Volume II Part 28 (2/2)
Ca week at Buckenha; a wretched life--that is, a life of amusement, but very unprofitable and discreditable to anybody who can do better things Of politics I know nothing during this interval, but on co for 'what next' Government was beaten on the Malt Tax, and Lord Grey proposed to resign; the Tories are glad that the Government is embarrassed, no matter how, the supporters sorry and repentant, so that it is very clear the e, and will probably get o, but where to find a Chancellor of the Exchequer will be the difficulty Poulett Thomson wants it, but they will not dare co on 'du jour la journee' nobody knohat is to happen next--no confidence, no security, great talk of a property tax, to which, I suppose, after wriggling about, we shall at last come
May 2nd, 1833 {p368}
The Governoes but Hobhouse,[4] who thought fit to resign both his seat in Parliareat embarrassment, which can only be removed by his re-election and re-appointment, and then, what a farce!
[4] [Sir John Hobhouse, who had consented to take the Irish Secretaryshi+p a ned now because he felt unable to oppose a resolution for the abolition of theduties; and resigning office he resigned his seat for Westh Review,' April 1871 (No 272), an account of this transaction]
[Page Head: EMBARRassMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT]
There were two great ht before last The King was all graciousness and favour to Lord Grey, and so they are set up again, and fancy theh everybody (except the fools) wished them to be re-established, it was evident that this was only because, at this e, for they inspired no interest either individually or collectively It was easy to see that the Govern tired of their blunders and ein to turn their eyes to those who areof the business of Government--to Peel and to Stanley, for the for selfishness and duplicity, is the ablest et, and accept services without troubling ourselves about the motives of those who supply then of Radicalisenus omne' is to be substituted That the present Governround every day is perfectly clear, and at the same time that the fruits of the Reform Bill becoot into ing partly to the votes that people were obliged to give to curry favour with their constituents, and partly to negligence and carelessness in whipping in Hobhouse's resignation is on account of his pledges, and because he is forced to pledge his he finds himself placed in a situation which co the public service to the greatest degree at a very critical ti one another how is it possible the country can be governed in this manner, and nobody can reply
Since I have been out of town the appeal against the Chancellor's judgment in the Drax (lunacy) case has been heard at the Privy Council, and will be finally determined on Saturday[5] Two years have nearly elapsed since that case was lodged, and the Chancellor has always found pretexts for getting the hearing postponed; at length the parties became so clamorous that it was necessary to fix a day He then endeavoured to pack a co Lord Plunket, Lord Lyndhurst, and the Vice-Chancellor, but Leach, who hates Brougha reversed soments, bestirred himself, and represented to Lord Lansdowne the absolute necessity (in a case of such consequence) of having all the ex-Chancellors to hear it Plunket was gone to Ireland, so the Committee consisted of the Lord President, the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Master of the Rolls, Lords Eldon, Lyndhurst, and Manners They say the arguainst it; they expect it will be reversed Leach, foolishly enough, by question and observation, exhibited a strong bias against the Chancellor, who never said a word, and appeared very calnant at these Lords having been summoned (as his secretary told Lennard[6]), and said 'he was sure it was all Leach's doing' What ainto the administration of justice the petty vanity, personal jealousy and pique, and shuffling arts that would reflect ridicule and odiuled his Privy Council Bill through the House of Lords without the slightest notice or re in Council from orders of the Lord Chancellor in lunacy, but there are very few examples of the prosecution of appeals of this nature
This case of Drax _v_ Grosvenor, which is reported in 'Knapp's Privy Council Cases,' was therefore one of great peculiarity The Bill constituting the Judicial Committee had not at this time become law; this appeal was therefore heard by a Committee of the Lords of the Council, to which any ht be sual authorities should be present It was the last tihah the appeal was brought from an order made by himself: this practice had not been uncommon in the House of Lords, but it had not been the practice of the Privy Council, where indeed the case could seldom arise]
[6] [John Barrett Lennard, Esq, was Chief Clerk of the Council Office]
May 16th, 1833 {p370}
