INGHAM.

East India Office, Feb. 19, 1823.

MY DEAR B----,

It gives me great pleasure to hear of your coming to town, but it
is fair to say that when I wrote on Monday, I attached an
importance to the article in the _Courier_ which I am since
convinced it was not entitled to, and that it is equally
disapproved by all the principal members of the Government.

Still this will not be known in Ireland, and its effect there will
be most mischievous. _I think_ the result will be the removal of
the Chancellor; but Peel, with whom I have had most conversation,
complains extremely of Wellesley's not having written to him a
line, or I believe to any other person, on the state of Ireland or
any of the late events. He says most truly, "The Lord-Lieutenant
has a clear right to dismiss any of his household with or without a
reason, but can we from that infer his feelings respecting the
Chancellor, or can the Government take any steps on mere newspaper
reports?" From Plunket's report I believe that the Lord-Lieutenant
and Chancellor are on as bad terms as possible, and that it is
notorious to all Dublin. The public good _demands_ that decisive
measures should be taken, but it is really hard upon the English
Ministers to expect them to originate them without a request or
intimation from the person in whose department they are, and who is
most directly responsible.

If anything is now done, he [Lord Wellesley] will, you well know,
make a merit of his not having complained against Lord Manners, and
declare that he never wished his removal.

Ever yours,

C. W. W.

The Duke of Buckingham thought it necessary to write to Lord Wellesley
in a friendly spirit, on his recent proceedings, to which the
Lord-Lieutenant made the following reply:--

THE LORD-LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

Phoenix Park, Feb. 21, 1823.

MY DEAR DUKE,

I received with the utmost degree of gratitude and satisfaction
your Grace's most kind and generous letter, which my long (but as
you know) involuntary silence did not merit.

Your Grace's reasoning is most just, and all your observations
judicious and useful. In a few days I hope to be able (by a safe
hand) to send a more full and explicit answer to your letter. In
the meanwhile, I will shortly state that I hope the extension to