Volume II Part 3 (1/2)

CHAPTER XII

The Belgian Revolution--The Duke of Wellington and Canning--The King's Plate--Glooe--Prince Talleyrand--Position of the Governton and Peel-- Meeting of Parlia's Visit to the City abandoned--Disturbances in London--duchesse de Dino--The Cholera--Southey, Henry Taylor, John Stuart Mill-- Dinner at Talleyrand's--The Duke of Wellington resigns--Mr

Bathurst made Junior Clerk of the Council--Lord Spencer and Lord Grey sent for--Forhaham takes the Great Seal-- Character of the New Ministers--Prospects of the Opposition-- Disturbances in Sussex and Haham--Lord Sefton's Dinner--The New Ministers sworn at a Council

Stoke, August 31st, 1830 {p040}

On Sunday I met Prince Esterhazy[1] in Oxford Street with a face a yard long He turned back with me, and told me that there had been disturbances at Brussels, but that they had been put down by the gendarhtily alarnise the French King directly, and in return for such general and pro herevolutions in other countries, and that, indeed, he had lost no ti In the evening Vaudreuil told , and that he had received a despatch fro him to refuse passports to the Spaniards anted, on the strength of the French Revolution, to go and foners who, being dissatisfied with their own Governments, could not obtain passports fro, however, it appeared that the affair at Brussels was iven ed from the unofficial stateiu very doubtful whether the Belgian troops will support the King's Government

[1] [Prince Paul Esterhazy, Austrian Ambassador at the Court of St James for s no news Falck[2] has heard nothing He left Holland before the outbreak In the event of such a revolution, it remains to be seen what part Prussia will take, and, if she iuians will notLouis Philippe will be able to restrain the French fro their foreneral war in Europe will not ensue

[2] [Baron Falck, Dutch Minister at the Court of St

Jae Head: WELLINGTON'S FOREIGN POLICY]

In these difficult circumstances, and in the midst of possibilities so tremendous, it is awful to reflect upon the very acity which is allotted to those by whoed I aton's sufficiency to meet such difficulties; the habits of his e of huly quick of apprehension, but deceived by his own quickness into thinking he knowsconfidence in himself, which is fostered by the deference of those around hi experience of his ht-headed and sensible, but he is beset by weaknesses and passions which ment Above all he wants that suavity ofgreat and enlarged views of events and characters, and of weighing opposite interests and probabilities, which are essentially necessary in circumstances so delicate, and in which one false step, any hasty measure, or even incautious expression, may be attended with consequences of immense importance I feel justified in this view of his political fitness by contenal failure which haswere now alive we h these difficulties, but if he had lived we should probably never have been in theacity to enter into and comprehend the spirit of the times, and to put hier to be arrested The march of Liberalism (as it is called) would not be stopped, and this he knew, and he resolved to govern and lead instead of opposing it The idiots who so rejoiced at the removal of this master mind (which alone could have saved theht to stem the torrent in its course, and it has overwhelmed them It is unquestionable that the Duke has too much participated in their sentih he never arded them with a favourable eye, nor does he ever seem to have been aware of the iency of the danger will unquestionably increase the impatience of those who already think the present Govern on the public business, and now that we are placed in a situation the most intricate (since the French Revolution) it is by no reeable to think that such enormous interests are at the ave 's birthday, which was e[3] ca the dinner behind the great wine-cooler, which weighs 7,000 ounces, and he told Sefton afterwards that the plate in the rooold plate, which was not used at all The King has made it all over to the Crown

All this plate was ordered by the late King, and never used; his delight was ordering what the public had to pay for

[3] [Of the house of Rundell and Bridge, the great silversmiths and jewellers of the day]

Septee Head: GLOOMY FOREBODINGS]

Caham races, and went to Brocket Hall on Saturday last; returned the day before yesterday Nothing can exceed the interest, the excitement, the consternation which prevail here On Saturday last the funds suddenly fell near three per cent; no cause apparent, a thousand reports, and a panic on the Stock Exchange At last on Monday it appeared that the Eence of the revolution in France, prohibited the tricoloured cockade and ordered all Russian subjects to quit France As ent down on Saturday Henry toldaccounts fro districts of a disposition to rise on the part of the workmen, which had kept Lord Hill in town; and this I fancied was the cause of the fall, but it was the Russian business They have since, however, rallied to nearly what they were before At Brocket I had a long conversation with my brother-in-law,[4] who is never very coloo, not a little perhaps tinctured by the i ruin which he foresees to his own property froreat ceremony on the 15th; moreover he thinks the Government so weak that it cannot stand, and expects the Duke will be con He has already offered him his place, to dispose of in any way that ht one of the Duke's greatestno wise head to consult with in all eencies; this he said was very true, for there was nobody ould even speak to hiht naturally be expected to put hiot hio to or write to the Duke about some matter or other on which it was necessary to refer to him In the business of Huskisson, Huskisson himself was most anxious to have it made up, and wished Peel to speak to the Duke; but Peel would not stir, nor would Dudley, and it ended in Francis' being charged with the negotiation, the result of which everybody knows

[4] [Lord Francis Egerton, afterwards First Earl of Ellesewater Estates and Canal, which was threatened by the competition of the newly-made Liverpool and Manchester Railway Lord Francis held the office of Secretary at War in 1830 for a very short tilesey was Lord Lieutenant]

In the iue has entirely failed in reducing thetwo or three days at or near Brussels in fruitless negotiation and the interchange of proud civilities, he was obliged to retire and carry back to the King a proposal that Belgium and Holland should be separated and a Federal Union established between the appeared, well drawn up, and couched in fire, in which he declares that he will do all that the circumstances of the case may render necessary, but that all shall be referred to the States-General, and they shall decide upon the reat discontent, and it is at least doubtful whether the Belgian Deputies will consent to go to the Hague at all My belief is that this proclaeht before last I had a letter fro with a very sensible view of the state of France and of affairs generally in Europe, auguring well of the stability of the present Govern to disturb the general tranquillity I never was so astonished as when I read in the newspaper of the appointment of Talleyrand to be Ahty than seventy, and though his faculties are said to be as bright as ever (which I doubt), his infirreat that it is inconceivable he should think of leaving his own home, and above all for another country, where public representation is unavoidable Dalberg toldout--Guizot, Marshal Gerard, and Baron Louis, the two latter _accables_ with the _travail_, and the first unused to and unfit for official business;[5] Louis is seventy-three

[5] [A curious estihteen years had a larger share of official life and business than any other Frenche Head: BAD PROSPECTS OF THE SESSION]

In thehis Government, and he will probably meet Parliament as he is

There are some circumstances in his favour, and I think it possible he may still extricate himself from his difficulties

There is unquestionably a notion ast many persons (of the aristocracy) that he is the onlythis country in the midst of difficulties It is hard to say upon what this feeling (for it isthan an opinion) is founded; not certainly upon any experience of his abilities for Government either as to principles or the details of particular branches of business, or his profound, dispassionate, and statesue predilections, and the confidence which he has infused into others by his own firm, manly, and even dictatorial character, and the recollection of his military exploits and splendid career, which have not yet lost their power over the reat influence over the late and present sovereigns