Letter – Charles Monck to Charles Grey – 18 Oct 1825

                                                                           				Belsay 18th Oct 1825 

My dear Lord

       From your letter which is come by this evening’s post, I find, with great pain, that the caution that I took the Liberty to offer you about the personal appearance of Lambton at the approaching Election, excites your displeasure and is not likely to serve my purpose, which was twofold - first, to save you from a false step which I think most likely, if taken, to be fatal to your purpose,  next myself from the distress of a choice between the side of duty & the side of my friends placed in opposition with each other.  It is not now, I can assure you my dear Lord, that, I first disclose the jealousy which Lambton’s presence at the Blagdon meeting excited in me.  I declared it, & as much as accompanied the declaration of it in my late letter to you, to our friend, Bigge & to Ridley the next morning.  (I was gone before you was up) & to Sir John Swinburne the first time we spoke together afterwards about the meeting; and I did so because I believed them, the two former at least, to be in such communication with you about the election as, in my situation, I could not be & hoped that through them it would become known to you; but it was the manner in which my advice lately upon the subject appeared to be entertained by Lord Howick which made me feel it necessary to explain myself directly to you upon it at this time.   I admit that Lambton has as good a legal right (his constitutional right I would say much against) as any of us to interfere in the Election.  It is the prudence of examining it personally & in the manner in which I think it likely to be exercised that I <impayn>.

       I trust my dear Lord you will see after this explanation from me, that what I said to you about Lambton is not a thing fairly started & then no doubt that you will believe my anxiety to be as great as you own to avoid everything which might cause a separation our interests or diminution of our friendship.

       Chas Monck.



[annotated on outer fold:]

October 1825

Correspondence between Ld Grey & Mr Charles Monck respecting the Northumberland Election.