JET. 39.] LORD LANSDOWNE. 319 



of allowing all the persons or small parties of persons 

 opposed to, or unconnected with, the Administration, to 

 pursue their own separate causes, and indulge their own 

 tastes and tempers which must occasionally differ very 

 much without much attempt at securing a general co- 

 operation except on a few great questions, when the 

 interest excited or the prospect of success serves as a 

 rallying-point of itself. The last, whatever it was 

 originally, has for some time (without stopping to in- 

 quire from what cause it has proceeded) been de facto 

 the state of the present Opposition. It is certainly the 

 least pleasant to individuals, because it leads unavoid- 

 ably to such misunderstandings or, to describe it more 

 justly, such want of understandings as your letter 

 more particularly refers to ; and it must prove less for- 

 midable to the Administration in its result, although I 



' O 



am not at all sure that it may not, from its uncertainty, 

 be more vexatious to them in its details. But the ques- 

 tion to consider is, whether there is a choice between the 

 two systems ; for I confess I do not perceive where that 

 control or direction which is necessary to govern the 

 motions of a party as of any other body of men is to be 

 lodged, so as to obtain the general and willing acqui- 

 escence of all its members. I wish that you, who are 

 better acquainted with the scene and the actors, could 

 tell me that you do. 



" Of what passed in debate towards the end of the 

 session I can only judge from the impressions of others. 

 Of the proceedings on C. "Wynne's bill, to which I felt 

 myself some objections, I am quite uninformed, except 

 having collected from the newspapers that there was 

 much difference of opinion about it. The address, in- 

 deed, you moved, was, from the nature of the proceed- 



