Volume II Part 19 (1/2)

This ot from Melbourne to this effect: 'that they had resolved to make no Peers at all at present; that to arded as a reat many; but that as many as would be necessary to carry the Bill would be made, if it was eventually found that it must be so;' he added 'it only remained for people to co the second reading' This is certainly a great victory, and I do believe mainly attributable to our exertions, to the spirit we have infused into Melbourne himself, and the use we have made of Wharncliffe and Verulaht to bear upon the discussion What now ree Peers to take a moderate deter has an aversion to_a few_ Peers, that he has said he would rather make twenty-five than five, that whatever he must make he should like to make at once, and not to have to return to it Anyhow, tiained, and a victory for the e Head: WHARNCLIFFE'S INTERVIEW WITH THE KING]

Ca my house, and so occupied that I have not had time to write Wharncliffe caive , in which it appears as if he had said ht, and no more He told his Majesty that the reports which had been circulated as to the disposition and intentions of hiu Peers, which he understood to have been founded on these reports, had compelled him to ask for this audience, that he wished to explain to his Majesty that he (Lord Wharncliffe) had no intention of opposing the second reading of the Reform Bill as he had done before, that he had reason to believe that many others would adopt the sa disposition in the House of Commons, he was persuaded they would have no difficulty in carrying the second reading in the House of Lords

He then i well to consider the consequences of such a _coup d'etat_ as this creation of Peers would be; to look at what had happened in France, and to bear in mind that if this was done for one purpose, and by one Governain by others, or for other objects He ith the King an hour dilating upon this thereat patience, and paid him many complilad to have had this conversation with hiave Lord Wharncliffe to understand that he hadare impressions on sand However, from Taylor's cautious hints to hiood He is himself persuaded that his audience principally produced the delay in the creation of Peers

In the hton Lord Ailesbury, who saw the King, consulted Wharncliffe, and agreed at last to tell the King that his sentiments were the same as those which Lord Wharncliffe had expressed to hie have proe Head: THE WAVERERS AND WELLINGTON]

YesterdayHe had found Harrowby in a state of despair, uncertain what he should do, and looking upon the gaton, as i should prevent his opposing a Bill which he believed in his conscience to be pregnant with certain ruin to the country; that he did not care to be a great reat wealth and station), and that he could contentedly sink into any station that circuht let him down to, but he never would consent to be a party directly or indirectly to such aas he did, he was resolved to do his utard to consequences Wharncliffe said he was quite in despair, for that he knew the Duke's great influence, and that if he and Harrowby endeavoured to for one sufficiently strong to cope with hireat and rather unusual modesty of himself, and of his inadequacy for this purpose; that Harrowby reater influence, but that he was so undecided and so without heart and spirit that he would not bestir hi else was left to be done

In the evening went to Lady Harrowby's, where I found hiton We stayed there till near two, after which Wharncliffe and I walked up and down Berkeley Square He was inconversation with these two Lords, both of who with hiular and declared separation fro he had seen Lyndhurst, who appeared very undecided, and (Wharncliffe was apprehensive) rather leaning towards the Duke, but I endeavoured to persuade him that Lyndhurst was quite sure to adopt upon consideration the line which appeared most conducive to his own interest and i ith Lord Grey and the Whigs, and I well remembered when the late Government was broken up he had expressed himself in very unmeasured terms about the Duke's blunders, and the i Prih feelings of honour and patriotisreat talents and his capacity to render himself necessary to an Administration; that it was not probable he would like to throw himself (even to please the Duke) into an opposition to the earnest desire which the great mass of the community felt to have the question settled; and that both for hi theht be avoided by the manner in which it was done I entreated him to use towards the Duke every sort of frankness and candour, and to express regret at the necessity of taking a different line, together with an acknowledgment of the purity of the Duke's motives; and if this is done, and if other people are made to understand that they can separate fro with hiiance to him as their political leader, many will be inclined to do so; besides, it is of vital iet the Bill into Committee, to secure the concurrence of the Duke and his adherents in dealing with the details of it, which can only be effected by keeping hi looks as well as such a thing can look

CHAPTER XVII

Measures for carrying the Second Reading of the Reform Bill in the House of Lords--The Party of the Waverers--The Russo-Dutch Loan--Resistance of the Tory Peers--Lord Melbourne's Views on the Government--Macaulay at Holland House--Reluctance of the Governton intractable-- Peel's Despondency--Lord Grey on the Measures of Conciliation-- Lord Wharncliffe sees the King--Prospects of the Waverers-- Conversations with Lord Melbourne and Lord Palmerston--Duke of Richmond on the Creation of Peers--Interview of Lord Grey with the Waverers--Minute drawn up--Bethnal Green--The Archbishop of Canterbury vacillates--Violence of Extre Peers--Irish National Education--Seizure of Ancona--Reform Bill passes the House of Commons--Lord Dudley's Madness--Debate in the Lords

