led for, and said, that as the
Bill was brought in before he came into office, he did not
consider himself as responsible for its contents. The Duke of
Richmond, on this, attacked him pretty warmly on the idea of a
Minister suffering a Bill of such magnitude to go on, without
having some settled opinion to declare upon it.

A little more conversation of this sort passed, of which you
will probably see the detail in the papers, better than I can
give it you. It ended by fixing the second reading for Monday,
for which day the Lords are summoned. The Chancellor paid you a
great many compliments, lamenting your departure, &c.; and
saying, at the same time, very justly, that if a new Government
was to take place in Ireland, they might possibly be to adopt a
system directly contrary to that to which the Bill is
calculated.

Lord Sydney is to move it on Monday; the Duke of Portland having
told him (in consequence of his having, at my desire, put the
question explicitly to him), that he meant to take no part in
it. Probably, however, this determination will last only till he
gets a fresh set of instructions from Fox.

The news of the day is, that they are quarrelling about having
Lord Loughborough of the Cabinet. I am going to the King to
deliver your letter, and if it be true, shall very likely hear
it.

12th.

Nothing material passed last night, as I was a very short time
with the King, and the conversation was quite general; so much
so, that I had no kind of opportunity to introduce what you
mentioned to me, and I am sure you agree with me, that it was
impossible for me to begin that sort of conversation.

I have delayed this letter till to-day, in order to send you the
papers containing the debate, which is very accurately stated in
them.

I have seen Lord Sydney to-day about this Bill, and I think we
have settled, at last, that on Monday he should move for the
second reading, stating a little the grounds of the Bill, and
should then proceed to say that the Bill was taken by us out of
Lord Beauchamp's hands, because we thought it proper that
whatever was done in a business of this nature should proceed
from Government; that, for the same reason, having brought it to
this stage, he would now resign it into the hands of the present
Government. It is a me