Presented a petition for the repeal of the Test Acts before adjournment of Parliament, believes he may be called to bring a motion although he would rather wait for a bill "for the relief of the Catholics". Further discussion of this subject and parliamentary affairs. Remarks that Sir Joseph Banks' will "has been thought to breathe the cold spirit of selfish aristocracy"; abstains from further judgement.
Criticises the Queen [Caroline (1768-1821), wife of George IV] for outraging "all the decencies of which she ought to be the fairest example" but many friends think his opinion "rank treason against injured innocence". Reports that his daughter Fanny wrote from Baden that "[Caroline] had exposed herself everywhere. Bemused that "domestic & party intrigues & politics" are distracting attention "from those questions which are of the greatest zeal" including the "lamentable downfall of those 3 species of legitimate monarchy: Spain, Naples, & Portugal". [George and Caroline married in 1795 and had a fractious relationship. After years of estrangement and accusations of adultery a bill was introduced to the House of Lords on 17 August 1820 to strip Caroline of her title and end her marriage to George IV, prior to his coronation. There was massive popular support for Caroline in the ensuing trial, the bill was eventually withdrawn].
[Note in another hand stating that Fanny, William Smith's daughter, was the mother Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), reformer of nursing]