February 5, 1833.

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Don Miguel de facto King of Portugal.

Don Miguel having been appointed Sovereign by the Cortes, it was not the business of the British government to offer any opposition to their choice; and as long as we continued in office, we were seeking for the means of recognizing Don Miguel as Sovereign, de facto, of Portugal.  In point of fact, I have no doubt, if we had remained in office a fortnight longer, we should have effected that recognition; for it was never intended to make the proposed amnesty an indispensable condition of that step.  Our object in recognizing him, was to prevent those disasters which I apprehended must arise from the conflict of extreme opinions in the Peninsula.

February 5, 1833.

The Catholic Oath is a Principle.

His Majesty has sworn to maintain the established Church of England in Ireland; and secondly, that in the very last arrangements made to remove the disabilities, as well of the Dissenters from the church of England as of the Roman Catholics of Ireland, words were inserted in the oaths to be taken by them, for the security of the Protestant establishment.  I consider those oaths as principles; and that we ought not to run counter to them in any manner whatever.

February 5, 1833.

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The Protestants of Ireland are the friends of order in Ireland, and they are the natural friends and connections of England.  I entreat you never to lose sight of this important truth.

February 5, 1833.

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The Game Laws increase Poaching.

Since the passing of the Game Act, poaching has enormously increased.  It is consistent with my own knowledge, also, that as regards my own estate, until this law passed, there was little or no poaching upon it, but that evil has greatly increased since that period.  In fact, not long since, I lost a servant in an affray with poachers, and I at once determined to give up preserving game; but I was induced to relinquish my intention in consequence of learning that the keeper, whom I was about to discharge, could not get employment in any other part of the country.  This, alone, is the reason why I still preserve my game.  I am thoroughly convinced that, in the neighbourhood in which I reside, poaching has increased threefold since the passing of the present Act.  I think that result is entirely owing to the circumstance that the person who is in possession of the game is entitled to carry it away and sell it, and cannot be questioned as to the manner in which it came into his possession.

May 31, 1833.

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Importance of Portugal to England.