erstand no more of than I do, who
have had no opportunity of learning anything about it. Lord W., in
one of his private letters, mentions some plan of yours about hops,
and I think I recollect something passing between us on the
subject, but have no trace what it was. I have a clerkship vacant
in my office: can it be made useful to any object of yours?

You probably know also that Selwyn's death gives me the disposal of
his office in Barbadoes, of between L100 and L500 per annum, but it
can be held only by a resident. I feel myself bound, in the first
instance, to offer to Nepean, who is killing himself by his labour
here, to give it to any proper person who will vacate anything for
it here. If that fails, you know I have no other idea of patronage
than that of consulting your wishes, or serving our joint objects.

A little stray light is thrown upon this question of spirits and beer in
Ireland by Mr. Hobart in a letter to Lord Buckingham. The great evil
which demoralized the Irish, including, it appears, even the country
gentlemen, was whiskey-drinking; and with a view to diminish it, if
possible, the Irish Government brought in a Bill, putting a heavy duty
on spirits, and liberating beer, hoping that the measure would act as a
prohibition in the one case, and as an encouragement in the other.

Sobering the people of Ireland, I look upon to be an impracticable
undertaking; but the abominable use of whiskey, rendered it
necessary that Government should endeavour to do something which
might tend in some degree to check the evil. Meeting and
reconciling all the difficulties you have adverted to, I cannot
flatter myself has been accomplished; but we have struggled against
them as well as we could, and by not attempting too much, _perhaps_
we shall effect something. I enclose a paper, showing what will be
the state of the duties when the Bill passes; in addition to which,
we take all restrictions off the brewery, leaving the brewers at
liberty to sell at their own price, and to brew as they please. We
have also some hopes from regulations, to which we are encouraged
by the general outcry against whiskey, and assurances that country
gentlemen will _violate their natures_, and assist in carrying the
laws into execution. I must acknowledge that I am not very sanguine
upon the subject; but