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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 October 2009
1 When the Prince Regent became George IV, for example, he had to reconfirm the position of Frederick Lamb as Envoy and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Diet of the German Confederation in Frankfurt, although he had written the same letter three years previously (1817) in the name of, and on behalf of, his Majesty, his father George III. (cf. DB 1/5 George III to The Most Serene Sovereign Princes and Free Towns composing the Germanic Confederation, signed George PR, countersigned Castlereagh, Bundesarchiv, Auβenstelle Frankfurt-On-Main). The following letter presenting Lamb's credentials, is an example of the form taken by such documents:
To The Most Serene Sovereign Princes and Free Towns composing the Germanic Confederation 6 March 1820
George The Fourth, by the Grace of God, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, King of Hanover & & & To the Most Serene Sovereign Princes and Free Towns composing the Germanic Confederation, Sendeth Greeting! Having nothing more at Heart than to cultivate and improve the Friendship and good Understanding so happily subsisting between the British and German Nations, we lose no time in accrediting to You Our Trusty and well beloved The Honourable Frederick Lamb, as Our Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, whose Communications will be made to You through the medium of the Federative Diet assembled at Francfort. From the Experience we have had of Mr. Lamb's Talents and Fidelity in Our Service, We doubt not he will fulfil the Mission confided to him to our perfect Satisfaction, and that he will omit nothing to merit Your Esteem and Confidence. — We therefore request You will give entire Credence to all that he shall communicate to You in Our name, through the medium of the Federative Diet, especially when he shall assure You of the warm Interest We shall always take in Your Welfare and Prosperity, and in the Maintenance of Your Constitution as established by the General Treaty of the Congress of Vienna. And so We recommend You, Most Serene Sovereign Princes and Free Towns composing the Germanic Confederation, to the Protection of The Almighty. — Given at Carlton Palace, the Sixth day of March, in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Twenty, and in the First Year of Our Reign.— signed George R.
countersigned Castlereagh
2 Cf. FO 82/20: Lord Erskine to George Canning, Separate, Stuttgart, 19 April 1827: ‘I take the liberty of submitting to you that as my late Journey to England was undertaken on public business viz. That of taking my place in the House of Lords upon the meeting of the new Parliament, having previously obtained His Majesty's leave for that purpose you will not perhaps consider it inconsistent with the rules and regulations of His Majesty's Government that my travelling expenses should be defrayed,…’
3 When, for example, a duty was imposed on the wine of John Philipp Morier brought from England to Saxony he complainted about it to Viscount Castlereagh, asking permission to appeal to the Saxon Government ‘not to obtain an unlimited permission to import [wine] during my mission, but to strengthen my claim to receive duty free, the baggage and wine which 1 had brought with me’; cf. FO 68/19: John Philipp Morier to Viscount Castlereagh, No 8, Dresden, 14 May 1816.
4 FO 65 / 136: Draft of HM's General Instructions to The Earl of Clanwilliam, as HM's Envoy Extraordinary & Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Berlin, 26 May 1823, signed George Canning.
5 Cf. FO 82/18: Rechnung der Zeitungs=Expedition des Königl. Haupt=Postamtes Stuttgart über die an die königlich Grosbrittanische hochpreisl. Gesandschaft im Laufe des 2. halben Jahres 1825 zu liefernden Zeitungen (Schwäbischer Merkur, Neccar Zeitung, Allgemeine Zeitung, Journal de Francfort, Constitutional, Galignanis Messenger, L'Etoile).
6 Cf. for example FO 366/525 Miscellaneous Papers (contains information on salaries, allowances, missions' expenditure on proper translations, English chaplains etc.). Most of these young men working at the missions were not adequately paid by the Foreign Office and had to rely heavily on their own wealth. Cf. extract of a letter from the Foreign Office to the Treasury dated February 19, 1821: ‘that in order to provide a suitable succession of diplomatick Servants, properly qualified to discharge the functions of Secretary of Embassy and of Secretary of Legation, His Majesty intends to nominate from time to time to such of the Ambassadors or Envoys as the exigency of the Service may point out, one or at most two attaches to be domesticated in his family, and in the receipt of a small Allowances from the Public, not necessarily equal to their expenses, but in compensation for their Services.’
7 In general the missions had to spend considerable sums on translations; cf. FO 82/22: Edward Cromwell Disbrowe to The Earl of Aberdeen, no number, Stuttgart, 30 June 1829: ‘I have had much difficulty in obtaining proper translations, and in finding a person capable of reducing the calculation into English money and I can only assure your Lordship that, as far as I can learn the remuneration does not exceed the price paid by Booksellers and Editors in this place for similar work. A portion of it was translated by Mr. Hall His Majesty's Secretary of Legation and a portion by myself but it found impossible to finish the work satisfactorily without further assistance.’
8 FO 68/22: John Philipp Morier to Viscount Castlereagh, No 8, 9 March 1819; No 14, 20 April 1819; No 15, 27 April 1819; No 16, 6 May 1918; No 17, 11 May 1819; not included in this volume.
9 Cf. despatches FO 82/10: No. 10 (21 March 1818), p. 318ff.; no number (28 April 1818), p. 320f.; FO 64/133: No. 3 (26 October 1822), p. 185ff. in this volume.
10 Cf. despatches FO 64/147: No. 6 (10 October 1826), p. 215f.; No. 20 (26 November 1826), p. 218f.; FO 64/150: Private & Confidential (17 March 1827), p. 221f. in this volume.
11 Cf. despatch FO 64/120, No. 113 (3 November 1819), p. 120f. in this volume.
12 Cf. despatch FO 68/20: No. 20 (21 October 1817), p. 388 in this volume.
13 Cf. despatch FO 64/107: No. 3 (12 January 1817), p. 68ff. in this volume.
14 Forthcoming in volume II.
15 Cf. despatches FO 64/146: No. 4 (24 January 1826), p. 209f.; No. 25 (8 April 1826), p. 210 in this volume.