[From Home Office File HO 98/73]

James Clarke to Hobhouse 29 April 1824

Lancaster 29th April 1824 Private

Dear Sir

I beg leave to enclose for your private perusal a letter from Mr George Quirk, Secretary to the Lieut Governor - Making every deduction on the ground of a certain feeling to which I need not allude, still it is a communication which gives a pretty correct view of the present state of the Isle of Man.

Mr George Quirk I consider as a moderate, sensible man.

My advice to him has always been to keep himself as free from party as possible, and to give preponderance to neither side.

A man of the name of Sumner, now confined in Castle Rushen for a misdemeanor, is said to be the editor of the paper to which Mr Quirk refers - I have written to the visiting Magistrate to know whether this be the fact.

Each party I am sorry to say keeps up an angry, irritating paper, which keeps the Island in a state of constant excitement - I am using my best efforts with the Duke and the Bishop to be perfectly quiet, and to discourage writing in their behalf, which I have always found to be done in a most injudicious manner.

I am &c J. Clarke

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