He sends me his letter to Lord W. Bentinck upon the subject.  It seems by this letter, which adverts to other topics, that the spirit in Bengal is very bad—­that Lord W. has hitherto done nothing to check it, and that with the press in his power he has allowed it to be more licentious than it ever was before.

December 14.

Found at Roehampton a letter from the Duke enclosing one addressed by Mrs. Hastings to the King, applying for a pension.  The King recommends it to the consideration of the Court of Directors.  I doubt the Court venturing to propose any pension to the Court of Proprietors.

I had another letter from the Duke enclosing a letter to him from Sir J. Malcolm and a copy of Sir J. Malcolm’s letter to Lord W. Bentinck, respecting the unauthorised publication of my private letter—­the same I received yesterday.  Sir J. Malcolm speaks of an intended deputation from the Bengal army to England, which Lord William was determined not to allow; but Sir J. Malcolm seems to think that Lord William by his conduct at first brought on much of what has taken place.  He has relaxed the reins of Government too much.  I am satisfied that, without a change of form and name, it will be very difficult to regain the strength the Government has lost in India.

I shall see the Duke if I can to-morrow and suggest the appointment of Sir J. Malcolm as provisional successor to Lord William.  Sir J. Malcolm’s sentiments are known, and his nomination would show the feeling of the Government here.  It would be a hint to Lord William that we could replace him at once and make him do his duty.  It would, in the event of anything happening to Lord William, guard against the mischiefs of an interregnum, which is always a time of weakness and of job.

December 15.

The Duke gone to the Deepdene.  Wrote to him to say I would not fail to bring the question of Mrs. Hastings’s pension before the Chairs; but I enclosed a memorandum showing all that had been done for old Hastings, and reminded the Duke that the Court could not grant above 200L a year without the sanction of two Courts of Proprietors.

Cabinet room.  Lord Heytesbury seems to have shown Nesselrode the protocol about November 25.  The Count was greatly agitated, and put himself into a furious passion.  Asked the use of it?  Perhaps it would be difficult to say.  Supposed it was intended for Parliament—­which is very true.  Said it would lead to a reply we should not like—­create a paper war, prevent the two Courts from remaining upon the friendly terms he had hoped were re-established.  The more angry he is, the more right I think we must feel we were to send it.

There is a good paper of Aberdeen’s to Sir R. Gordon, in which he considers the Turkish Empire as falling, and our interest as being to raise Greece, that that State may be the heir of the Ottoman Power.  With this view he considers it to be of primary importance that the Government of new Greece should not be revolutionary, and the Prince a good one.