&c. &c., all concurred
in the propriety of preventing, if possible, any decision being
pronounced upon the question, which could only go to the increase
of the irritation and violence now existing, and could be of no
advantage, but on the contrary the greatest disadvantage, to
Ireland; and accordingly the motion of Courtenay's was suggested
and unanimously approved; I must, however, do Peel the justice to
say, that he distinctly stated that if the result of the debate was
to be an opinion on Plunket's conduct, he should not hesitate one
moment in giving his heartfelt and sincere opinion in favour of the
proceeding he had adopted.

In the House, Plunket laboured, I think, a good deal in bringing
his precedents to bear on the subject, and showed infinite
dexterity in all this part of his argument; but when he came to the
whole of the proceedings of the Grand Jury and the High Sheriff, he
carried the House along with him, and ended his speech with the
unanimous feeling of the House in his favour; indeed, I am not sure
but that we might have carried a decided negative; however,
altogether it is better as it is, more particularly as Plunket is
equally satisfied.

The King comes to town to-day, and I understand has made up his
mind to hold a drawing-room, and sit during the time; I doubt even
his ability to do this, if he has not greatly mended since I left
Brighton. We shall lose the Catholic question to-morrow, at least
this is my opinion; the state of Ireland, and of parties in that
country, has made a great alteration in opinions of those who were
not very stout upon it before.

The papers which have been presented to Parliament regarding the
negotiations at Verona, and Paris, and Madrid, are considered so
far satisfactory as to meet the feelings of the country in
maintaining a neutrality--that is, in avoiding to commit England to
any share in hostilities; but I should say that they have given an
impression that we were duped by the French Government up to the
moment of the King's Speech, and even afterwards, and that the tone
maintained by England throughout the whole of the proceedings was
not sufficiently high and commanding. There is also throughout the
whole of the negotiations, a continued exertion on the part of
England to induce the Spaniards to give way by some mod