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in my private letter last post, induces me to believe that his Excellency does not support the party who are desirous to remove the Duke de Feltre from office; and, consequently, although it is possible that the change may take place after the meeting of the Chambers, it is by no means so certain as my information gave me reason to expect.

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Lord Castlereagh to Lord Clancarty.

Cray Farm, September 5, 1817.

My dear Clancarty-My official letter of this date will enable you to bring the question of the reclamations under the consideration of the Netherlands' Government. The more

quietly it is done the better. My former letters, public and private, to Gordon, of which, if I recollect right, on their passing through Brussels, you took copies, together with the letter which I now address to him, and which you will also copy, contain the general reasoning upon this subject, as far as it has hitherto developed itself. As there are some parts of the private letters not intended for communication, perhaps the better way would be either to prepare a Memorandum Raisonné upon the whole, or make extracts as you may deem best.

You will find I have stated to Gordon the objections that occurred to me to his idea of a protracted liquidation. I also cannot but entertain very considerable doubts of the policy of any arrangement that would require an occupation of cautionary towns for its execution. Such a system is always invidious. The expense of the garrisons would not be thrown upon France. I doubt the Powers of Europe undertaking to supply garrisons at their own expense. Is, then, the whole charge to fall upon the King of the Netherlands? I presume that his Majesty would decline such an encumbrance; and perhaps it might not be wise in him to make himself prominent in such a measure. It certainly would tend to keep alive in France a spirit of resentment of his late acquisition.

I beg that you will not understand that my mind is conclusively made up against the principle of cautionary fortresses for the period that might be necessary to complete the defence of the Low Countries. I only wish you not to give too much encouragement at present to such a plan, as I know the avidity with which the idea of occupying any part of the French frontier is always caught at by the Government of the Netherlands.

I have left, under flying seal, for your perusal, my despatches to Vienna, on the subject of the mediation. This is a most entangled and difficult subject; but I don't know that we could have placed ourselves upon more creditable or less inconvenient ground-I rather hope that we shall conclude a treaty with Spain on the subject of the Slave Trade which will be one embarrassment at least out of the way.

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PS. Should Lamb be at Frankfort, you may direct the Messenger to take that route, and you may then forward Gordon's despatches under flying seal for Lamb's perusal. Should Lamb, however, not be at Frankfort, I do not wish the messenger to go out of the straight line to Vienna.

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Cray Farm, September 13, 1817. My dear Clancarty-In sending you the enclosed copy of a despatch from Sir Charles Stuart, dated the 4th instant, and the Duke of Wellington's observations upon the manner in which the Ministers at Paris have acted respecting the anonymous Proclamation to the French People, I do not mean to be considered as giving you any instructions upon the subject, or wishing you at present to take any steps whatever upon it. I merely send them to you, for the purpose of keeping you au fait of all that is doing upon this subject, and, at the same time, I beg you to report to me, with as little delay as possible,

how far the King of the Netherlands has actually proceeded in executing the engagements he has taken with the French Government respecting the residence of the obnoxious French within his dominions.

I observe that the Ministers at Paris have come to a resolution to communicate with the Duke of Richelieu on the immediate execution of the measures recommended in their Protocols, and it is material that we should be previously informed of what has been done, and what remains to be done, on this head.

You will, of course, perceive that Stuart has misconceived the purpose for which the Duke of Wellington communicated to him the Proclamation in question. The Duke's view of the subject is perfectly correct; and certainly it was not necessary to treat in such a grave manner a paper which may, after all, have little or no circulation, and upon which it is impossible to say whether it issued from the Netherlands' frontier or from the territories of France herself.

However, all I wish you to do at present upon this subject is, to let me know how much of the expression implied in the engagements of the Netherlands' Government still remains unexecuted.

C.

Sir Charles Stuart to Lord Castlereagh.

Paris, September 15, 1817. My dear Lord-Though repeated statements have reached me upon different occasions respecting the undue interference and influence exercised by the Russian Envoy over the present Ministry of this country, I have been very unwilling to advert to the subject, until I could be quite sure that the facts which had been represented to me were correct.

It is currently believed that the Duke de Feltre gave in his resignation, with a view to avoid the animadversion to which an excess of seventy millions in the expenditure of the War

department, during the present year, is likely to give rise, and the terms of the Ordonnance announcing the appointment of M. de St. Cyr fully justify this notion. I have been assured, however, in the strictest confidence, by a person whose authority I have invariably found to be correct, and whom, in the present instance, I fully believe, that the sudden removal of the Duke de Feltre from his situation under the Government is the result of a direct interference on the part of the General Pozzo di Borgo, who, both alone and in combination with M. de Molé, has unremittingly pressed the measure in daily meetings with the Duke de Richelieu during the whole of the present week.

The success of his endeavours is the more remarkable since, but a short time since, the Duke de Richelieu expressed his sense of the inconvenience menaced by every change which is likely to alienate the Princes from the Government, and create a division in the royal family. Under the irritation created by this measure, and by the establishment of the Majorat in the Chamber of Peers, it is much to be feared that the UltraRoyalists will injure their own cause, as well as the Government, by supporting the most dangerous individuals of the Jacobin faction who are among the candidates during the next election.

Though I shall keep attentive to these matters, your lordship will, I presume, see the expediency of maintaining the utmost reserve respecting the source from whence I have derived this information.

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Sir Charles Stuart to Lord Castlereagh.

Paris, September 18, 1817.

My dear Lord-The admission of M. de Molé into the Cabinet has created a stronger impression on the public mind than the removal of the Minister of War; and the importance which is attached to the change induces me to think that this

gentleman will very shortly acquire an ascendency perhaps more decisive than those persons who have principally contributed to his elevation may desire.

In case ill-health or other causes should induce M. Lainé to retire, the general opinion already designates M. de Molé as his successor; and, should M. de Corvetto, as is expected, give up the Finances, M. de Barante, the creature and the near relation of M. de Molé, will probably be placed, through his influence, at the head of that department; in either of which cases, four seats in the Cabinet will be disposed of in favour of the same interest, as the opinions of M. de Cazes and M. Pasquier are identified with those of M. de Molé.

Believe me, &c., CHARLES STUART.

Lord Castlereagh to Lord Clancarty.

Sudbourne, September 28, 1817.

My dear Clancarty-Your private letter of the 22nd has been forwarded to me at this place, and I am sorry to find from its contents that there are but too good grounds for the reproaches which you will find have been cast at Paris, both by the French and Russian Ministers, upon the King of the Netherlands, for the non-fulfilment of his engagements relative to the French refugees.

I have directed Planta to send you a copy of Sir Charles Stuart's last despatch on this subject, by which you will see the very unpleasant consequences to which the hesitating spirit of the Government of the Netherlands on this subject is likely to give occasion. It is impossible this Government should not unite its public representations with the other Courts, if the King of the Netherlands' Government shall continue to expose itself to a perpetual charge of inattention in the execution of their own declared purpose.

I wish you, therefore, to make the necessary representations upon this subject; and, as this inconvenience has now so frequently arisen to disturb the common interest, notwithstanding

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