Esterhazy told me last night that although her position here was
now greatly changed, and that it was far from being so agreeable
as it was, he could not accuse her of imprudence in having taken
the part she had done, because he thought that it had answered
very well, and that the objects of her Court had been in great
measure accomplished through her means.

[Page Head: THE CATHOLIC QUESTION.]

June 18th, 1828

The Duke of Wellington's speech on the Catholic question is
considered by many to have been so moderate as to indicate a
disposition on his part to concede emancipation, and bets have
been laid that Catholics will sit in Parliament next year. Many
men are resolved to see it in this light who are anxious to join
his Government, and whose scruples with regard to that question
are removed by such an interpretation of his speech. I do not
believe he means to do anything until he is compelled to it,
which if he remains in office he will be; for the success of the
Catholic question depends neither on Whigs nor Tories, the former
of whom have not the power and the latter not the inclination to
carry it. The march of time and the state of Ireland will effect
it in spite of everything, and its slow but continual advance can
neither be retarded by its enemies nor accelerated by its
friends. In the meantime men affect to consider his expressions
as of importance enough to influence their conduct in taking or
refusing office. Frankland Lewis,[6] who refused the Irish
Secretaryship, said that after that speech he regretted his
refusal and would be glad to take it, and now he wants to join
the Government again. Certainly at this moment the Tories are
triumphant, and so far from the Duke's Government having any
difficulty in standing, there does not appear to be a disposition
in any quarter to oppose it. Not only in Parliament there is no
Opposition, but the press is veering round and treating him with
great civility. The Government seem well disposed to follow up
the Liberal policy, to which they have been suspected of being
adverse, and have already declared that they do not intend to
deviate either in their foreign or domestic policy from the
principles on which the Government was understood to act previous
to the separation. Arbuthnot told my father yesterday that they
all regret now having resigned in 1827, and Huskisson owned to A.
that he had acted with unfortunate precipitancy.

[6] [Right Hon. T. Fran