AND TEE DUKES OF RICHMOND. 147 



future occasion. This arose from information the 

 Government had received that advantage might be 

 taken of the nocturnal assemblao;e of multitudes to 

 create a tumult. Considerable fear was entertained 

 in London, as the populace had recently turned 

 against the Duke of Wellington in consequence of 

 his opposition to the Eeform Bill. It was soon dis- 

 covered that there was no real cause for apprehension, 

 and severe censure was passed in both Houses upon 

 Ministers for preventing the King's visit to the city- 

 feast. During the discussion in the Upper House, 

 the Duke of Richmond declared that the King reigned 

 in the hearts of his countrymen, and might have 

 gone safely, unaccompanied by guards, through every 

 street in the metropolis. 



The Duke of Wellington, although politically 

 opposed to his old aide-de-camp, replied to him in 

 the most complimentary terms as follows : " Before 

 I proceed to address myself to the subject before 

 the House, I feel it necessary to say that I am under 

 great obligations to the noble Duke (of Richmond) 

 for putting it in my power to explain the circum- 

 stances of the letter to which he has alluded. Before 

 I begin, however, I wish to state that I concur in 

 the opinion delivered by the noble Duke, that his 

 Majesty is the most popular sovereign that ever 

 reigned in this country ; and still more that he is 

 a sovereign whose public and private conduct most 