On co to town found the Westminster election just over, and Evans returned They would not hear Hobhouse, and pelted him and his friends No Secretary for Ireland is to be found, for the man must be competent, and sure of re-election Few are the first and none the last Hobhouse is generally censured for having put Governreat difficulty, but the Tories see it all with a sort of grim satisfaction, and point at it as a happy illustration of the benefits of the Refore Head: SLAVE EMANcipaTION]
At the same time with Hobhouse's defeat came forth Stanley's plan for slave e both West Indians and Saints, being too h for the latter, and both announced their opposition to it
Practical men declare that it is impossible to carry it into effect, and that the details are uneable Even the Governood and safe measure, but the best that could be hit off under the circu the old ht before last Stanley developed his plan in the House of Commons in a speech of three hours, which was very eloquent, but rather disappointing He handled the preliminary topics of horrors of slavery and colonial obstinacy and ht have been expected, but when he came to his measure he failed to shoas to be put in operation and to work The peroration and eulogy on Wilberforce were very brilliant Howick had previously announced his intention of opposing Stanley, and accordingly he did so in a speech of considerable vehemence which lasted two hours He was not, however, well received; his father and mother had in vain endeavoured to divert hih they say his speech was clever, he has daed himself by it His plan is immediate emancipation[7]
[7] [The result proved that Lord Hoas right The apprenticeshi+p system proposed by Lord Stanley was carried, but failed in execution, and was eventually abandoned]
While such is the state of things here--enorreat disquietude and alar of security, no confidence in the Government, and a Parliament that inspires fear rather than hope--ed than they are at home It is remarkable that the business in the East has escaped with so little animadversion, for there never was a fairer object of attack While France has been vapouring, and we have been doing nothing at all, Russia has established her own influence in Turkey, and made herself virtually mistress of the Ottoman Empire At a time when our interests required that we should be well represented, and powerfully supported, we had neither an Ambassador nor a fleet in the Mediterranean; and because Lord Ponsonby is Lord Grey's brother-in-law he has been able with impunity to dawdle on months after months at Naples for his pleasure, and leave affairs at Constantinople to be ether incoe Head: RESPECT SHOWN TO WELLINGTON]
They have found a Secretary for Ireland in the person of Littleton,[8] which shows to what shi+fts they are put He is rich, which is his only qualification, being neither very able nor very popular The West India question is postponed The Duke of Wellington told ht it would pass away for this time, and that all parties would be convinced of the impracticability of any of the plans nowcould do away the ht 'theto avoid any h St James's Park) with the profound respect hich the Duke was treated, everybody weas he went by, and every appearance of his inspiring great reverence I like this symptom, and it is the her feeling towards him He has forfeited his popularity more than once; he has taken a line in politics directly counter to the popular bias; but though in moments of excitement he is attacked and vilified (and his broken hich I wish he would mend, still preserve a record of the violence of thesentiment of admiration and respect for him, kept alive by the recollection of his splendid actions, such as no one else ever inspired Much, too, as I have regretted and censured the enormous errors of his political career (at tiree produced by the justice which is done to his political character, soh-minded and patriotic, and never mean, false, or selfish If he has ai it, it has been with the purest intentions and the most conscientious views
I believe firree the honour and glory of his country; and hereafter, when justice will be done to his memory, and his character and conduct be scanned with iovernencies of the times in which he was placed at the head of affairs, the purity of his motives and the noble character of his aed
[8] [The Rt Hon E J Littleton, MP for Staffordshi+re, and afterwards first Lord Hatherton
It was Lord John Russell who advised Lord Grey to make Littleton Irish Secretary He told me so in May 1871, but added, 'I think I made a mistake' The appointment holly unsolicited and unexpected by Mr Littleton himself, who happened to be laid up at the time by an accident On the receipt of the letter fro hi him to take it, Mr Littleton consulted Mr Fazakerly, as of opinion that he ought to accept the offer This therefore he did, though not, as I know froreat diffidence and hesitation; and he intimated to Lord Grey that he would only retain his office until some other man could be found to accept it]
The Duke of Orleans is here, and very well received by the Court and the world He is good-looking, dull, has good oes everywhere, and dances all night At the ball at Court the Queen waltzed with the two Dukes of Orleans and Brunswick