William Wilberforce, Maidstone, to William Wood, Leeds, 3 May 1789.

Sir Charles Middleton’s

near Maidstone May 3d 1789

Sir

        Your two Letters have been forwarded to me at this place, & I sit down to assure you, that I shall be happy to accompany Mr Duncombe to the Secretary of State, with the address to his Majesty, which you have transmitted him.  I beg leave to assure you that I consider the proposed application of the Dissenters, as deserving of the most serious attention of the Legislature.  When it was last made, I revolved it in my Mind long and anxiously, & determined at last against it, not however for Reasons which were urged in the Debate, nor I confess without reluctance; because it appeared to me by no means a light Thing, for so great & so respectable a Body of our fellow Subjects to be thus separated & distinguished from the rest –  I shall regard it as my indispensible duty on this occasion, to review the Grounds of my former opinion: though it be a Matter in which you & your brethren have so deep a personal interest, I doubt not but that you will be satisfied with the assurance I now give you, that I will vote according to my Conscience; and I appeal to your Candour & Liberality of mind for a just interpretation of my conduct, whatever it shall ultimately be after due deliberation.

        I am  Sir, with great respect,

                    Your faithful & most obedient servant

                                                            W Wilberforce

P.S.  A Complaint in my Eyes to which I am very subject, being at this time rather troublesome, I am obliged to write to you by another hand.

Text: Text Acts Papers, no. 9, Unitarian Collection, UCC 3/6/6, John Rylands University Library of Manchester. The above letter is not in Wilberforce’s hand, but definitely signed by him; it is not a copy by Wood.