January 24th, 1832 {p237}

YesterdayFrederick Lamb caain in agitation, that the King had agreed to make as many as they pleased, and had understood Wharncliffe's conversation with his Majesty not to have contained any distinct assurance that he would vote for the second reading of the Bill Our party in the Cabinet still fight the battle, however, and Stanley (on whom all depends) is said to be firive way, and Lord Grey (who is suspected to have in his heart s as to thisUnder these circuht, to persuade him to declare his intentions without loss of ti, and he was frightened to death at the idea of taking this step, lest it should give ue to the Tories, and he should find hiether to Grosvenor Square, and had a long conference with Harrohoe Head: PLANS OF CONCILIATION]

In the meantime the Tories are full of activity and expectation, and Lord Aberdeen is going to bring on a ium on Thursday, on which they expect to beat the Governreater evil could not occur, or a better excuse be afforded theot it into their heads that if they can beat the Government _before_ the Reforn

I found Harrowby and Wharncliffe equally undecided as to the course they should adopt, the fore question was at last suspended, that Lord Grey was co reluctant, and so forth--Wharncliffe afraid of being abandoned by those who are now disposed to consult and act with him, and indisposed to co discussion I succeeded in persuading theer is i it, and they agreed to hoist their standard, get what followers they can, and declare in the House for the second reading without loss of time Harrowby said of himself that he was the worst person in the world to conciliate and be civil, which is true enough, but he has a high reputation, and his opinion is of immense value Until they declare theain adherents, why the matter is at an end; while if their exa the cli the House of Lords and the permanent establishment of the power of the present Governton to-day, to entreat him not to let his party divide on Aberdeen's o to the Archbishop to invite his adhesion to their party I aur froh the bulk of the Tory Peers are prejudiced, obstinate, and stupid to the last degree, there are scattered ast them men of more rational views and more moderate dispositions Sandon came in while ere there, and expressed precisely the sa to enforce upon them He said that in the House of Comive way upon a very reasonable objection, without assigning any reason (the numbers in Schedule B), that this evinced an unconciliatory spirit, which was very distressing to those ished for a compromise, that Hobhouse came to him after the debate, and said how anxious he was they should coreater spirit of conciliation, and talked of aof the er for a settlement, and by no means averse to concession, but that while Peel, Croker, and others persisted in the tone they had adopted, and in the sort of opposition they were pursuing, it was quite i, or evince any disposition to make concessions Sandon said he had no doubt whatever that if Peel had assu of the session the Governht have been feasible even in the House of Commons

Hobhouse, however, said that the alterations, whatever they ht be (and he owned that he should like sorace in the House of Lords, and this is what I have all along thought O'Connell arrived yesterday, took his seat, and announced his intention of supporting Government at any rate All the Irish reat body, that everyone expected would display hostility to the Bill, have forh any difficulties by their coularity of their attendance

January 25th, 1832 {p239}

We ht--Wharncliffe, Harrowby, Haddington, and Sandon--and I found their minds were quite made up Wharncliffe is to present a petition fro his declaration, and the other two are to support hi, who is decided the same way, and he asked Lord Devon, who knows the House of Lords very well, if he thought, in the event of their raising the standard of moderate Reform, that they would have adherents, to which he replied he was convinced they would Lord Harrowby saw the Archbishop, ould not pledge hiether they think they can count upon nine bishops Wharncliffe spoke to the Duke of Wellington about Lord Aberdeen's motion, and represented all the iht have with the Peerage question; to which he only replied by enlarging on 'the i to embrace thisthat the country cares not a straw about Belgiuin to care about such things when this question is settled

Haddington also went to Aberdeen, ould hear nothing; but he and the Duke severally proht hether Wharncliffe should say his say directly, or wait (as he wishes to do) for a few days The decision of this he referred to me, and I have referred it to Melbourne, to whom I have communicated what has passed

News caot within three h, and to show the fallacy of any theory about it, and the inutility of the prescribed precautions, at one place (Newport, I think) one person in five of the whole population was attacked, though there was no lack of diet, war for the poor This disease escapes from all speculation, so partial and eccentric is its character

January 29th, 1832 {p240}

[Page Head: DISCREDIT OF MINISTERS]

There were two divisions on Thursday night last--in the House of Lords on the Belgian question, and in the House of Coton stayed away; Lyndhurst voted Only two bishops, Durham and Killaloe Ministers had a majority of thirty-seven, for Aberdeen and the Duke persisted in bringing on the question and dividing upon it The former spoke nearly three hours, and far better than ever he had done before; the Duke was prosy In the other House the Government had not a shadow of a case; their law officers, Honorance and stupidity which were quite ludicrous, and nothing saved theood speech at the end from Palmerston, and their remonstrances to their friends that unless they carried it they n Not a soul defends them, and they are particularly bla to Parliaht have avoided the scrape[1] They had only a usted with both these divisions, both plainly showing that they have little power (independently of the Reform question) in either House To be sure the case in the House of Commons was a wretched one, but in the House of Lords there was nothing to justify a vote of censure on Government, to which Aberdeen's motion was tantamount But while they had a h toPeers on _that account_, it was so small that they see clearly what they have to expect hereafter froly their adherents have thrown off the mask Sefton called on o on in this way, that the Tories had had possession of the Govern soor other Ministry could stand without a fresh creation to redress the balance