Volume II Part 29 (1/2)
Peel co him erased from the Privy Council, which Cobbett wished to shi+rk fro, and it all went off for Peel in the ains every day more authority and influence in the House of Co ends
May 27th, 1833 {p373}
[Page Head: ANECDOTE OF THE DERBY]
All last week at Epsom, and now, thank God, these races are over
I have had all the trouble and excite but the hope of gain would induce ery, which I am conscious reduces me to the level of all that is hts are eternally absorbed by it
Jockeys, trainers, and blacklegs areonce entered upon it I cannot leave it off, though I austed with the occupation all the ti all he has, and is not obliged to grasp at every chance, _ing, and the odds are varying, I can neither read, nor write, nor occupyelse I went to the Oaks on Wednesday, where Lord Stanley kept house for the first, and probably (as the house is for sale) for the last tireeable place, with an odd sort of house built at different times and by different people; but the outside is covered with ivy and creepers, which is pretty, and there are two good living-roorass and shade; it has been for thirty or forty years the resort of all our old jockeys, and is now occupied by the sporting portion of the Governhter, Duke and duchess of Riche, Charles Grey, Duke of Grafton, Lichfield, and Stanley's brothers It passed off very well--racing all the , an excellent dinner, and whist and blind hookey in the evening It was curious to see Stanley Who would believe they beheld the orator and statesman, only second, if second, to Peel in the House of Commons, and on whom the destiny of the country perhaps depends? There he was, as if he had no thoughts but for the turf, full of the horses, interest in the lottery, eager, blunt, noisy, good-huht equally devoted to the play, as if his fortune depended on it Thus can a reat objects and serious thoughts I had considerable hopes of winning the Derby, but was beaten easily, ood An odd circumstance occurred to me before the race Payne told me in strict confidence that a man who could not appear on account of his debts, and who had been, much connected with turf robberies, came to him, and entreated him to take the odds for him to 1,000 about a horse for the Derby, and deposited a note in his hand for the purpose He told hied this one was to win After ot his promise to lay out the money, he told him it was my horse He did back the horse for the man for 700, but the saerous would, and he backed the latter likewise for 100, by which his friend was saved, and won 800
He did not tellmore, except that his object was, if he had won, to pay his creditors, and he had authorised Payne to retain the money, if he won it, for that purpose
We heard, while at the Oaks, that M Dedel had signed the convention between France, England, and Holland, on which all the funds rose The King of Holland's ratification was still to be got, and many people will not believe in that till they see it
June 3rd, 1833 {p375}
The Governiven in their adhesion to Stanley's plan, and they expect to carry the West India question The Bank measure has satisfied the directors, and ton told me he was very well satisfied, but that _they_ had intended to ht they should have done so Melbourne says, 'Now that we are as much hated as they were, we shall stay in for ever'
As I caate very luxuriously) on Saturday I found a finalat the Council Office to dispose of the lunacy case It was so late when Horne finished his reply that I thought there was no chance of any discussion, and I did not go in; but I met the Master of the Rolls afterwards, who told me they had delivered their opinions, Lord Eldon cautiously, he himself 'broadly,' which I will be bound he did (for he hates Broughaiven, the Chancellor's decree would be reversed; so that after all Brougha to this he has been forced to submit at last
London, June 11th, 1833 {p376}
At a place called Buckhurst all last week for the Ascot races; a party at Lichfield's, racing all the ht I may say, with more truth than anybody, 'Video , the course crowded, the King received decently His household is now so ill rooms were drunk every day, and onehome from the races Goodwin told me nobody exercised any authority, and the consequence was that the household all ran riot
[Page Head: TORY BLUNDERS]
