The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-19 00:00:00

ALLEGED INDISPOSITION OF

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.
The following paragraphs appeared in the Morning Post of
vestertay, relative to the supposed illness of the Duke of Wel-
lington, in the House of Lords, on Wednesday night:—
•' The Duke of Wellington, whose sudden indisposition in
the House of Lords, last evening, will be found noticed in
the sill-inn:try of our Parliamentary report, was, we are re-
juicea to state, on inquiry at Apsley House, shortly before
ini.ini;;;lit, pronounced • perfectly convalescent.'
" Considerable excitement was caused during the discus-
sion on this question by the sudden departure from the Hone
of the Duke of Wellington, leaning on the arm of another
Peer, in a state of great apparent feebleness."
It will be Neel). however, by the following letter, which we
' publish at the request of the Noble Duke, that the matter
originated in mistake:—

London, April 18, 1845.
F. M. the Duke of Wellington presents his compliments to
the Editor of the Morning Post.
his attention has just row been drawn to two paragraphs
in the Morniny Post of this morning respecting himself, which,
considering the following circumstances, the Duke must con-
sidar as neither more nor less than wilfully false.
It is true that the Duke of Wellington, during the debate,
got up from his place, and gave the assistance of his arm to a
Noble Lord standing on the floor of the House, who it is well
known has the misfortune to be blind, and conducted him
towards the door of the House, when he placed him under the
care of another peisln.
The Duke then returned to his place, in which he remained
till the House adjourned, and even took part in the discus-
sion of the business transacted.

A person called at the Duke's house last night at eleven
o'clock, not twelve, to inquire how the Duke was. The
answer was, " perfectly well," and not that " he was con-
valescent."

Ile has stated these facts as the foundation for his request
that the Editor of the Morning Pail will be pleased to give
a positive contradiction to the paragraphs above referred to;
and that the Editor will be pleased to give directions that
when his name is inserted in his paper for the future, care
should be taken that it is not made the matter of a falsehood.

The Duke makes this request, in order, first, to relieve the
anxiety of many, and next, to save himself some trouble.
To the Editor of the Morning Post.
Apsley- house was yesterday morning besieged by in-
quirers after his Grace's health. The answer was,
The Duke is very well." "Oh no," was the reply, "it is
stated in the paper List he was taken ill in the House of
Lords last night." " I can only say," rejoined the servant,
that he cause home from the house last night in his usual
health, and ate as good a dinner as ever he did in his life: he
says he is very well himself, and 1 suppose he ought to know
as well as the paper.'"

We believe it will be conceded that we seldom fall into
even any of those accidental errors that must be unavoidable
in the management of a newspaper establishment; and we
feel assured of this admission even from our most ardent po-
litical opponents, that we are incapable of deviating into in-
tentional misrepresentation upon any subject. That we have
erred, therefore, in putting forth a groundless alarm as to
the state of the Duke of Wellington's health in our journal
of yesterday, will, we feel convinced, be attributed solely to
" untoward " accident, arising from circumstances, which,
although in fact unsubstantial, were not altogether without
an appearance of reality. It is as generally known as it was
regretted at the time that, on a former occasion, his Grace
was suddenly seized with illness in the House, happily of a
temporary nature, and was conveyed to Apsley House in a
condition that gave pain to the whole nation; and on that
occasion his Grace quitted his seat and left the House of Lords
leaning on the arm of a Noble Peer (we believe Lord Ellen-
borough ) almost precisely under similar circumstances to those
which attended his anpareut departure from the House
on Thursday evening. it appears by his Grace's letter, how-
ever, that on Thursday it was his Grace who gave support to
a nobleman, whose infirmity required safe conduct, by taking
his arm, and it is impossible that any can rejoice more than
we do at his Grace's ability to afford that aid, or can more
sincerely desire its duration. We think, therefore, his
Grace has been rather too hard upon us in attributing wilful
misrepresentation. Who would wilfully misrepresent the
Duke ref Wellington's state of health ? No; our error arose
fain an impression that prevailed in the galleries of the
!louse at the time, that the Noble Duke was really obliged
to quit the !louse through illness, and had been assisted, as
on a former occasion, to his carriage, which led our reporter
to notice the circumstance of the Duke's departure in his
report. We, however, not resting on this authority alone,
sent to make inquiry at his Grace's residence, when the an-
swer given, we regret to say, roust have been misunderstood
by title person who was instructed on the occasion. The
Duke's most zealous friends (and where are they not to be
found?) cannot feel more gratified than we do at his excel-
lent state of health, and if we ever allude to any deteriora-
tion of it, it is only because we know -that he is not, what
we should wish him to be in lite, as he is in fame—immortel.