From Lord Palmerston 29 January 1826

My dear Sir

I am playing truant here for a few days in order to take into my system a sufficent quantity of oxygen to prepare me for the impure atmosphere of the Hs of Cms on Thursday. I worked up my time however by anticipation as I sat up writing letters the whole of the night before I left London not having quitted my chair from eight o'clock in the evening till ten the next morning. I send you a batch of votes most of which I believe are new to you. These make my number amount to 458; including Sir H. D. Hamilton. He is a Whig & being in the country answers my letter probably without knowing how his party mean to go, but I have no doubt we shall have him; perhaps he may wish to consult the D of Gloucester & if so that will do us no harm.

I send you a list which I have made out of persons who are probable or possible votes pray look it over & correct it by adding or striking out. The best thing I can do is I think to write myself to all such persons in preference to anything else. I send you some more returned letters. I shall be in Town again in a couple of days & hope before that to have to report further progress. I suppose it is quite certain that Sir Charles Coote of Triny has lost his vote; if he still has one it is mine.

My dear Sir

Yrs sincerely

Palmerston

I have written to Pack of the Temple and Brett of Corpus