Finished up my arrears of letters, and wrote a couple in advance to America. Mr Morse came in and talked of the various topics between us. We get no instructions or means from Washington, so I counsel him not to incur any addition debt. I showed him an answer I received from Mr Dudley at Liverpool, who came up yesterday to see me about consulting counsel again to stop a vessel fitting out at Liverpool. It appears that he had already been to Mr Collyer, who had verified the prediction made by Sir Robert Phillimore, and317 had declined to go farther. He had intimated that he had been found fault with for his former course, and that his connection, with the Admiralty might conflict with farther engagement to us. He however said that he still held to his opinions about the gunboat 290, and was prepared to speak on the subject in Parliament if it were brought up. I doubt the issue of a such a speech under his present affiliation. He would support only the better ultimately to betray us. He advised Mr Dudley us to the selection of another lawyer, and recommenced a Mr Lush, It was this gentleman’s opinion that I had just received. It was much what I anticipated. No lawyer of eminence will have the courage to repeat Mr Collyer’s experiment. We dined at home today, and in the evening went to the weekly reception at Lady Russell’s. About fifty or sixty present, including perhaps half of the Corps Diplomatique. Some talk with Mr Moreira who tells me the talk about the Alabama is, “It is done, and cannot be helped.” I asked him why the English had not been satisfied with such an answer from his government in the case of the wreck. Instead of which they had sought indemnity by the harshest way known to the law, short of war, and had added insult to injury in their diplomatic notes. Arrogance is the characteristic of all Brisih policy; and self interest the only guide. From thence we went to Mrs Darby Griffith’s—a small musical party, but the two performers on whom she relied having failed her, she gave us the same deco with the young lady at the piano which we had last week. Sir William Ouseley told me that the company at this house was mostly of the conservative side, though Griffith himself professed to be independent. In Parliament he seems to rank principally as a bore. Mrs Griffith is a very pleasing woman.