Volume II Part 19 (2/2)

[1] [For a more particular account of the question of the Russo-Dutch Loan, see _infra_ [February 4, 1832], p

244 It has since been universally admitted that the conduct of the Government ise and honourable, and that the separation of Holland and Belgiue, as I supposed, settled everything with Wharncliffe about his declaration, I got a letter froht it would be pre of the Bill in the House of Lords I took his letter to Melbourne, and told hiainst the delay He said it was no doubt desirable they should get as many adherents as they can, and if the delay would enable theine Government was satisfied with the division in the House of Lords

However, the question of Peers seeh it is perpetually revived In the evening I went to Harrowby's and showed him Wharncliffe's letter He concurred in the expediency of delay, but without convincing ood one, he has written to Lord Talbot, explaining his views, and inviting his concurrence, and of this he has sent copies to other Peers, whom he thinks it possible he may influence The question of time and manner is to be reserved for future discussion

February 2nd, 1832 {p242}

[Page Head: SIR HENRY PARNELL]

Met Frederick Laoes to Vienna What he wishes for is the expulsion of this Government, and the formation of a moderate one taken from all parties Received another letter from Wharncliffe yesterday, in which he stated that he had coton his intention of supporting the second reading, and asked if the Duke would support his amending he would coha about ill or will not join thee Bentinck told me that Lord Holland said to the Duke of Richitation; that nothing could be more unfortunate at this moment, as it would make it very difficult to create fifty Peers' In the meantime a difficulty is likely to arise froth from their very weakness Robert Clive (who is a moderate Tory) called onhis anxiety that the question should be settled) I asked him whether such a declaration would ht that it would have done so a fortnight ago, but that the extreme discredit into which Ministers were fallen would now operate as a reason against supporting theood a chance of expelling theether that people would be anxious to try it Still it must be so obvious that it would be next to impossible to make a Government now, that it is to be hoped all but the most violent will feel it Herries indeed told somebody that he had no doubt the Tories could et a Parliament that would support the on the Russian Loan affair, and Hobhouse appointed in his place Tennyson resigned froh turned out, and he is a good riddance, but it is not the sa people out on Reform He wrote an excellent book on finance, but he was a very bad Secretary at War, a rash economical innovator, and a badtill the last moment for the arrival of the Russian ratification, the French and English signed the Belgian treaty alone, and the others are to sign after as their powers arrive

[2] [Sir Henry Parnell had been appointed Secretary at War on the forues by entering upon an unauthorised negotiation with the French Post Office, without the knowledge of the Duke of Rich Joseph Huht this letter to the Duke of Richnant and laid the whole matter before Lord Grey, who behaved very well about it Parnell narrowly escaped disn of disaffection to the Government he was turned out of office]

February 4th, 1832 {p243}

Called on Lord Harrowby in the ht, for to all the invitations he had written to Peers he had received either refusals or no reply, so that he augurs ill of their attempt Carnarvon and Talbot refused; these besotted, predestinated Tories _will_ follow the Duke; the Duke _will_ oppose all Reform because he said he would Those who are inclined will not avow their conversion toand staring at one another, till one fine day the Peers will co looks ill Dined with Lord Holland

Melbourne, as there, asked me if I had heard from Wharncliffe, but I did not tell him of Lord Harrowby's refusals

Falck dined there, and in conversation about the Russian Loan he told us the original history of it The Emperor of Russia had borrowed ninety millions of florins, and when his concurrence and support were desired to the new kingdo of Holland should take this debt off his hands The King said he would gladlyhi thee of the Netherlands divided the debt into three equal shares, each taking one With reference to the arguer to pay our share, Falck said the King of the Netherlands had not refused to pay on those grounds, that he had only (with reference to his heavy expenses) expressed his present inability and asked for tireed to What he doms were not as yet _de jure_ separated, and that the _casus_ had not yet arrived This, however, is nothing to the purpose, for the King and the Emperor understand one another very well, and it is not likely that the King should do anything to supply us with aour _quota_ to his iharees to have been super-excellent--'a continued syllogis to the end' Lord Holland said, and the Duke of Wellington (I am told) declared, it was the best speech he had ever heard

