Apithystatementofhisviewisgiveninaremarkableletter，dated1stFebruary1823，totheprincewhowassoontobecomeCharlesX。2TheFrenchgovernmenthaddeclaredthatapeoplecouldonlyreceiveafreeconstitutionasagiftfromtheirlegitimatekings。ShouldtheEnglishministry，saysCanning，afterthisdeclaration，supporttheFrenchintheirattackupontheconstitutionalgovernmentofSpain，itwouldbedrivenfromofficeamid’theexecrationofToriesandWhigsalike。’HethoughtthatthedoctrineofthesovereigntyofthepeoplewaslessalientothespiritoftheBritishConstitutionthantheoppositedoctrineofthelegitimists。
Intheearlydays，whenCanningsatatthefeetofPitt，thewar，ifnotintheireyesanAnti-Jacobincrusade，hadtobesupportedbystimulatingtheAnti-Jacobinsentiment，inlaterdays，thewarhadcometobeastruggleagainsttheoppressionofnationsbyforeigndespots。CanningcouldnowaccepttheversionofPitt’spolicywhichcorrespondedtothelaterphase。
Englishmeningeneralhadnomoresympathyfordespotswhoclaimedadivinerightthanfordespotswhoactedinthenameofdemocracy——especiallywhenthedespotsthreatenedtointerferewithBritishtrade。WhenCanningcalled’thenewworldintoexistencetoredressthebalanceoftheold，’3hedeclaredthatEnglishpolicyshouldresistthreatsfromtheHolyAlliancedirectedagainstsomeofourbestcustomers，thegeneralapprovalhadspecialforceamongtheUtilitarians。IntheSouthAmericanStatesBenthamhadfoundeagerproselytes，andhadhopedtobecomeaSolon，HehadbeenconsultedbytheconstitutionalistsinSpainandPortugal；andheandhisdisciples，JosephHumeinparticular，hadjoinedtheGreekCommittee，andtriedtoregenerateAthensbysoundUtilitariantracts。AllEnglishLiberalssympathisedwiththevariousmovementswhichweremoreorlessfavouredbyCanning’spolicy；buttheUtilitarianscouldalsoseeinthemtheopeningofnewfieldsalreadywhitefortheharvest。
Theforeignpolicywassignificant，itprovedthatthewar，whateverelseithaddone，hadnotbroughtbacktheoldorder；andtheoldBritishtraditionsinfavouroflibertyofspeechandactionwouldrevivenowthattheywerenolongertrammelledbythefearsofadestructiverevolution。ThedaysofJulyin1830gavefreshimportancetothereactionofforeignuponEnglishpolitics。
II。LAWREFORM