rnment,
upon the ruins of that which is now avowedly broke up in every
part of it. Still, however, the country remains, at this urgent
and critical moment, wholly without any Government whatsoever.

When all hopes were over of forming an Administration from the
remains of Lord Shelburne's, acting under some other head, the
King sent, as I imagined he would, for Lord North; having
previously had some communication with him through Lord
Guilford, whom he saw on Sunday. Lord North has been twice with
the King, and has both times been pressed to form some system to
the exclusion of the Duke of Portland and Fox, which he has
peremptorily refused; alleging the necessity of strength, and
the impossibility of supporting Government in Parliament, except
on the basis of their coalition. The last time, the conference
is said to have ended with his being told, that if _he_ was
determined, he would find that the person who talked to him
could be so likewise. In the meantime, Parliament is kept
sitting, and must be so; because Fox declares his resolution not
to suffer the Mutiny Bill to pass till a Government is formed.

In this state of things, it is difficult to do any business
whatever; because those who hold their situations only for the
moment, are of course disinclined to take any step beyond the
mere routine of office. I have, however, prevailed upon
Townshend to speak to the King about the Peers to be created
previous to the ----. I enclose my note to him upon the subject,
and his answer.

The Irish Bill stood for yesterday, and as it had been so often
put off, I thought it better not to delay it any longer.
Accordingly, I moved to go into the Committee. (Neville in the
Chair, Lord Nugent peremptorily refusing, and Jemmy not being
well.)

Before we went into the Committee, Percival desired to say, that
as he understood his idea had not been approved of by the House
in general, and that every one seemed to wish that this Bill
might pass without any division or difference of opinion, he
should not now insist upon it, though he was not convinced that
the motion was improper.

Mr. Eden said, that the principle of the Bill met his hearty
concurrence; though he wished to observe that the clause about
the judicature seemed to him so worded, as to declare that
England