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[Page 4]
Castle Street Leicester Square
7th October 1808.
Sir
A most extraordinary letter appeared in the National Register of Sunday the 2nd inst., under the signature of Henry James Washington, addressed to you, and intended, as the Writer says, to be submitted for the information of his Majesty.
Of Mr. Washington I know nothing more than this letter tells me ; but I think to highly Sir of your wisdom and discretion, to suppose for a moment that you are likely as one of his Majesty's Privy Council to commit yourself upon a great public question, which must at no distant period be regularly laid before the proper tribunal.
Such a proceeding unproper under any circumstances, would be unjustifiable indeed, when founded upon no other evidence than the assertion of an individual who does not even state himself to have been present at the transactions in question, and whose statement if not intentionally untrue, can be made only on ex parte in formation - a statement which to my certain knowledge is in many points utterly false, and a palpable misrepresentation of facts even where it assumes the semblance of truth. The injustice of attending to such suggestions would be yet more inexcusable when it is considered that the private characters of many individuals most of them bearing His Majestys Commission, are therein most grossly