Footnote 73: After the official prohibition on 7th October of the intended Clontarf meeting, O'Connell and others were arrested in Dublin for conspiracy. After giving bail, O'Connell issued an address to the Irish people. The trial was postponed till the following year.
Footnote 74: Wimpole, near Royston, nine miles from Cambridge.
Sir Robert Peel to the Prince Albert.
THE DUC DE BORDEAUX
Drayton Manor, 20th October 1843.
Sir,—The enclosed letter75 from Sir James Graham to me (which as your Royal Highness will perceive is entirely of a private character) contains details of a conversation with Baron Neumann which will, I think, be interesting to Her Majesty and to your Royal Highness; and knowing your Royal Highness will consider the communication a confidential one, I prefer sending the letter in extenso to the making of any extracts from it.
I am afraid there is more in the Duc de Bordeaux's visit than the mere gratification of a desire on his part to see again places with which he was familiar in his youth.
If, however, he should be so ill-advised as to make any political demonstration, or to ally himself with any particular party in this country, he would, in my opinion, derive little from it, and there would be the opportunity of giving to the King of the French a new proof of our fidelity to our engagements, and of the steadiness of our friendship towards him and his dynasty.
The great body of the French people would comprehend the object of any such demonstrations on the part of the Duc de Bordeaux, and would, it is to be hoped, see in them an additional motive for union in support of the King, and confidence in the honour and integrity of this country.
I will not fail to inform the Grand Duke of Her Majesty's intended visit to Cambridge, and to suggest to him that it will not be convenient to the Queen to receive him at Windsor before Saturday at the earliest, and probably Monday.