My letter of yesterday will have prepared you for the debate, of which you will read the account in the papers. Undoubtedly the best course would have been to have given the notice of our intended Bill in the first instance, and so have precluded the debate, but P——[111] ] would not then have had the opportunity of making his explanation, to which he attached much importance.
Part of his speech was good, but he showed too much anxiety to justify himself and prove his own consistency, and a sort of soreness which conveyed, I find, pretty generally, the idea that he was acting on compulsion, which the Purple (Orange is not an epithet strong enough) speech of his brother-in-law and Under-Secretary strongly confirmed.
Canning expressed well and decidedly the concurrence and union of the Governments of England and Ireland. Altogether we have got through the business so far, more smoothly than I had anticipated. I remained silent, as you advised. When I spoke of unanimity yesterday, I should have excepted W. W. P——,[112] ] who was too apprehensive of the consequences of the measure in the north, to be swayed by paternal regard. Plunket continues to look wretchedly ill, and from his own account of constant headaches, &c., I cannot help feeling uneasy about him.
We have not for some time had any discussion on foreign politics, but I quite concur in the view which my uncles, the Duke, and you all take of it, except that I could not swallow any permanent occupation of Spain by France without great difficulty.
Ever yours,
C. W. W.
THE RIGHT HON. CHARLES W. WYNN TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.
East India Office, March 7, 1823.
My dear B——,
It is true that there be many things which may arise between this and the end of the Session, but at present the one point upon which all the House of Commons seems to agree is, that we are the best and wisest Ministers since the days of Lord Burleigh, and we only stand in need of fans to hide our blushes when our modesty is so severely put to the proof by the compliments of the opposite side.