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Memorandum

To express the Cheif Justice’s profound
submission to His Majesty’s Royal Pleasure and
His sentiments of Gratitude for His Majesty’s
great Goodness to Him and His Family: and
that He does repose himself with so much secu-
rity and Confidence in His Majesty’s gracious
declaration, that He cannot hesitate a moment
to assure His Majesty of his perfect reliance
on His Royal Intention to advance to an English
Peerage Him or His Family among the next
promotions after the present

April 15. 1778
Lincolns Inn Fields

When I last Year acquainted you with my intentions of
conferring the Office of Warden of the Cinque Ports upon you,
I flattered myself this fresh mark of my regard would have
stimulated you to continue at the head of the Treasury,
and I intended therefore to have put it on the foot the late
Duke of Dorset held it, but certainly never to have granted it for
life; the having been persuaded to answer a particular object,
when quite ignorant of Public Affairs to grant that Office
for life to Lord Holdernesse, is not a reason for my conferring
it now in that mode. I daily find the evil of having put so
many employments out of the power of the Crown, and for
the rest of my life I will not conferr any in that mode,
but where constant practice has made it matter of
Course.

The many marks I have given you of my friendship must
convince you that when I decline conferring the Cinque Ports
on you but during pleasure, that I will never give this

Office but in that mode; if you still persist in retiring
though I feel the detriment it will be to my Service, I
will conferr the Cinque Ports during pleasure with an
additional Salary to make it equal to the Sum received
by Lord Holdernesse, it must be termed an additional
Salary, that the income may not be encreased whenever
the Office shall be in other hands.

Sir Robert Walpole’s Pension during life was natural,
he had firmly for twenty Years withstood a strong
Opposition, the Crown deserted him, and his Enemies
came into Office, no other mode therefore would have
done; Mr. Grenville got the reversion of the Tellership
before he came into the Treasury as a compensation
for his resigning his pretensions to the Speaker’s Chair;
Lord Northington’s pension for life was a shameful
bargain of the idol of the House of Commons to get
the Great Seal for Lord Camden.

I shall not object in addition to the Cinque Ports
during pleasure to grant to your family a reversion
of a Tellership of the Exchequer; but should much
prefer your remaining at the head of the Treasury

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where many Opportunities will of Course arise by which
I may benefit your family without fixing a bad
precedent.

I cannot conclude without expressing some surprize
that after my numerous letters you have not concluded
the Appointment of Mr. Thurlow, you want to
retire, and yet will not take the first Step towards
enabling Me to arrange matters, that I may
acquiesce in your request.

Kew. May 19th 1778.

It would not be difficult, nor expensive
to make an attempt this winter on the
Island of Goree & it may be carried into
execution without weakening us much at
home, & in a manner that is less liable
to discovery than any other expedition
that can plan’d.

Sir Edward Hughes is to set out in about
a months time to convoy the East India
Fleet, & is to take with him for that pur-
pose the Superbe of 74 guns, & the
Burford of 64. About the same time

The whole force would consist of:

— Guns
The Superbe 74.
Burford 64.
Yarmouth 64.
1 Ship 44.
1 Frigate 32.
2 dos. 25.
2 Bomb Ketches –

The Land force would be Lord McLeod’s Regiment
about 800 recruits that are going to India,
& the Marines on board the fleet. To this
should be added another Batallion to accom-
pany them to Goree, & after leaving 4 or

The destination of this expedition may be
perfectly conceal’d with ease, & it will take
from this country very little more force than
we should be obliged to send to Africa
& India without having any such design.
Add to this that the French, who seem
to have employ’d their whole force in assem-
bling a great fleet in Europe, & in

Lord North has the honour of inclosing
a state of the force employ’d against Goree

Lord North begs leave to add another
List of eight ships of the Line which
would sail immediately if they had their
complement of men. That there are
Men seamen enough in the nation
is evident from the wonderful facility
with which the Privateers man their
vessells. Lord Sandwich says, that the
admiralty cannot press on shore without
great difficulty, that they have not
tenders enough to avail themselves properly
of the sailors which arrive in the

Lord North thought it right just to
throw out these ideas for his Majesty’s consideration before he has
the honour of paying his duty at St. James’s
on Wednesday.

Bushy Park, Oct. 4

m/10 pt. 9 A.M. ^*10 minutes past 9 a.m. George III was extremely particular in his correspondence, and included not only the date of the letter, but the time the letter was written.

It is impossible more highly to approve than I do of the proposition
of attacking Goree, the whole success must depend on the strictest
Secrecy, [? will therefore] therefore, I must insist on no addition being made as yet to
the number of those entrusted with the idea; so weakly are
we provided with Troops that the only difficulty that
occurs is how to furnish the additional Soldiers; but
I trust with a little consideration I shall be able to
chalk out a means of effecting what I look on as so
essential a Service. It will be necessary I again
repeat it that no more be added to the present informed
of this Secret untill it is necessary to order the Ships
to Sail except Lord Amherst to whom I would only
mention the different modes that may occurr unto
me of furnishing the Soldiers least destructive to the
small means we have to draw from.

I cannot conclude without expressing my thorough
satisfaction at the manner in which I have been received
by all Ranks of People on my late tour; I know from Your
attachment that this will give You pleasure.

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