political, and of cutting across all other expectations except
those of an invalid upon half-pay.

I believe I need not tell you, that upon the proposition which you
suggest of my staying here only to make the detail of the new
arrangements for next year, I certainly would not have refused it,
if I had thought that I could more usefully transact that point for
you; but I am really firmly persuaded, that the only chance of any
good being done here, is by some active and intelligent man
_taking root here_, and acquiring over these Ministers by the
vigour and perseverance of his own mind, influence enough to supply
the total want of it in theirs; but as this must be a work of some
time, so it seems highly important that it should immediately be
undertaken in that regular established shape in which alone it is
likely to succeed, and to which I could very little contribute by
protracting my departure two or three months beyond that of Lord
Spencer; besides, too, that if Ireland is to be looked at, I have
not much time to lose with a view to that subject. Certainly no man
can be more sensible than I am to the _desagremens_ of the Irish
Secretaryship; and if the political arrangements which have taken
place, had admitted of my occupying any situation of business at
home, there is scarce any which I should not prefer to it. I am,
however, very ready to confess, that at the present moment I do not
see any such opening likely to be easily made; and, therefore, the
question is as with respect to myself, whether, even with all my
dislike to the situation, it may not be right that I should take
it, and trust to the course of events to supply hereafter some
other situation more eligible. What much inclines me to this is,
that I shall be able to preserve a much nearer and closer
connection with my family and friends, whom I shall at times have
an opportunity of seeing, and that the business itself may become
in one light highly interesting to me, if I see in it the means of
making myself essentially useful upon a subject certainly not
unimportant.

I am not without considerable apprehensions, as you know, with
respect to the practicability of all that in theory one wishes to
be done in that country; but of those difficulties, it is useless
now to speak. Upo