tion I should feel if some of those persons with whom the early
habits of my public life were formed would strengthen my hands, and
constitute a part of my government. With such support, and aided by a
vigorous and united administration, founded on the most liberal basis, I
shall look with additional confidence to a prosperous issue of the
most arduous contest in which Great Britain was ever engaged. You are
authorized to communicate these sentiments to Lord Grey, who I. have no
doubt will make them known to Lord Grenville." The prince's letter was
shown to both Grey and Grenville, but they flatly refused to join the
Perceval administration. The letter, and their reply to the Duke of
York, were published in all the newspapers of the kingdom, and from this
moment the Whigs began to revile the Prince of Wales, whom they had so
long flattered and applauded. They had anticipated a return to power
under his rule; and when they discovered that he adhered to his father's
line of policy, they no longer looked up to him as their rising sun. The
old cry was indeed raised, that there was something behind the throne
stronger than the throne itself, something that was subversive of the
constitution. Earl Grey declared in the house of lords that the ministry
depended for its existence upon an unseen influence; a power alien
to the constitution; a disgusting and disastrous influence which
consolidated abuses into a system, and which prevented both complaint
and advice from reaching the royal ear; an influence which it was the
duty of parliament to set its branding mark upon. Both in and out of
parliament it was asserted that Lord Castlereagh's return to office was
the effect of the influence of a certain lady, and the auspices of the
Hertford family.

ATTACKS UPON MINISTERS.

These murmurs broke out into open attacks upon the cabinet. On the 19th
of March Lord Boringdon moved in the house of lords for an address to
the prince regent, beseeching him to form an administration so composed
as to unite the confidence and good will of all classes of his majesty's
subjects. His real meaning was that the regent should form a Grey and
Grenville administration; but his irregular, if not unconstitutional
motion, was got rid of by an amendment proposed by Lord Grimstone, which
was carried by one hundred and sixty-five against seventy-two. A
more violent attack on the ministry was subsequently made by Lord
Donoughmore, when he moved for a c