told him of it after the Cabinet, and expects a question in the House of
Lords.

I told Astell the letter ought not to have been given. It reveals what has
been done with regard to the Batta question, and the news may possibly
reach India through the press before the Government obtain it.

Cabinet at half-past four. Not only have the Turks acceded to the
arrangement for Greece, but the Greeks have done so too. Leopold adheres to
his memorandum of March, and wants the power of drawing as much as he
pleases of the loan at any time.

He will be invited to meet the Plenipotentiaries or to send a person to
meet them to discuss this point. The people about him say he means to break
off. If he should, Peel thinks we could not do it upon a better point, and
he is right.

The King is decidedly better. The Duke saw him to day. He was looking more
healthy. He has had some refreshing sleep. He is more likely to live than
to die. The only danger is from mortification in consequence of the
punctures; but his constitution is so good that in all probability he will
avoid this danger. This wonderful recovery quite changes our position. In
all public business we must now calculate upon his living--at least till
the end of the Session.

Lord Morpeth is to make a motion for the repeal of the Banishment Clause in
the last Libel Act. To the repeal of that clause, which is inoperative
against the common libeller, we have no objection, and the Attorney-General
is pledged to it; but the House of Lords would not like, and the King would
not endure, the repeal of that provision without the substitution of some
other security. That proposed by the Attorney-General is the requiring
security to the amount of 500L. from two sureties that the editor shall pay
_fines_ on account of libels. This is reasonable, and would to some extent
prevent the putting up, as is now done, men or women of straw as editors,
who have no means of paying fines. The other proposal of the Attorney-
General, that the types should be seizable to whomever they may belong, is
objectionable and would hardly be carried. Peel is very sorry the question
is stirred at the present moment. The press is generally with us or
quiescent, and the 'Morning Journal,' [Footnote: It had been obliged to pay
heavy damages for a libel on the Duke of Wellington.] a paper instituted to
oppose the Government, has within these few days been given up altogether
from the want of support. Certainly t