y what I hear, beyond all measure or bounds. The steadiness of
the House of Commons on this occasion is no bad lesson to them, and
I believe they will long remember it.

Ever yours,
W. W. G.

In the House of Peers, Ministers did not come off so triumphantly. Lord
Bulkeley communicates the result, and enumerates the _rats_.

LORD BULKELEY TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.

Dec. 27th, 1788.
MY DEAR LORD,

We divided last night at half-past twelve; our majority was 33, the
members being 99 to 66, which in the House of Peers was certainly a
large minority. The rat Peers were Duke of Queensbury, Marquis of
Lothian, Bishop Watson, Lord Malmesbury, Earl of Abergavenny, Lord
Chedworth, Lord Audley, Lord Eglinton; and all of the armed
neutrality, who are: Duke of Northumberland, Lord Rawdon, Lord
Selkirk, Lord Breadalbane, Lord Hawke, Lord Kinnaird, Lord
Shaftesbury, Lord Huntingdon; Lord Lonsdale absent; Lord Lansdowne
with us, and spoke better than I ever heard him in my life, fewer
flourishes, and less rhodomontade. The Chancellor spoke
incomparably; and did give it Lord Loughborough and Lord Rawdon
most completely, particularly the former, who felt it. We are in
good spirits, for we fall with _eclat_, and high in public
estimation. I have no time to add more; but that I am yours
affectionately,

B.

The Opposition are in great hopes of a _riot_ in the Irish
Parliament.

MR W. W. GRENVILLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.

Whitehall, Dec. 28th, 1788.
MY DEAR BROTHER,

The messenger carries with him, as usual, the account received
to-day from Kew. I do not know that I have anything material to
write in addition to my former letters. I stated to you on Friday,
at length, the strong objections which both Pitt and myself feel
against your idea of proroguing the Parliament. If any accident
should detain that letter till after you receive this, I hope you
will take no step of that sort till you have received that letter,
and seriously considered the nature of our objections, which seem
to me to be of the utmost importance.

The belief that the Prince of Wales will certainly accept seems to
gain ground. It is most probable that we shall be enabled to speak
with more certainty on this subject in the course of to-morrow, as
a l