d the Royal Family, could produce nothing but
discord, confusion and anarchy; and that on such a plan the
administration of public affairs cannot proceed.

This line of argument leads to the nomination of the Prince of
Wales, either without a Council, or with a Council, consisting
only of the Cabinet Ministers for the time being, and removable
by him, limiting at the same time his authority in other
respects in such a manner as may not be inconsistent with the
means of carrying on a temporary Government; but may provide in
the manner I have already mentioned for securing to the King, in
case of his recovery, the possession and exercise of his rights,
such as he enjoyed them before his illness. The means of doing
this appear to be the restraining the Prince from granting any
office or pension for life, or in reversion, except those only
which must by law be granted either for life, or during good
behaviour; restraining him from creating or advancing peers,
and, perhaps, from dissolving the present or any future
Parliament. The last of these points appear to be that which
admits of most doubt, whether it should be stated to the extent
which I have mentioned, or whether it should be confined to this
Parliament, or should be entirely omitted. My own opinion, I
think, rather leans to inserting it in its full extent, though I
see and confess that there are weighty objections to it.

I have now mentioned to you all I know of our views and
intentions on this most important subject. The next point
relates to our own situation. We have no knowledge at all, any
more than when I wrote to you before, of the Prince of Wales's
intentions, nor has any overture, direct or indirect, been made
to Mr. Pitt. This circumstance, joined to the affectation with
which Sheridan appears to be consulted on all occasions, seems
sufficiently to indicate what is to be expected. A part of this,
however, is to be attributed to Sheridan's eagerness to display
his personal importance, by which silly vanity I am told he has
much offended the Duke of Portland and Fox's immediate friends.

We are therefore still much in doubt whether there is any idea
of proposing terms of junction. We are all agreed that the most
desirable thing would be, that Pitt should be removed at once,
and without management. The diffic