which {403} threatens ruin to the power and prosperity of this country it is our religious divisions." His lordship here, without speaking, intimated, as I understood, his assent to this last sentence; but interrupted me by asking more particularly: "What do you propose to Dissenters?" "The same," I said, "as to Anglicans; I conceive this prayer is proper for them all alike." ... I proceeded: "Among Catholics I find myself constantly met by the objection, that if they came forward openly, as I wish them to do, it would offend those in power in England. I answer them, I am convinced it would not; but in order to satisfy others rather than myself, I have at last thought it well to come to the first authority and ask. I will remark to your lordship why I say this. Among all Catholics, I am particularly intent on moving the Catholics of Ireland to undertake this cause. I first went to Ireland for the purpose in 1842. Now I look upon it as certain, that if the Irish had then undertaken, as I wished them, to pray for the conversion of England, and had persevered in that work out of charity, they would not, in 1848, have thought of making pikes against England; and this would have saved our Government some millions of pounds, perhaps. Pikes are well enough in their place, but I consider that charity would not have prompted the making of them on this occasion. Again, I will say that my favourite individual object in Ireland is to enlist in my cause your lordship's illustrious correspondent, Dr. M'Hale; and it is my opinion that it would improve the style of his letters if there were introduced into them some expressions of charity towards England." Lord John slightly smiled, and then proceeded with his answer, as follows: "In answering you, I beg to be understood that I do not speak as a minister; but I will tell what I think as an individual. The entire liberty which exists in this country for every one to think as he pleases, and to speak what he thinks, makes it appear to me difficult to conceive how a reunion of all the different religious opinions could be effected. That is at least a distant prospect. But anything which would tend to a diminution of the spirit of acrimony, and of the disposition of people of opposite opinions to misrepresent one another's views, must {404} do good." Then he added, in a very pleasing tone: "And I will tell you, that I consider the body to which you belong is the one which suffers the most from such misrepresentations." I said then: "After hearing your lordship's answer, given with such kindness, I am quite happy at having come; and I think I may infer from what you have said, that you perfectly approve of my proceedings, for the tendency of them entirely is to remove the misapprehensions which exist, on both sides, of the others principles. I am convinced that Catholics