TALBOT2657

London
22^d March 1833

Dear M^r F.

What do you think of the division on Attwood’s motion?¹ I was absent, from an impression that the Ministers had the power of preventing its being brought forward pending the progress of the Irish Bill,² and that they certainly would prevent it as they had done Sir A. Agnew’s motion on the Sabbath laws³ the day before. Therefore, thinking there was nothing going on but the Irish Bill & that that was now safe, I did not attend, being very busy. Had I been there I sh^d have voted with Attwood, tho’ I wish the Ministry would consent to an enquiry without being compelled. It is unpleasant to have to vote with the Radicals against them,⁴ but if they will not consent to fair discussion they are themselves to blame if they get outvoted.

I have been reading in a scientific journal a curious account of the running away of a steam carriage down hill near Abingdon⁵ last autumn. It ran a mile in one minute ten seconds – This coach travelled all the way from Southampton to Liverpool & back to London, it passed a stagecoach going full gallop that tried to race with it, with eas[e,]⁶ in fact on one occasion at Knutsford in Cheshire it went 3 miles ½ in 5 minutes ½ without running away. It goes up hill at a great pace, so that I don’t see why it should not come into general use, except that Capital is wanted for such an undertaking.

We cannot come before Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

Yours aff^ly
Henry

Captⁿ Feilding