^ET. 36.] AND THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE. 241 



" If no answer is given, he gives a notice for Friday. 

 " In great haste. Yours ever, H. BROUGHAM. 



" We have a solemn minute, by Princess Charlotte's 

 desire, to be used by me to show the match is off for 



ever." 



TO EARL GREY. 



"YORK, July 24, 1814. 



" DEAR LORD GREY, I am sorry I did not see 

 you as you passed Ferrybridge, I being at Michael 

 Taylor's. 



" The Duke of Sussex will do exactly as he is bid ; 

 but the most material point is to combat stoutly 

 the idea of its being a private matter. The Crown 

 has the disposal and superintendence of the family. 

 Granted. But in what capacity? As father? No 

 such thing. The case in 1718 relied on by the adver- 

 sary proves the very reverse ; it is as Grown, and to 

 the exclusion of the natural father. This is an irre- 

 sistible argument, and it leads to the unavoidable 

 inference that the Crown only exercises the superin- 

 tendence as an act of state, and through responsible 

 servants. Peace and war, treaties, &c., are matters 

 left to the Crown, as better able to deal with them 

 than the Legislature ; so of every other branch of the 

 executive. But do we say that these are not matters 

 of state ? No. The care of the family is better in 

 the hands of the Crown. But has the state no 

 interest in the exercise of such a trust ? Who else, 

 constitutionally speaking, has any interest ? The idea 

 of its being a family or domestic affair is completely 

 negatived by the law itself, which (as declared by the 



VOL. II. Q 



