On Saturday I slept at Dropmore, in my way down here, and my visit was well timed, as I just met Lord Wellesley, and had a great deal of conversation with him. Ha was in high spirits, and very entertaining, narrating his past victories over Indian cabals, and anticipating his future ones over Irish. I cannot say that the King's Lieutenant (as he took care more than once in conversation to style himself) was received without that ceremony. On the contrary, Mr. Dodsworth was Lord Chamberlain for the occasion, to show him his room before dinner, and he found his own way into the gallery afterwards, and had nobody even to carry up his candlestick to bed. In and about his carriage were five servants, among whom were two young _gentlemen_ between eighteen and nineteen, who, by the housemaid's report, made his bed. (I should have thought one would have been sufficient to make or unmake it) Lady Grenville was cruel enough not to repeat this to me till he was gone, so that I had no sight of them. He told me that he understood Downes made no objection to retiring, and therefore he anticipated no difficulty or delay in Plunket's appointment, as Saurin would not have the power to stop it, and would only have to choose between promotion to the Chief-Justiceship and dismission from the Attorney-Generalship. The latter is reported to be troubled with scruples of conscience, not only from his want of experience in criminal law, but objections to passing sentence of _death_. Now, since as Attorney-General he must have swallowed these sufficiently to direct capital prosecutions, I have myself little apprehension of their choking him when he is to pass sentence, or even if his office required him to execute it. Lord Wellesley talked to me a good deal about Canning, and expressed his belief that he really wished to go to India. If that is the case, there can be no doubt, that whether he delays two or three months on account of Lord Hastings or not, that it will end in his going. He treated the reports of disturbance in Dublin as quite ridiculous, and told us that they rested only on the depositions of Patrick Maloney, a discharged serjeant, who tells of a meeting of 1700 men at night under Carlton wall, who were seen by nobody else but Terence O'Tregan, who is to come forward hereafter, but at present is confined at home, having caught a _could_ in his head, and so keeping house. MR. W. H. FREMANTLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM. Englefield Green, Dec. 27, 1821. MY DEAR LORD, Nothing can be more satisfactory or conclusive than Lord Liverpool's letter, which fully confirms your interpretation. I am perfectly satisfied, and shall wait with great patience and pleasure his convenience.