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The Fitzwilliam episode

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

R.B. McDowell
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Extract

The French revolution split the English whigs over profound issues of principle. One section, of which Fox was the most prominent member, viewed the revolution, at least in its earlier stages, with considerable sympathy and argued that the war with France could have been avoided. The other section accepted Burke’s interpretation of the revolution and at the beginning of 1793 supported the government’s intervention in the European war. And from the middle of 1792 the possibility of a coalition between this latter section and Pitt was in the air. One factor which delayed the formation of a coalition government was the attitude of the duke of Portland, ‘the natural leader’ of the whig party. Portland, who combined pride of birth with a sense of duty, some political shrewdness and strong opinions which he expressed, when writing, with considerable fluency, seems to have inspired genuine respect and even affection amongst those who worked with him. But he was hesitant, and in the early nineties, while accepting Burke’s views on the revolution, he did not wait to split his party. The existence of the whig party, ‘a union of persons of independent minds and fortunes formed and connected together by their belief in the principles by which the revolution of 1688 was founded’, was essential, he believed, to the welfare of the country. The whig party ‘which alone is entitled to be distinguished by the name of party’, he asserted, ‘must be as eternal as I conceive the constitution of this country to be’.

Type
Articles
Information
Irish Historical Studies , Volume 15 , Issue 58 , September 1966 , pp. 115 - 130
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 1966

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References

1 Diaries and correspondence of James Harris, first earl of Malmes-bury (London, 1844), ii. 484–5, 488–9.

2 Portland to Windham, 11 Jan. 1794 (Windham Papers, B.M. Add. MS 37845).

3 Fortescue MSS (H.M.C.), ii. 597.

4 Portland to Windham, 8 Oct. 1794 (Windham Papers, B.M., Add. MS 37845).

5 Correspondence of the Rt Hon. John Beresford (London, 1854), i. 200–206, 219 Carlisle MSS (H.M.C.), p. 629.

6 Portland to Northington, 18 Sept. 1783 (Northington letter book, B.M., Add MS 38716).

7 Fitzwilliam to Lady Fitzwilliam, n.d. (Fitzwilliam MSS, Northampton, 512/6/1).

8 Fitzwilliam to Portland, 23 May 1794 (Wentworth Woodhouse muniments, Sheffield City Libraries [henceforth referred to as W.W.M.],31 (b)).

9 Report on the original proposition of the duke of Portland, June 1794, enclosed in a letter of W. Ponsonby to Fitzwilliam, 4 May 1795 (W.W.M. F. 29 (a)).

10 Portland to Fitzwilliam, 17 Oct. 1792 (W.W.M. F 31 (a)) and Portland to Windham, 11 Jan. 1794 (Windham Papers, B.M., Add MS 37845).

11 Fitzwilliam to Grattan, 23 May 1794 (Grattan Papers, N.L.I.).

12 Grattan to Fitzwilliam, 31 Aug. 1794 (W.W.M. F 29).

13 O’Beirne to Fitzwilliam, 23 Aug. 1794 (Fitzwilliam MSS, North-ampton, 46).

14 Charlemont to Fitzwilliam, 1 Sept. 1794; Leinster to Fitzwilliam, 4 Sept. 1794; Gonnolly to Fitzwilliam, 30 Aug. 1794 (W.W.M. F 29).

15 D.N.B.

16 T. O’Beirne to Fitzwilliam, 20 Aug. 1794 (W.W.M., F. 31); 6 Sept. 7 Oct., ι Nov., 1794 (W.W.M. F. 29), 15 Dec. 1794 (Fitzwilliam MSS, Northampton, 46).

17 Westmorland to Pitt, 14 Apr., 16 Sept., 4, 30 Nov 1794 (Chatham Papers, P.R.O. 30/8/325).

18 Westmorland became master of the horse. A few years later he was admitted to the cabinet, and held cabinet office altogether for nearly thirty years.

19 Fitzwilliam to Burke, 21 Oct. 1794 (W.W.M.).

20 Pitt to Westmorland, 19 Oct. 1794 (Chatham Papers, P.R.O. 30/8/325; Memorandum in Chatham Papers, P.R.O. 30/8/325). According to Fitzwilliam, Pitt talking to Grattan, alluded to the decision to allow the duke of Portland to nominate a lord lieutenant of Ireland as ‘a great original mistake’ (Fitzwilliam to Lady Fitzwilliam, Fitzwilliam MSS, Northampton, 512/9/1).

21 This is the date given by Beresford (Correspondence of the Rt Hon. John Beresford, ii, 41).

22 Windham to Burke, 21 Oct. 1794 (W.W.M.).

23 Loughborough to Windham, 16 Oct. 1794 (Windham Papers, B.M., Add. MS 37874).

24 Portland to Windham, 19 Oct. 1794 (Windham Papers, Β M., Add MS 37845).

25 Burke to Fitzwilliam, 7 Nov. 1794 (W.W.M.).

26 A memorandum giving an account of this meeting is printed in Fortescue MSS (H.M.C), iii. 35–8. There is also a manuscript copy in Pelham Papers, B.M., Add. MS 33118. Apparently during March 1795 a draft memorandum summing up what happened at the November meeting was circulated among the ministers who had been present. It was finally approved at a meeting at Grenville’s (Grenville to Pelham, Portland to Pelham, 28 Mar. 1795) (Pelham Papers, B.M., Add. MS 33101)). There is also a short note in Fitzwilliam’s hand listing the heads of the discussion in W.W.M. F 29 (b). This gives the date of the meeting.

