Memoirs of the Courts and Cabinets of George the Third | Page 8

a great army.
I have the honour to be, with great regard,
Your Grace's most obedient and most humble servant,
Rockingham.
Grosvenor Square, Wednesday, P.M. near Five o'clock, Jan. 30th,
1782.
THE MARQUIS OF ROCKINGHAM TO THE DUKE DE
CHANDOS.
My Lord,
Having not gone to dinner till rather late, and my company having staid
with me till just now, I have not been able to return an answer to your
Grace's very obliging letter as soon as I otherwise should have done. It
also prevented my being able to profit of the honour you proposed to
me of calling here this evening.
I will call at the Duke of Richmond's before two o'clock to-morrow,
and I hope that his Grace and I shall have the honour of meeting your
Grace at the House of Lords, between two and three o'clock; I should
imagine, any time before three o'clock will afford us time for the
honour of some conversation together.
I have the honour to be, with great regard,

Your Grace's most obedient and most humble servant,
Rockingham.
Grosvenor Square. Wednesday night, past Nine o'clock, Jan. 30th. 1782
THE MARQUIS OF ROCKINGHAM TO LORD TEMPLE.
My dear Lord,
I felt myself much honoured by the very kind intimation which you
sent to me by Mr. T. Grenville, that your Lordship would not be
unwilling to come to town, to attend in the House of Lords, in case any
matter was likely to come on, which might appear to me to be of
importance in the present miserable state of the affairs of this country.
I should have wrote to your Lordship to have apprized you of the
motions intended by the Duke of Richmond on the subject of the
execution of Colonel Harris in Charlestown in North America, and of
the proclamation which had in consequence been issued by General
Green. I was very doubtful in regard to the probable day on which the
business might come to be discussed.
On the Duke of Richmond's first mentioning the subject, it came out
that the Ministers at last acknowledged that they had no official
information; but as a vessel had arrived from New York, and some
officers had also arrived from Charlestown on Friday or Saturday last, I
thought it probable that on Monday or yesterday we might have heard
that they had got official information, and that possibly some papers
would be to be laid before the House, and the discussion of the matter
would then have been fixed for some day, and regularly proceeded
upon.
The event was different: they continued to say that they had no official
information, but chose to enter into a justification of the whole
proceeding, in part urging some accounts which they said had been in a
Pennsylvanian Gazette.

I am now to inform your Lordship, that the Duke of Chandos, who had
thrown out an idea of inquiring into the causes of the loss and capture
of Earl Cornwallis and his army, has been wished and desired to move
it on Thursday next.
The Duke of Richmond, the Duke of Chandos, and Duke of Manchester,
and some friends, have been here this morning, and have prepared the
enclosed motion for the inquiry, and also motions for papers which
would be necessary. Lord Shelburne and Lord Camden have been
acquainted with the intention; the Duke of Grafton is also in town; so
that I should imagine the business will be well supported. I have no
expectation of any success in the House of Lords; but upon such a
calamity and national disgrace, it surely will become us to propose to
bring on an inquiry. Perhaps we may learn whether the Ministers intend
to throw the blame either on their Commander-in-Chief, General H.
Clinton, or on Earl Cornwallis, or (what some suppose), on Lord
Greaves. The public at large have a right to know whether the real
cause has not arose from the neglect, inability, or some other cause, in
His Majesty's Ministers.
As the business is now fixed for Thursday next, I have taken the liberty
of apprizing your Lordship by a messenger, who I hope will arrive
before your Lordship goes to bed to-night.
I wish I could have wrote earlier. I shall be very happy in the honour of
seeing your Lordship, which I hope may be soon, even if your Lordship
could not at this time come to London.
I have the honour to be, with great truth and regard,
Your Lordship's most obedient and obliged humble servant,
Rockingham.
Grosvenor Square, Tuesday, Four o'clock, Feb. 5th, 1782.
On the 22nd of February, General Conway moved an Address to the
King, imploring His Majesty to abandon the war. After a protracted

debate, which lasted till two o'clock in the morning, the Ministers
found themselves in