the subject of your office of Keeper of the Signet. He feels that he can talk to you upon its relinquishment in no other manner than by making your present office as permanent as his Administration. The view that he has upon the office of Keeper of the Signet is to provide for Pelham. I apprize you of this probable conversation, that you may prepare yourself accordingly, leaving to your own consideration and reflexion the part you will take in it.

I apprized Mr. Pitt of the necessity of writing such a letter to Lord Cornwallis as should persuade him of the real wish of the English Government that he should remain in Ireland, and he told me he would speak to the Duke of Portland, who, he doubted not, would write to him in such manner as would be most likely to induce him to stay there with comfort to himself. Most affectionately yours,

Private.

Lord Castlereagh to Lord Camden.

CAMDEN.

London, September 27, 1800. My dear Lord-I should very much wish to accept your invitation, but, under all the circumstances of this family, I am induced to remain in town. My brother is very low to-day.

If Mr. Pitt speaks to me on the subject of my office of Keeper of the Signet, I can have no hesitation in placing it at his disposal, and shall be peculiarly happy if it can prove any accommodation to him in providing for a person for whom we are all so much interested. You know my feeling has always been that I only retained that office from a consideration that my situation of Chief Secretary was altogether personal to the Lord-Lieutenant for the time being. Under any other view of the question, I should have long since pressed that the Privy Seal should be made auxiliary to the arrangements of Government; as I feel that pluralities do not become a young politician, and am perfectly satisfied with the income of my other office, though hitherto the expences of the situation have disposed both of that and what I derive from Lord Londonderry.

In the event of Mr. Pelham succeeding to the Privy Seal, I should wish the appointment of Secretary of State for Ireland, which he has retained, to be connected with the office of Chief Secretary, as it was when he filled my situation.

I am very glad you mentioned to Mr. Pitt the expediency of putting Lord Cornwallis's feelings quite at ease. It was my intention to take the liberty of expressing myself to him without reserve on this subject before my return; as I am sure he will feel the importance to all parties (if Lord Cornwallis is to remain) of cordiality pervading that branch of his Administration.

If pleasanter prospects should enable me to leave town, you know how much pleasure I shall have in joining your party. Ever, my dear Lord, &c.,

CASTLEREAGH.

The Rev. Dr. Bankhead to Lord Viscount Castlereagh.

Lurgan, October 8, 1800.

My Lord-We, the Ministers and Elders of the General Synod of Ulster, regularly convened for the purpose of taking into consideration the Report of our Commissioners who were appointed to communicate with your Lordship relative to the intention of Government of making a further provision for the Ministers of this body, cheerfully embrace this opportunity of conveying to your Lordship our sincere and warm acknowledgments for your Lordship's persevering attention to our interests.

At the same time, we beg leave to assure your Lordship that it is the anxious desire of this body, clearly ascertained in a meeting unusually full, and particularly distinguished by the number and respectability of Elders, that whatever addition the wisdom and liberality of Government shall be pleased to make to the present bounty, may be conferred on terms similar to those on which former grants have been enjoyed.

And from your Lordship's knowledge of the principles of Presbyterians, we rely with firmest confidence that your Lordship will use your most active exertions in promoting our wishes.

We appoint our Moderator and George Birch, Esq. to present this letter, and confer with your Lordship on the subject. Signed in our name, and by our appointment,

JOHN BANKHEAD, Moderator.

Answer of Lord Castlereagh.

Sir-I have received the letter which you were desired to communicate to me written by the Synod of Ulster, wherein they state that it is the anxious wish, &c., &c., &c.

I request the Synod may be assured of my full confidence in the principles of the Presbyterians, and of my cordial disposition to forward their wishes as far as I shall be consistently enabled. But, as I know that it is the great object of his Majesty's Ministers to draw the connexion of the Presbyterian body to the constitution as close as circumstances will permit, I should hope the Synod will not think themselves called upon to persevere in the sentiments they have adopted, but that they will cheerfully give their concurrence to such regulations as the wisdom of Government and the Legislature shall adopt for augmenting the maintenance of their clergy, and at the same time securing their loyalty to the Government, and increasing their connexion with the constitution.

The Rev. John Sherrard to Lord Castlereagh.

Lamb's Island, October 13, 1800. My Lord-I must accuse myself of unpardonable neglect, did I not embrace the earliest opportunity of expressing the grateful sense I have of your Lordship's kind intentions respecting the Protestant Dissenting Ministers of Ulster, and the pleasure I feel from the consideration of the happy effects such a wise measure, as well as friendly office may, and, I trust, will certainly produce.

A whole age, my Lord, nay, several ages, might pass away, before a nobleman might fill your Lordship's elevated station, so well acquainted with the constitution of the Dissenting Church, the principles of her members, and the situation and circumstances of her ministers. And, from your Lordship's very great influence with the present Government, our interests cannot fail of being effectually promoted.

I should stop here-but I hope and trust, my Lord, that a few additional observations, coming from one, who, your Lordship's candour will readily admit, must be deeply interested in whatever affects the prosperity and honour of the Dissenting Church-more especially on a subject upon which her very existence depends-will not offend your Lordship.

I am happy to hear, my Lord, that no infringement on the religious rights of the people is intended by Government in their favours to us; but it is said that higher or lower shares are to be made a condition of the proposed grant. Now, my Lord, if this be true, it will, beyond all doubt, produce very hurtful consequences, both with respect to us, and the end which, I humbly conceive, Government proposes to serve by it.

It will effectually destroy that equality among Dissenting Ministers, which constitutes one of the leading features of the Dissenting Church, of which your Lordship well knows Dissenters are so tenacious, and consequently put an end to that friendly intercourse and brotherly affection, which have hitherto reflected both honour upon themselves, and done signal service to the religion they profess and preach to others. It will also, I apprehend, in a great measure, defeat the wise end proposed by Government.

The highest, and, I should think, the wisest political end Government could have in view, must be to conciliate both Ministers and people, and to attach them to that Government not only by their munificence, but by their liberality of sentiment in conferring their favour. If this, then, be the view of Government, permit me, my Lord, humbly to assure your

Lordship that, whatever reports to the contrary may have reached your Lordship's ear, nothing could accomplish this end so effectually as granting the intended addition upon the very same terms as our bounty has hitherto been granted.

At a late, and one of the fullest Synodical meetings I ever attended, where our congregations were nearly all represented by their Elders, this was the unanimous wish of both Ministers and people. Besides, my Lord, as the gentlemen placed in our great towns are not most distinguished for talents and learning among us, so neither have they as much labour in the discharge of their duties as those placed in wide extended country congregations, and yet they have double their salaries. Now, my Lord, it must hurt the feelings and the honest pride, as well as the interests of men of at least equal talents, who have double the duties to discharge, and more than the half less stipend, to see the former, notwithstanding, receiving perhaps a double portion of the Royal Bounty. For these and many other reasons, my Lord, that might be adduced, should Government ever have entertained some slight thoughts of such a distribution, as it can be a matter of no great consequence to them, I sincerely hope and trust your Lordship will study and employ your influence to do it away.

Be assured, my Lord, that what I have now said proceeds from the purest wish of my heart to attach the whole body of Dissenters most affectionately to that civil Government under which they live and enjoy many signal blessings and privileges; and I hope, from your Lordship's friendship and eminent station, they will still enjoy many more; and to see or hear of your Lordship's freeing them from the disabilities of holding civil offices under Government, to which they have long patiently submitted, and to which, I will venture to say, many of them are as well entitled as any other denomination of his Majesty's subjects; for it would tend to brighten and cheer the closing evening of my life.

And while, my Lord, you rejoice in the days of your youth,