“Sir,
“When your letter of the 20th reached this place, I was absent from home.
“I read with much pleasure your article respecting the Liverpool proceedings, in the ‘Sun’ of Saturday. The conduct of the Opposition at that place, and of the ‘Morning Chronicle,’ co-operating with them, towards Mr. Gladstone, has been most shameful.
“If he had kept Lord Liverpool’s communication to himself, they would have made this reserve on a matter which interested the public, the ground of charge against him; when he communicated the substance of it not only to his political friends, but liberally to a few of the other party, some of their connections immediately set to work to misrepresent the object of the communication, and to make it the pretext for a coarse personal attack on Mr. Gladstone.
“I have letters from Mr. Canning of the 31st of December. He was recovered from his attack of the gout, and had been introduced to deliver his credentials. He mentions nothing of a public nature. I am sorry to collect from other sources that he will find it very difficult to maintain a proper state of Representation within the limits of his allowance. Next to Madrid, Lisbon is the Court of Europe where Representation is of the most consequence; and the Ambassadors of Spain and France will be enabled to outdo our Representative in this particular. This, however, is a subject which I do not wish to have noticed, at least for the present.
“I remain, Sir,
“Your most obedient
“Humble servant,
