Arlington Street, Monday night.

The mighty commitment set out with a blunder; the warrant directed the printer, and all concerned (unnamed) to be taken up.  Consequently Wilkes had his habeas corpus of course, and was committed again; moved for another in the common pleas, and is to appear there to-morrow morning.  Lord Temple, by another strain of power refused admittance to him, said, “I thought this was the Tower, but find it the Bastille.”  They found among Wilkes’s papers an unpublished North Briton. designed for It contains advice to the King not to go to St. Paul’s for the thanksgiving, but to have a snug one in his own chapel; and to let Lord George Sackville carry the sword.  There was a dialogue in it too between Fox and Calcraft:  the former says to the latter, “I did not think you would have served me so, Jemmy Twitcher.”

(279) For his strictures in the North Briton, No. 45, on the King’s speech at the close of the session.-E.

(280) Afterwards created Lord Camelford.

(281) Anne Seymour Conway.

Letter 154 To Sir David Dalrymple.(282) Strawberry Hill, May 2, 1763. page 215)

Sir, I forebore to answer your letter for a few days, till I knew whether it was in my power to give you satisfaction.  Upon inquiry, and having conversed with some who could inform me, I find it would be very difficult to obtain so peremptory an order for dismissing fictitious invalids (as I think they may properly be called), as you seem to think the state of the case requires; by any interposition of mine, quite impossible.  Very difficult I am told it would be to get them dismissed from our hospitals when once admitted, and subject to a clamour which, in the present unsettled state of government, nobody would care to risk.  Indeed I believe it could not be done by any single authority.  The power of admission, and consequently of dismission, does not depend on the minister, but on the board who direct the affairs of the hospital, at which board preside the paymaster,, secretary at war, governor, etc.; if I am not quite exact, I know it is so in general.  I am advised to tell you, Sir, that if upon examination it should be thought right to take the step you counsel, still it could not be done without previous and deliberate discussion.  As I should grudge no trouble, and am very desirous of executing any commission, Sir, you will honour me with, if you will draw up a memorial in form, stating the abuses which have come to your ]Knowledge, the advantages which would result to the community by more rigorous examination of candidates for admission, and the uses to which the overflowings of the military might be put, I will engage to put it into the hands of Mr. Grenville, the present head of the treasury, and to employ all the little credit he is so good to let me have with him, in backing your request.  I can answer for one thing and no more, that as long as he sits at that board, which probably will not be long, he will give all due attention to any scheme of national utility.