to see him on his return from Newmarket.

But I do

not augur much good from the interview. Lord Palmerston learnt from him that he, Lord Harrowby, and Lord Haddington, had been in communication with Lords Ellenborough and Lyndhurst, and that what had passed had been reported by the latter to the Duke of Wellington, whose reply had been more favourable than he (Lord W.) had expected. A negotiation of this nature seems hardly compatible with one with me. The Duke of Wellington certainly will consent to nothing that will not be, in effect, a defeat of the former Bill; whilst I, on the other hand, am bound to maintain it, in its essential principles, subject to such alterations as may obviate the objections to its provisions.

I will not recur to the unfortunate effect produced by the misrepresentations which are circulated respecting the language held by the King. But for the impression made in this manner, and by other circumstances, I have little doubt that there would have been such a majority as would have insured the passing of the Bill without much difficulty.

Lord Anglesey returns to Ireland on Wednesday, where his presence cannot be dispensed with for so long a time as would be required for the Committee on the Reform Bill, without great inconvenience, and it would be rather hard to bring him back again. I am, therefore, very anxious to get him a pair for the Committee; and it has occurred to me that a word from the King to Lord Mayo would effect this. He surely could not object to this arrangement, on the ground both of public and personal convenience, if suggested as being wished

for by His Majesty. The pair would only be required for the Committee, and in every other stage of the Bill, and on every other subject, Proxies may be admitted.

I am, &c.

GREY.

No. 418.

Sir H. Taylor to Earl Grey.

(Private.) Windsor Castle, April 22, 1832. My dear Lord, I have read your Lordship's letter of yesterday to the King, who was glad to learn that Lord Palmerston had had the desired communication with Lord Wharncliffe, and will be anxious to hear what passes between you and him on his return from Newmarket. His Majesty is sensible of the difficulty of bringing the Duke of Wellington to acquiesce in many provisions of the present Bill; but he does not despair of his being influenced by a consideration of existing circumstances and contingencies, nor of satisfactory results from this sort of communication before the House meets again. At any rate it is attended with much less embarrassment now than before the second reading had passed. The King said he would try what he could do with Lord Mayo as to his pairing with Lord Anglesey.

*

Lord Anglesey has been with the King this day, and staid some time, but I have not seen His Majesty since his interview.

Their Majesties are going to-morrow to the opening of the new bridge at Staines, and on Wednesday there will be a family party in the King's house at Kew. shall endeavour to escape both.

I

I have, &c.

No. 419.

H. TAYLOR.

Earl Grey to Sir H. Taylor.

(Private.) East Sheen, April 29, 1832. My dear Sir Herbert,-I received your letter of the 27th on my return from town yesterday evening. I had been there for a few hours to meet Lord Wharncliffe.

The interview took place at Lord Palmerston's, Lord Palmerston and the Chancellor being present. There was nobody with Lord Wharncliffe. Our conversation was conciliatory and friendly, but did not lead to any distinct result. The matter remains therefore open for future communication, with respect to the issue of which I confess my hopes are not very sanguine.

I am not aware that it is necessary for me to say more at present with respect to our Foreign Policy. With relation to Poland, I had already stated to His Majesty, that it did not appear to me that this Government was required, or that it would be expedient, to add anything to the representations which have already been addressed, in a friendly tone, to the Court of St. Petersburg. In these, I do not recollect any cir

cumstance which indicated any concert with France, though the two Governments, taking the same view of the case, may have adopted a similar line of conduct; and His Majesty must recollect that when, during the Polish War, a joint representation was proposed to us by France, it was declined by this Government, much to the satisfaction, as was stated at the time, of Russia. In all these proceedings I cannot refer to anything which could afford just ground of suspicion to Austria and Prussia. Had the conduct of these Governments been such as we had a right to expect, particularly as to the affairs of Belgium, much of the difficulty which still exists would have been avoided.

The state of Monsieur Perrier seems to render some change in the French Administration almost inevitable. I trust it will not be one less favourable to the peace of Europe; but the danger, which is still to be apprehended in that respect, would certainly have been much diminished, whatever may be the character of the new Government in France, if the question, yet in a state of uncertainty between Belgium and Holland, had been brought to a conclusion.

I intend to establish myself in town on Wednesday. I have not profited, as much as I expected, by the short interval of repose that has been allowed me, and dread the fatigue of the Committee.

I am, &c.

GREY.

(Private.)

No. 420.

Sir H. Taylor to Earl Grey.

Windsor Castle, May 1, 1832.

My dear Lord,-I have had the honour to receive your Lordship's letters of the 29th ult. and yesterday, and to submit them to the King.

His Majesty has learnt from your Lordship's letter only, that the Russian Ratification had actually left St. Petersburg on the 18th April; but he has this morning read Lord Heytesbury's dispatches, which state the Emperor's consent to ratify, and those from Mr. Chad to the same effect; and the seemingly reluctant and ungracious manner in which this tardy act was performed, as well as the nature of the communication from Berlin to Petersburg (which was pleaded as a ground for fresh hesitation), appear to His Majesty well calculated to confirm his previous impression, that those Cabinets have been playing anything but a straightforward game, and that the ostentatious display of frankness and decision in Count Orloff's mission was adopted to cover the desire of gaining time, and of retarding, rather than advancing, the conclusion of the negotiation.

But, in other respects, the language held at St. Petersburg tends to confirm His Majesty's belief, that its policy has of late been considerably influenced by the apprehension of a concert of measures between England and France; and that this apprehension, and the encouragement artfully given by France to the suspicion that the English Government is disposed to favour its