Page:Life of William Shelburne (vol 2).djvu/128

106 diminish its comforts by disabling it from those acts of benevolence which alone make the station bearable; and that I supposed it could now be settled by interior regulations, and was an object for the attention of the Cabinet as far as related to the interest of the Crown, as I thought public economy the object of Parliament.

"Thus things stood till last week, when I found the language of the Marquis of Rockingham changed, and that his ideas began to run entirely on bringing the Civil List before Parliament, and within these two days he has avowed that he means to introduce the whole of Mr. Burke's Bill, and it was with the utmost difficulty I could prevent his taking such a step in the House of Commons, without previously laying the matter before the Ministers, saying it was one of his four propositions, and therefore did not require any consultation.

"He means to-day to lay a message before the Cabinet which, though I tried to avoid it, he obliged me to read yesterday, but on which I did not utter a syllable. Now what I wish is—

"1. That L Shelburne will consider at the meeting how far it is necessary for this business to be opened by a message from me.

"2. That the Bill if necessary shall be examined clause by clause at the Cabinet, that the Ministers may coincide in it, and have no diversity of opinions in either House of Parliament.

"3. That those offices which have any peculiar attendance on the Crown may be continued. By the present arrangement, the Treasurer and Comptroller of the Household, the Master of the Buck-Hounds, and the Master of the Jewel Office, are continued. I expect the Master of the Robes also to remain. He has the peculiar attendance of carrying my train at the House of Lords and at all the ceremonies of the Garter, besides constant attendance at my public dressing.

"4. In page 13 it is proposed that the Pensions as it is called in the Bill, but should be Establishment of the different branches of the Royal family and the King's