The first day of the races arrived the news that the Duke of Wellington, aftermuster, had beaten the Governuese neutrality and Don Miguel, that Lord Grey had announced that he considered it a vote of censure, and threw out a sort of threat of resigning He and Brougha was very much annoyed at this fresh dileht him, and consented to whatever Lord Grey required In the meantiave notice of a n policy This was carried by an immense majority after a weak debate, in which soainst the Bishops, and this settled the question Ministers did not resign, no Peers were oes on as before It has been, however, a disastrous business How the Duke of Wellington could take this course after the conversation I had with him in this room, when he told me he would support the Govern_, I can't conceive At all events he seems resolved that his Parliamentary victories should be as injurious as his lorious to his country Some of his friends say that he was _provoked_ by Lord Grey's supercilious answer to hioing on but from what he read in the newspapers, others that he 'feels so very strongly' about Portugal, others that he cannot ht; in short, that he has not the saeneral of an arht the battle of Salamanca or Vittoria if he had not fancied it himself
The effect, however, has been this: the House of Lords has had a rap on the knuckles froislative functions are practically in abeyance, and his Majesty is more tied than ever to his Ministers The House of Lords is paralysed; it exists upon sufferance, and cannot venture to throw out or ro, Church Refor instantly swamped, and the measures, however obnoxious, craround in public opinion, they were daily falling lower, and these predestinated idiots come and bolster theed to me that they were unpopular, and that this freak had been of vast service to theree The Tories are sulky and crestfallen; rieved; and the Radicals stand grinning by, chuckling at the sight of the Conservatives (at least those who so call the each others' throats
[Page Head: LORD ELDON'S GREAT CAREER]
On Saturday, the day after I ca at the Council Office on the lunacy case, the appeal of Grosvenor against Drax There were Lord Lansdowne, the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Master of the Rolls, Lord Manners, Lord Eldon, and Lord Lyndhurst The rule is that the President of the Council collects the opinions and votes, beginning with the junior Privy Councillor This was the Chancellor,[9] whothat he had rant cases of a siht under his notice, and then he went into this case, and endeavoured to show that there was fraud (and intentional fraud) on the part of the Grosvenors, and heon, and very mildly, his own forly against the judgish speech, very clear, and very decided against it, interlarded with professions of his 'sincere' respect for the person who delivered the judgment The Chancellor did not reply to Lord Eldon, but put some questions--some hypothetical, and soether with soht on a discussion between hi hie 'My Lord,' said he to the Chancellor, 'we talk too ha (I forget what) that the Vice-Chancellor said he dropped in his sarcastic tone that he would do so and so 'if his Honour would perht there would be a breeze, but it ended without any vote, in the adoption of a forested by Lord Eldon, which left it to the option of the respondent to institute other proceedings if he should think fit
Afterwards all was harmony Eldon seemed tolerably fresh, feeble, but clear and collected He was in spirits about the dinner which had just been given him by the Templars, at which he was received with extraordinary honours He said he hoped never to be called to the Council Board again, and this was probably the last occasion on which he will have to appear in a judicial capacity It is re Chancellor and hi like e upon his long and laborious career, which is terradations, in a enial to a philosophic mind than to an ambitious spirit As a statesman and a politician he has survived and witnessed the ruin of his party and the subversion of those particular institutions to which he tenaciously clung, and which his prejudices or his wisdom made him think indispensable to the existence of the Constitution As an individual his destiny has been happier, for he has preserved the strength of his body and the vigour of his mind far beyond the ordinary period allotted to man, he is adorned with honours and blessed ealth sufficient for the aspirations of pride and avarice, and while the lapse of time has silenced the voice of envy, and retireated the rancour of political hostility, his great and acknowledged authority as a luminary of the law shi+nes forth with purer lustre He enjoys, perhaps, thelife of labour and study--a foretaste of posthumous honour and fame He has lived to see his name venerated and his decisions received with profound respect, and he is departing in peace, with the proud assurance that he has left to his country a acy of law and secured to himself an imperishable fame
[9] [This must be a mistake The Chancellor takes rank in the Privy Council after the Lord President and before everyone else Lord Brougham was junior Privy Councillor in ave him rank over the others present His opinion was probably taken first out of compliment to him, as he had made the order under review]