27 Fitzwilliam to Portland, 15 Jan. 1795 (P.R.O., H.O. 100/56).

28 Fitzgibbon to Westmorland, 25 Mar. 1795 (P.R.O.I., Fane Papers).

29 Grattan returned on 13 December (Dublin Evening Post, 16 Dec. 1794). For rumours see Hibernian Journal, 18 Dec. 1794.

30 Memorandum marked ‘Most secret and for your Lordship alone’ endorsed ‘O’Beirne 1795 immediately after my arrival in Dublin (Fitzwilliam MSS, Northampton, 46).

31 Beresford to Auckland, 9 Jan. 1795 (Chatham Papers, P.R.O., 30/8/325).

32 Cook to Westmorland, 9 Jan. 1795 (P.R.O.I, Fane Papers).

33 Cook to Westmorland, 10 Jan. 1795 (ibid.).

34 Cook to Westmorland, 15 Jan. 1795 (ibid.).

35 Correspondence of the Rt Hon. John Beresford, i. 23, 53–4, 59.

36 Cook to Nepean, 27 Jan. 1795 (Chatham Papers, P.R.O. 8/30/327).

37 Portland to Fitzwilliam, 2 Feb. 1795, received 14 Feb. (W.W.M. F. 31 (e)).

38 Pitt to Fitzwilliam, 9 Feb. 1795 (W.W.M. F. 5); Fitzwilliam to Pitt, 14 Feb. 1795 (P.R.O., H.O. 100/56); Fortescue MSS (H.M.C.), ii. 36.

39 Fitzwilliam to Portland, 28 Jan. 1795 (P.R.O., H.O. 100/56).

40 Fitzwilliam to Portland, 10, 15 Jan. 1795 (ibid.).

41 Fitzwilliam to Portland, 23 Jan. 1795; Fitzwilliam to Portland, 10 Feb. 1795 (ibid.).

42 Correspondence of the Rt Hon. John Beresford, ii. 65.

43 The parliamentary register, xv. 4–13, 77–8, 98–101, 112–3; Fitzwilliam to Portland, 8 Jan. 1795 (P.R.O., H.O. 100/56).

44 Fitzwilliam to Portland, 15 Jan. 1795 (ibid.).

45 Fitzwilliam to Portland, 28 Jan. 1795 (ibid.).

46 Portland to Fitzwilliam, 8 Feb. 1795 (W.W.M. F5).

47 C. J. Fox to R. Fitzpatrick, 28 Apr. 1782 ( Russell, J., Memorials and correspondence of C. J. Fox (London, 1853), 1. 411).Google Scholar

48 The oath imposed by 33 George III c. 21 made persons taking it renounce certain doctrines sometimes attributed to catholics.

49 Fitzwilliam to Portland, 10, 12, 14 Feb. 1795 (P.R.O., H.O. 100/56).

50 Portland to Fitzwilliam, 16 Feb. 1795 (P.R.O., H.O. 100/56; W.W.M. F 31 (f)).

51 Portland to Fitzwilliam, 18 Feb. 1795 (P.R.O., H.O. 100/56; W.W.M. F 31 (e)).

52 Portland to Fitzwilliam, 21 Feb. 1795 (W.W.M. F. 5).

53 Portland to Fitzwilliam, 23 Feb. 1795 (W.W.M. F. 5, F. 31 (f)).

54 Fitzwilliam to Portland, 7 Mar. 1795 (H.O. 100/56).

55 A copy of the memorial is in W.W.M. F. 30. It is printed in The later correspondence of George III, ed. Aspinall, A., 2. 336–40Google Scholar. Fitzwilliam describes his interview with the king and contacts with his ex-colleagues in a letter to Grattan, 25 Apr. 1795 (W.W.M. F.5).

56 First letter: letter from a venerated nobleman — to the earl of Carlisle (London, Dublin 1795), A letter from a venerated nobleman — to the earl of Carlisle (London, Dublin 1795). When writing to Beresford, Fitzwilliam, while accepting responsibility for the letters, said they were not printed ’ by my direction, at my desire or with my privity ’ Fitzgibbon asserted that the castle clerks were employed by Fitzwilliam to make numerous copies of the letters (Correspondence of the Rt Hon. John Beresford, ii. 88, 113).

57 John Pollock to Westmorland, 15 Apr. 1795 (P.R.O.N.I., Fane Papers).

58 The archbishop of Armagh to Portland, 2 March, 1795 (P.R.O., H.O. 100/56); George Knox to Aberccrn, 26 Feb. 1795 (Baronscourt, co. Tyrone, Abercorn Papers, BI/6). Knox regretted ‘the very mischievous effect’ Fitzwilliam’s recall had ’ ‘in dissatisfying the middling people and driving them back into a tendency to French principles which they completely relinquished’ (Knox to Abercorn, 12 Mar. 1795, Abercorn Papers, BI/6).