Oct r 1807

Lords Delegates

Lett. VII Eldon's Plan

in every station unless it be that of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and in particular in every station filled by any learned occupant, has at all times so far from constituting the matter of perfect obligation been numbered /referred to/ in the class of works of super-rogation[?]: and it would be especially in these ticklish and religious times, I would not, offer any such /it would be especially in these ticklish and religious times/, injury /affront/ to the orthodoxy of either Chancellor, as to ascribe /impute/ to him any leaning towards /propensity towards any such or any other/ popish [...?].

Under these circumstances, even to /in the case of/ a man to whom it happens it may have happened, if to any man it did happen to be his lordship's learned hand laying the Bill in question on the Table of the Lords House, to view in any such operation conclusive evidence that the Bill had his Lordship for its author that before or even after the penning it his Lordship's mind[?] had ever been actually applied to it, would be no less rash than if from the reading of a record in which the pleadings /altercations/ between Mr. Doe and Mr. are stated as having been carried on before the King himself at Westminster, a man were to hold it for truth that the royal mind had been actually unfortunate and misdirected /ill-advised/ enough to apply itself to any such squabbles.

Being on the present occasion as on the former /abovementioned/ one seated by Obscurity in the lap of Ease, I proceed without reserve in the examination of the three consolidated Bills.