upon – than that they should

disagree

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