448 POLITICS. [1822. 



fain hope with you that we are all pretty well agreed 

 as to essentials namely, Catholic question and Irish 

 tithes, and boldly putting down that vile Orange 

 junta, who are not formidable in reality ; maintaining 

 existing treaties, and favouring the Bourbons as against 

 republicans and Bonapartists, but leaning against the 

 Ultras ; and though refusing any Greek or other cru- 

 sades, yet strenuously resisting all interference from 

 the other side, of the Holy Alliance ; and though 

 not taking any part in the internal policy of South 

 America, Spain, &c., yet losing no time to recognise 

 the new governments, and establish commercial inter- 

 course with them. My belief is, that the foreign 

 questions would be more troublesome with the Court, 

 and especially the King, than reform itself; as to 

 which, the main thing would be to obtain something 

 as a part of the arrangement ; but, if possible, to avoid 

 being pledged to resist all further reform, because that 

 would place us, from almost the first, in the front rank 

 of anti-reformers. Much credit will justly be acquired 

 by some other stipulations, as remission of a few bad 

 taxes, repealing some of the silly and obnoxious laws 

 against the press, taking the fixed resolution of putting 

 down, by nolle prosequi, all prosecutions for libel by 

 societies, revising the criminal law and some other 

 parts of the law, abolishing flogging, &c. 



" As to the detail, I am very anxious that no discus- 

 sion should, for the present, be had as to casting of 

 parts, because I know most positively what mischief 

 it always does. The speculations at Holland House 

 (which are mere gossip, after all) get out in less than 

 twenty-four hours; and half-a-dozen of our friends 

 are enraged at being left out, and as many more at 



