, and on the right of internal and
external legislation. There never was a debate on Irish
questions in England that was not misrepresented; and this,
together with the acknowledgment of the principle of the
insufficiency of what was done last year, would put Mr. Flood on
excellent ground. To many of these objections I could not but
subscribe, for they strike me very strongly. I wished to know
from him his idea on the external legislation. He said he had
understood you, when you left England, that you was determined
never to cede that. I said, that as his Lordship referred to
conversations to which I was no party, I could only say that I
had understood you very differently. The distinction between
external and internal, he said, was a bad one, as applied to
Ireland. It was applied by Fox, who took it from Lord Chatham,
by whom it had been adopted, for want of a better expression, in
the case of America. I said, the distinction I made was a clear
one--that England could, in her own ports, restrain as she
pleased the commerce of Ireland; but that it was not in the
power of Government, after what had been done (whether wisely or
not), to enforce any English Act which was to be executed in
Ireland. He said, that this brought us back to the idea of a
settlement; and that he should be curious, and indeed it was
necessary to the subject, to know what questions about English
Acts concerning trade, and what other commercial points would
come into discussion in such a settlement. At the same time, he
said, the subject was one of those which required conversing
with people of information, and which, nevertheless, if any one
was consulted upon it, would set the heads of every one afloat.
However, he wished I would turn my thoughts to it, and let him
see the principal points. I then pressed him again upon the head
of your Bill; I thought it right to say that I was satisfied on
every other head, but that this pressed strongly on my mind. All
I wished was, that he would allow me to state to you the
difficulties, such as he had mentioned them; but at the same
time, to say, that they were overbalanced by an absolute
necessity. He said, that he would not suppose that they could be
overbalanced.

While I write this, I receive your despatches of the 12th
instant. I have immediately enclos