IN 1832 the cholera made its appearance in many parts of the country, and claimed many victims. At Brentford the people disputed hotly about it, some alleging it was not Asiatic cholera, fearing that the prevalence of that epidemic would be detrimental to the little trade of the town. At the parish meetings feeling ran so high that the disputants almost came to blows, and Colonel Clitherow 'never had so much difficulty in keeping them in decent order.' In the autumn of the previous year Earl Howe[*] had been dismissed, at the request of Lord Grey, from the post of Chamberlain to the Queen. As this office had always been regarded as independent of the Ministry of the day, the incident attracted a good deal of attention at the time, and formed the subject of a question by Mr. Trevor in the House of Commons, to which the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Althorp, returned a diplomatic reply. Yet, however unusual the action taken by the Government may have been, there can be little doubt that, considering the feeling of the country respecting reform, their decision was a wise one. Earl Howe had twice voted against the Reform Bill, and it might have been inferred that he had been influenced in this action by the Queen against the King's wish. His dismissal did not, apparently, prevent rumours to this effect becoming current, and the Queen and her friends were much annoyed at the imputations thus implied and expressed. That these somewhat natural inferences had no substantial foundation is made clear by a letter written from Boston House, April 11, 1832: [*] Richard William Penn Curzon-Howe, second Viscount Curzon; born 1796, created Earl Howe 1821, his maternal grandfather, the celebrated Admiral, having previously borne that title. 'We are often annoyed at the unaccountable falsehoods put about of our dear Queen. The world now says she and the King are on such bad terms that she is going to Germany. My brother called on Lady Mary Taylour[*] (she is Princess Augusta's Lady of the Bedchamber), who said she had that morning read a letter from the Queen to the Princess, in which she said she had been very unwell, her anxiety was so great about the Princess Louise; her mother was ill, and her sister not coming, but, she added, "My comfort and consolation is the extreme kindness of the King. Nothing can exceed it.' This is from one you may believe. When we were at the Pavilion, early in December, she was too ill to come out of her room, but sent for Mrs. Clitherow after dinner, and she had a _tête-à-tête_ with her for an hour. She spoke much of the insult to her of dismissing Lord Howe, but what hurt her most was her fear lest the King should be blamed, for she was sure he never would have done it could he have helped himself. I think now, if you hear the report, you may contradict it on sure grounds. I do believe her excellent and good.' [*] Eldest daughter of the first Marquis of Headfort, born 1782.