Read letters from Sir John Macdonald and a paper he enclosed from
'Blackwood's Magazine' in 1827 on the invasion of India by the Russians.
May 14.
Colonel Briggs called. He is a clever man. He will prepare for me a memorandum on the composition of the native army. He seems equally conversant with revenue, judicial, and military matters.
House. E. Retford as usual. The King is much relieved by the draining of the water from the punctures; but the wounds gave him much annoyance last night. The fear is they may lead to mortification. Lord Rosslyn and I go down on Sunday to Windsor to enquire.
May 15.
Astell has sent to Lord Combermere the letter lately despatched to India in which the conduct of the several members of Government is commented upon as regards the Batta question. Lord Combermere only asked, as far as I recollect, to know upon what grounds his conduct has been censured. I told Astell to tell him the censure rested entirely on official documents with which he must be acquainted. The Duke was very angry with Astell, when I told him of it after the Cabinet, and expects a question in the House of Lords.
I told Astell the letter ought not to have been given. It reveals what has been done with regard to the Batta question, and the news may possibly reach India through the press before the Government obtain it.
Cabinet at half-past four. Not only have the Turks acceded to the arrangement for Greece, but the Greeks have done so too. Leopold adheres to his memorandum of March, and wants the power of drawing as much as he pleases of the loan at any time.
He will be invited to meet the Plenipotentiaries or to send a person to meet them to discuss this point. The people about him say he means to break off. If he should, Peel thinks we could not do it upon a better point, and he is right.
The King is decidedly better. The Duke saw him to day. He was looking more healthy. He has had some refreshing sleep. He is more likely to live than to die. The only danger is from mortification in consequence of the punctures; but his constitution is so good that in all probability he will avoid this danger. This wonderful recovery quite changes our position. In all public business we must now calculate upon his living—at least till the end of the Session.