olic question, the object of which (though it
was vaguely expressed) was to turn out the Catholic members and
form a Protestant Government for the purpose of crushing the
Catholic interest. This Lord Liverpool communicated (privately) to
Canning, and it was afterwards communicated to the King, who
appears (the answer was not there) to have given the Duke of York
a rap on the knuckles, for there is a reply of the Duke's to the
King, full of devotion, zeal, and affection to his person, and
disclaiming any intention of breaking up the Government, an idea
which could have arisen only from misconception of the meaning of
his letter by Lord Liverpool. It is very clear, however, that he
did mean that, for his letter could have meant nothing else. The
whole thing is curious, for he was aware that he was dying, and he
says so.

[10] [This correspondence is now published in the third
volume of the Duke's 'Correspondence,' New Series, p.
628.]

January 12th, 1831 {p.104}

Passed two days at Panshanger, but my room was so cold that I
could not sit in it to write. Nobody there but F. Lamb and J.
Russell. Lady Cowper told me what had passed relative to the
negotiation with Melbourne last year, and which the Duke or his
friends denied. The person who was employed (and whom she did not
name) told F. Lamb that the Duke would take in Melbourne and two
others (I am not sure it was not three), but not Huskisson. He
said that it would be fairer at once to say that those terms
would not be accepted, and to save him therefore from offering
them, that Melbourne would not be satisfied with any Government
which did not include Huskisson and Lord Grey, and that upon this
answer the matter dropped. I don't think the Duke can be blamed
for answering to anybody who chose to ask him any questions on
the subject that he had _made no offer_; it was the truth, though
not the whole truth, and a Minister must have some shelter
against impertinent questioners, or he would be at their mercy.
An Envoy is come here from the Poles,[11] who brought a letter
from Prince Czartoryski to Lord Grey, who has not seen him, and
whose arrival has naturally given umbrage to the Lievens.

[11] [This Envoy was Count Alexander Walewski, a natural son
of the Emperor Napoleon, who afterwards played a
considerable part in the affairs of France and of
Europe, especially under the Second Empire. During his