> tell your Grace that I had not ⚫ from council, who desired. 1758. MR. RIGBY TO THE DUKE OF BEDFORD, Whitehall, December 7. 1758. The events here are not numerous, or of much consequence. We yesterday, in the House of Commons, voted nem. con. ninety-one thousand men for the army for 1759. for 1759. We want, indeed, ten thousand within a very few hundreds to recruit our several corps; and, as far as I can find, there is to be no bill this session to raise recruits by any new method. Sir John Philips moved, and Mr. Beckford seconded, a vote of thanks to Admiral Boscawen and Mr. Amherst for their services in North America; and George Townshend proposed the same reward for Admiral Osborne, which the. House also came into. Mr. Pitt spoke in answer * Mr. Pitt made the most artful speech he ever made: provoked, called for, defied objections; promised enormous expense; demanded never to be judged by events. Universal silence left him * 1758. the case at present. Give me leave to congratulate you on the good news received from the King of Prussia, and to assure you that I am, with great regard, &c. BEDFORD. MR. RIGBY TO THE DUKE OF BEDFORD. Pay Office, nine o'clock, Monday night, September 4. 1758. I am very much obliged to your Grace for the perusal of so much very sensible correspondence as you have been kind enough to communicate to me, and which I found here on my return from Mistley last night. I was at court to-day; had kisses both from the Duke of Newcastle and Mr. Pitt of congratulation upon the great event of the King of Prussia's victory*, of which no second account is yet arrived. Mr. Pitt never mentioned to me the having received your Grace's letter, though Lord Holdernesse told me he had seen it; from whence I conjecture it is not yet determined if they shall take any or what number of troops from Ireland. But of this I meant to send Grace advice by to-morrow night's post; by which I possibly may hear if any thing should be determined amongst them. And I only now write your * Battle of Zorndorf; gained by the King of Prussia over the Russians. by this express to tell your Grace that I had not a word said to me of the embargo, but by Lord Granville when he came from council, who desired I should lose no time in forwarding the order to you by express, and that your Grace would please to do the like from Buxton to Dublin. 1758. MR. RIGBY TO THE DUKE OF BEDFORD. Whitehall, December 7. 1758. The events here are not numerous, or of much consequence. We yesterday, in the House of Commons, voted nem. con. ninety-one thousand men for the army for 1759. We want, indeed, ten thousand within a very few hundreds to recruit our several corps; and, as far as I can find, there is to be no bill this session to raise recruits by any new method. Sir John Philips moved, and Mr. Beckford seconded, a vote of thanks to Admiral Boscawen and Mr. Amherst for their services in North America; and George Townshend proposed the same reward for Admiral Osborne, which the. House also came into. Mr. Pitt spoke* in answer * Mr. Pitt made the most artful speech he ever made: provoked, called for, defied objections; promised enormous expense; demanded never to be judged by events. Universal silence left him In arbiter of his own terms. 1759. to some things which fell from Philips and Beckford concerning the never giving up Louisburg; and had as much good sense and judgment in what he said as he generally has eloquence. I pressed your Grace's scheme of raising marines in Ireland very much yesterday in a discourse I had with him; and it is to be carried into immediate execution. Col. Paterson of the marines was with me this morning, by his and Lord Anson's direction, to lay the means of bringing this scheme to bear before your Grace, which I shall do when I have the pleasure to see you. It is said that the York election goes against Thornton. Sir George Saville will be chose for the county without opposition. Forester took his seat in the House of Commons to-day. DUKE OF NEWCASTLE TO THE DUKE OF BEDFORD. Newcastle House, March 15. 1759. I should have waited upon your Grace this morning, if I had not been prevented by several appointments upon business, and by my necessary attendance this day at the Treasury. I sent to speak to Mr. Rigby, but by some mistake I believe he had not my message. My chief business was to acquaint your Grace, that I yesterday spoke to the King about Lord B., and with great difficulty procured his Majesty's consent that he should be made an earl; so that your Grace will have the goodness to carry that as well as your other promotions into execution. I have some few other things to lay before your Grace; but as they don't press, I shall not trouble you with them at present, and I shall only add my sincere sense of your Grace's goodness in complying with many applications which I have troubled you with, and the assurances of my being, &c. &c. 1759. DUKE OF BEDFORD TO THE LORD PRIMATE. Woburn Abbey, May 22. 1759. I take the opportunity of being here alone (my family not coming down till to-morrow) of informing your Grace fully of all that has passed in relation to Ireland, for this last fortnight, upon the information the administration had received from various quarters of the intention of the French to invade either Great Britain or Ireland, or possibly both at the same time; though Ireland was more particularly mentioned in all the intelligence, and even the Earls of Clare* and Clancarty were named to command the expedition. Upon the weight of this intelligence, an embargo was put Charles O'Brien, sixth Viscount Clare of the kingdom of Ireland; see some account of him in Lady Mary Wortley's Letters, |