Autograph letter signed : Seville, to George Canning, 1809 Oct. 7.

Asking about the reasons for his resignation and his "present or future intentions with respect to His Majesty's Government...I have often declared to you that I thought it might be your duty to remain in Office, even if all your plans for the improvement of the Government should utterly fail. If you had resigned in consequence of the failure of those plans for strengthening the Government, which we had often discussed together, (although under no engagement to that effect,) I certainly should have declined any share in the King's Councils; but, as I have stated, I did not expect nor desire the exact observance of a principle nearly similar on your part. Your resignation, however, (as far as I can understand the statement which I have received from you in the copy of your Letter of the 12th of Septm'r to the D. of Portland) is founded merely on the refusal of your Colleagues to admit your exclusive claim to the Office of First Lord of the Treasury, a claim which you derive in the first instance from a supposed necessity of resting that Office in the hands of a Member of the House of Commons;" questioning, at length and in detail, the issues surrounding his resignation; saying "I repeat my expectation that you will convince me of the justice of your motives, although you cannot prove to me that you have not taken an erroneous view of your own Interests, of the public Service, and of my pretensions. In many respects, I have long been indifferent to official Station; but I confess that I am deeply sensible both of the manner in which my name was proposed in the present Crisis, and of the manner in which it was rejected. The freedom, used on this occasion with my pretensions, requires a full and explicit declaration of my present views and sentiments, as well as my former conduct...As I have been already much misrepresented and as I am now accused of being concerned in a plan to force upon the King arrangements contrary to His Majesty's wishes and interests, I have stated my conduct plainly in the enclosed paper, of which I have sent a Copy to my Brother William. In that Paper, I have endeavoured to render justice to your conduct, and to manifest my sincere respect and affection for you; but you cannot expect, that I should not vindicate the claims, which I profess to the confidence of my friends, and of the Public, or that I should suffer my pretensions to His Majesty's favor to be reduced below their just estimation and below the opinion of my most respected and valued friends."