Volume II Part 13 (2/2)

CHAPTER XV

Preparations for the Coronation--Long Wellesley committed by the Chancellor for Contempt--Alderoes to Belgium--Royal Tombs and Reian Fortresses--Secret Negotiations of Canning with the Whigs-- Transactions before the Close of the Liverpool Adton and Peel--The Dutch invade Belgiuiuer of Reforium--Goodwood--The Duke of Richton calls on Lord Grey--The King declines to be kissed by the Bishops-- Talleyrand's Conversation--State of Europe and France-- Coronation Squabbles--The King divides the old Great Seal between Broughae IV and Willia--The Cholera--A Dinner at St Jaustus d'Este--Madame Junot--State of France--Poland

July 15th, 1831 {p165}

A Committee of Council sat yesterday at the Office about the coronation; present, the Cabinet, Dukes of Gloucester and Sussex, Archbishop and Bishop of London; ham raised every sort of objection about the services and the dispensing with the _could_ not dispense with them; finally, the Attorney-General and Solicitor-General were sent for to the House of Lords and desired to reconsider the Proclamation

July 20th, 1831 {p165}

I have been laid up with the gout these last few days, unable to move, but without violent pain The Coain on Friday last, when the Proclamation was settled A Court of Clai any clai to the ceremonies in the Abbey The Lords went to St Ja made a little speech, to the effect that he would be crowned to satisfy the tender consciences of those who thought it necessary, but that he thought that it was his duty (as this country, in co under distress) to make it as economical as possible A difficulty arose about the publication of the Proclamation, usually done by heralds with certain ceremonies The first proclamation is not the one to be acted on; the second does not announce the coronation, but refers to the first I asked Brougham as to be done He said both ested neither, which was done

The other day Long Wellesley carried off his daughter, a ward in Chancery, froht before the Chancellor, who sent for Wellesley He cahaht the next day before the House of Coes; and in the reat splutter about his authority and his Court both on the judicial bench and from the Woolsack The lawyers in the House of Coe in such a case[1]

[1] [Both the Chancellor and Mr Wellesley wrote to the Speaker, and their letters were read to the House before the Coes was appointed

Meanwhile Mr Wellesley ree of two officers of the Court of Chancery There is, I believe, no doubt that the coe as a member of Parlia been committed A similar point has recently been raised in the Court of Queen's Bench upon the coe Head: ALDERMAN THOMPSON AND HIS CONStitUENTS]

There has been exhibited in the course of the last few days one of the raceful scenes (produced by the Reform Bill) ever witnessed On the question of the disfranchisement of Appleby a certain Aldered to Reforh, on which there was aof his ward, or of certain of his constituents, to consider his conduct He was obliged to appear before the a severe lecture, to confess that he had been guilty of inadvertence, to ies, and promise to vote no reeable pastination, and wish to have been in the place of such an one for the sake of doing what he ought to have done but did not do, by which, without any of the risk of a very difficult and unpleasant situation, one has all the iinary triumph of eloquence, independence, and all kinds of virtue; and so in this instance I feel that I should have liked to pour upon these wretches the phials of my wrath and contempt If the alderman had had one spark of spirit he would have spurned the terrors of this plebeian inquisition, and told them that they had elected hi as he continued their representative, to vote as he thought proper, always redeeiven at his election; that he would not submit to be questioned for this or any other vote, and if they were not satisfied with his conduct when the Parliaht choose whom they would in his place What makes the case the more absurd is, that this question of Appleby is ht (by their own principle) to have been put in Schedule A at all There was a debate and a division on it last night, and a majority for the Ministers of seventy-five in a very full House; the worst division they have yet had Every small victory in the House of Coreat defeat in the House of Lords, unless they do what is now talked of--make as many Peers asto do or the King consenting to do The lapse of time and such difficulties and absurdities will probably obstruct the Bill, so as to prevent its passing God knoe shall have instead

Prince Leopold started on Saturday, having put his pension into trustees' hands (by the advice of Lambton), to keep up Claremont and pay his debts and pensions, and then hand over the residue to the Exchequer, the odds being that none of it ever gets there, and that he is back here before the debts are paid It seeo, when the tiot alarh with difficulty) to the point He has proposed to the Princess Louise, King Louis Philippe's daughter

Halford has been with ave me an account of his discovery of the head of Charles I

in St George's Chapel, Windsor, to which he was directed by Wood's account in the 'Athenae Oxonienses' He says that they also found the coffin of Henry VIII, but that the air had penetrated and the body had been reduced to a skeleton By his side was Jane Seymour's coffin untouched, and he has no doubt her body is perfect The late King intended to have it opened, and he says he will propose it to this King By degrees we enet too, and see if those faies He says Charles's head was exactly as Vandyke had painted him

July 26th, 1831 {p168}

At Oatlands on Saturday, and caht nobody there but my father, mother, Walpole, Sneyd, and Alava; very different froreat deal of talk about the Duke of Wellington giving Lord Munster the Lieutenancy of the Tower, the truth of which is as follows:--It is in the King's gift, and he sent to the Duke and desired him to name somebody The Duke would have liked to nae The latter would not have been agreeable to Govern an embarrassment; the second was provided for, and Lord Hill advised the first to reh I don't see why he could not have had both); so the Duke thought it would gratify the King if he was to name Munster

Munster wrote a very civil letter to the Duke, full of thanks and saying that he begged he would not think of hiive it to, and that he would take upon hi it The Duke persisted, and so he had it I ht have found soive it to rather than Munster

The King of France's Speech arrived yesterday, but nothing was said in the House of Lords, because Lord Grey was at Windsor It will eneral tone of it, and the demolition of the fortresses which cost us sevenwill do for thee Head: THE CHOLERA]

Fresh claiow insists upon it, without much apparent reason, that it prevails there; so we have sent a medical man down, in order to quiet people's minds and to set the question at rest Lord Grey, who is credulous, believes the Glasgow man's story, and spread the news in his own family, who immediately dispersed it over the rest of the town, and yesterday nobody could talk of anything else; not believing it veryit at all, for if they did they would not be so flippant Lady Holland wrote to Lord Lansdowne to desire he would recommend her the best _cholera_ doctor that he had heard of I have just received a letter fro he has ordered his publisher to send erald,' and that he only sends copies to the Duke of Leinster and et hienus irritabile vatum'

July 27th, 1831 {p169}

Yesterday Aberdeen asked Lord Grey some questions in a very feords, acco, and of course gave Lord Grey the advantage of repelling it with scorn The Duke spoke, and pretty well, but laid soium, which is what I cannot understand, but Alava told me that when he calishman, he had never felt so deeply affected for the honour of his country as in this transaction I ht he had done soian fortresses is not without great difficulty, and the strong part of it for Governreed to by all the Powers interested (except Holland), and without the presence of the French Plenipotentiary at thewhen it was decided I am inclined to think that theof France's Speech, as a clap-trap for hih the policy may be very questionable