February 5th, 1832 {p245}

Met Melbourne yesterday evening, and turned back and walked with him; talked over the state of affairs He said Government were very h Brougham had in some measure repaired that disaster in the House of Lords; that it beca Peers as Governreater weakness I told hieable because they wished to drive out the Governht they could Dined at the Sheriff's dinner--not unpleasant--and went in the evening to Lady Harrowby; Lord Harrowby gone to his brothers' Melbourne had told ton had given a report of what he said such as I am sure Melbourne did not mean to convey; the upshot of which was that there was only one man in the Cabinet ished to er, and that it would do ood nu on Lady C, who said that Melbourne was in fact very much annoyed at his position, wanted _caractere_, retched at having been led so far, and tossed backwards and forwards between opposite sentiht the Government very weak, and that they would not stand, and in fact that he did not desire they should remain in, but the contrary And this is Frederick's opinion too, who has great influence over him, while at the same time he is rather jealous of Frederick

February 6th, 1832 {p245}

[Page Head: MACAULAY AT HOLLAND HOUSE]

Dined yesterday with Lord Holland; cae Robinson and a co hbour, I began to speculate (as one usually does) as to who he ht be, and as he did not for some time open his lips except to eat, I settled that he was some obscure man of letters or of medicine, perhaps a cholera doctor In a short time the conversation turned upon early and late education, and Lord Holland said he had always remarked that self-educated ant, and apt to look down upon the generality of norant of howbeen at public schools, they are uninforhbour observed that he thought the most remarkable example of self-education was that of Alfieri, who had reached the age of thirty without having acquired any acconorant of his own language that he had to learn it like a child, beginning with eleer as examples of late education, said that the latter had been wounded, and that he had beenGreek the sahbour re Greek was not an instantaneous act like his ave me the notion that he was a dull fellow, for it came out in a hich bordered on the ridiculous, so as to excite so like a sneer I was a little surprised to hear hier's wound) and talk of Loyola having been wounded at Pa about Loyola's wound Having thus settledopposite to lass of wine?' I thought I should have dropped offenius, eloquence, astonishi+ng knowledge, and diversified talents have excited th of ti hi him down for a dull fellow I felt as if he could have read hts, and the perspiration burst from every pore of my face, and yet it was impossible not to be amused at the idea It was not till Macaulay stood up that I are of all the vulgarity and ungainliness of his appearance; not a ray of intellect beams from his countenance; a lump of more ordinary clay never enclosed a powerful ination He had a cold and sore throat, the latter of which occasioned a constant contraction of thehier of a fit His , unembarrassed, yet not easy, unpolished, yet not coarse; there was no kind of usurpation of the conversation, no tenacity as to opinion or facts, no assumption of superiority, but the variety and extent of his information were soon apparent, for whatever subject was touched upon he evinced the utmost familiarity with it; quotation, illustration, anecdote, seeeniture in this country, in others, and particularly in ancient Rome, was the principal topic, I think, but Macaulay was not certain as the law of Rome, except that when a man died intestate his estate was divided between his children After dinner Talleyrand, and Madame de Dino came in He was introduced to Talleyrand, who told hio to the House of Commons on Tuesday, and that he hoped he would speak, 'qu'il avait entendu tous les grands orateurs, et il desirait a present entendre Monsieur Macaulay'

February 7th, 1832 {p247}

[Page Head: RELUCTANCE TO MAKE PEERS]

Called on Melbourne He said he had not ton to understand that it was desirable the declaration should be delayed; on the contrary, that it was desirable Ministers should be informed as speedily as possible of the intentions of our friends and of the force they can command, but that if only a few declared themselves, they would certainly be liable to the suspicion that they could not get adherents; he added that every man in the Government (except one) are of the desperate nature of the step they were about to take (thatDurhaton had to a certain degree had the effect of paralysing my exertions, and he owned it was imprudent I was, however, extremely surprised to hear what he said about the Cabinet, and I asked him if it really was so, and that all the members of it were _bona fide_ alarmed at, and averse to, the measure; that I had always believed that, with the exception of those ere intimate with him, they all wanted the pretext in order to establish their power He said no, they really all were conscious of the violence of theit; that Lord Grey had been so fro, but that Durhans; that it was 'a reign of terror,' but that Durham could do with hiradation and ihty Lord Grey! I told Melbourne that it was iain ti the 199, but that most of them were in the country; communications by letter were difficult and unsatisfactory; thatthe Duke--in short, fro; that it was not to be expected they should at atake this new line, in opposition to the opinions and conduct of their old leaders, and that when Lord Harroas exerting hi them to reason, and to render a measure unnecessary which in the opinion of the Cabinet itself was fraught with evil, it was fair and just to give him time to operate He said this was very true, but that time was likewise required to execute the measure of a creation of Peers, that people must be invited, the patents made out, &c

We then parted Downstairs was Rothschild the Jeaiting for hi away a _bonnet_ and a _shawl_