There is an expedition to be undertaken, which on acct. of Erskine’s extraordinary imprudence in talking, is to be kept a secret from the Cabinet, and only known to a few. Bad accounts from Drummond[285] of the Court of Sicily; strong measures are to be resorted to without delay to bring them to a more reasonable line of conduct. All Frenchmen in the service of Sicily to be dismissed; none but Sicilians to be employed in the service of the State; nominations of all officers in the army to be left to the British Commander-in-Chief; grievances to be redressed by the convocation of the Sicilian Parlt. If these terms are not complied with, we are to declare we cannot defend the island, and if refused, force employed to effectuate them. General Fox, Sr. John Moore, and Drummond are to be associated in a joint Commission for this important object.[286] Sr. Sidney Smith, who has been gained over by the Queen and is completely subservient to her, is ordered on a different service. The fury and violence of the Queen’s character have not abated by age, and her _other_ passions have as little diminished. Ld. Ellenboro’ said, in the discussion of this business, that our Sicilian Alliance seemed to him to cost £600,000 pr. ann., for no other purpose than to maintain a ---- house at Palermo. Overtures for negotiations between France and Russia. Our Governt. have expressed through Ld. Douglas[287] our readiness to become parties to a negotiation for peace, and have expressed our wish that if a Congress is to be held for that purpose, it should be appointed at Copenhagen; but it has been distinctly explained to Russia, that the French Colonies shall not be restored in return for the restitution of the conquests made from Prussia. [Sidenote: THE CATHOLIC QUESTION] There are hopes that the Irish Catholics may be induced to postpone their Petition till another session. Ld. Ponsonby’s letters are favourable to this expectation, and Mr. Butler has expressed the same hopes to Ld. Holland.