d by no means be affected either way by the difference
between an immediate dissolution, and that which must take place
before the March assizes. To this he by no means agreed; as a
dissolution late in February would, he said, by the time the
elections were over, bring us far on towards the summer months.
He then reverted to his opinion as to the probability of your
having a smooth and easy Government. It was his idea he said,
that real commotion never was produced but by real grievances.
My answer was, that the people of Ireland did suffer real
misery, which, as was frequently the case, they would impute to
Government, however little founded such an idea would be. This,
he said, would lead us at length into a disquisition on the
state of Ireland, on which subject he intended, before I went,
to have a long conversation with me, but that he was now too
much pressed.

After this, I thought I could not, with any propriety, prolong
my visit. Since I wrote the above, I have seen Townshend. He
agrees perfectly in opinion with me, that the mention of the
commerce, with so very general a reference to the constitutional
part of the question, could produce no good effect in Ireland,
and might be made an invidious use of. He threw out the idea of
omitting the paragraph entirely; and most certainly, if Lord
Shelburne sees, or thinks he sees, any objection to being more
explicit on the subject, I know no necessity whatever for saying
a word about it. It certainly will produce debate on the affairs
of Ireland, which is much to be avoided; and in the form in
which it now stands, or indeed in any into which it could be
thrown, so as to form part of the King's Speech, it would be of
no advantage to us in Ireland, whilst it would afford ground of
cavil and objection to our enemies. In this idea, I have written
to Lord Shelburne, to desire to see him again; but as he may
possibly appoint me for to-morrow, and you must be impatient to
hear from England, I shall not detain the messenger.

With respect to that cursed cause, I hardly know what to say: it
must have set you very much afloat, particularly with the
lawyers who are interested in the question. In my last letter, I
threw out the idea of a bill in this country to prevent the
receiving or hearing Irish causes in the English courts. I hav