Volume III Part 2 (1/2)

August 24th, 1833 {p025}

[Page Head: AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL]

Matters have taken a bad turn in Portugal Bourna il terror nella citta' William Russell, in a fit of enthusiasm, says, 'the capital must be saved even at the hazard of a war' Admiral Parker says he shall land 1,200 marines and reat confusion and alarm, and have despatched a swift stea; but the steamer will probably arrive too late, and if Bourure with our non-intervention, for Parker will probably have to surrender the forts to Miguel I dined with Talleyrand yesterday, who is furious, laughing non-intervention to scorn; and he told et the Government to take a decided part What he advised was that we should recognise Donna Maria and the Regency appointed by the Charter; that is, Donna Isabella Regent, with a Council to be comprised of Palmella, Villa Flor, and any other; that our Minister should be directed to acknowledge _no other government_, and at the same time concert with Palmella that Pedro should be sent away, and the constitution be suspended till the Queen shall be of age Pedro has committed, since he was in Lisbon, every folly and atrocity he could squeeze into so sforth the constitution in its most offensive shape I suspect we shall have made a sad mess of this business

Just coal and the intercepted letters; the writer said that he (the Duke) had told Neuht it an objectionable nouese service[6] He had never had any coents, and did not believe Aberdeen had had any either: he said Lisbon wasof Miguel, the Duke related that he was at Strathfieldsaye with Pal the oath that Miguel should take, Miguel would pay no attention, and instead of going into the business and saying what oath he would consent to take (the question hether he should swear fidelity to Pedro or to Maria) he sat flirting with the Princess Therese Esterhazy The Duke said to Palmella, 'This will never do, he must settle the terms of the oath, and if he is so careless in an affair of such moment, he will never do his duty'

Pale hi the constitution and playing false when he went there, but was persuaded by his ths to which the constitutional party was disposed to go The Duke said the Government would be very foolish to interfere for Pedro, as a ruffian, and for the constitution, which was odious, and that Pedro would never have n policy, his anxiety for peace, but of France as our 'natural ene our influence in Spain, which so long as we did we should have nothing to fear frorant, and went into the Portuguese service When Junot caal he joined him, was taken into the French service, in which he continued to rise, till he deserted just before the battle of Waterloo from Napoleon to Louis XVIII

Septe's speech was read there was no Council Broughaht Sir Alexander Johnston, formerly Chief Justice in Ceylon, to be sworn a Privy Councillor without giving any notice, consequently I was not there The King, therefore, coain to-morrow on purpose, and, what is unpleasant, desired a Clerk of the Councilon This, I suppose, His Majesty will repeat to me himself to-ht the day the King went down, the weather splendid, and park full of people, with guardsa picturesque show He was very coolly received, for there is no doubt there never was a King less respected George IV, with all his occasional unpopularity, could always revive the external appearance of loyalty when he gave hie Head: RESULTS OF THE REFORM BILL]

[Page Head: SURVEY OF THE STATE OF AFFAIRS]

The Parliament is up, and not before people were dead sick of it, and had dropped out of town one by one till hardly any Parliament was left It may be worth while to take a little survey of the present condition of things as coo, and consider at this resting tireatvery deeply into the question The Refor contrived that everything that was atteained by the Reformers No excuse, therefore, was left for the Parliaood one it was their own fault It was chosen, and when it met was found to be composed of a majority of supporters of the present Governh to be powerful, and many Radicals, who soon proved to be wholly inefficient It speedily became manifest that in point of ability it was not only inferior to the last, but perhaps to any Parliament that has sat for many years There were 350 newtheham, Roebuck, and such nificance The House appeared at first to be very unruly, not under the command of Government, talkative, noisy, and ill-constituted for the transaction of business After a little while it got better in this respect, the h evidently determined to support Government, would not be _commanded_ by it, and even men in place often took up crotchets of their own, and voted against Governer they always found efficient support, and on the Malt Tax the House even stultified itself to uphold theained reputation and established the greatest personal influence were Peel and Stanley; Macaulay rather lost than gained; Althorp lost entirely, but the weight of his blunders and unfitness could not sink hiood hureatest that any Parliah with marvellous facility They did not for the most part coot tired, and the East India Charter Bill was carried through enerally evinced a Conservative character, and the Parliament has not shown any disposition to favour subversive principles or to encourage subversive language It has been e all that Ministers asked without the slightest difficulty; twenty y, were voted alure in this Parlia apprehensions and predictions the Government has contrived to carry on the business of the country very successfully, and great reforms have been accomplished in every department of the State, which do not seem liable to any serious objections, and in the ; the country has been advancing in prosperity, and recovering rapidly from the state of sickly depression in which it lay at the end of last year It is fair to co facts, and let the praise rest where it may, whether it be due to the wisdoht itself which has always appeared inherent in the British coo there appeared every prospect of a war in Europe; the French were in Belgiuot away; Ireland was in a flaht the relation of fresh horrors and atrocities; in England trade was low, alareneral disquietude pervaded the nation, so, others dreading the great things which a Reformed Parliament would do The session is over, and a Reformed Parliament turns out to be very much like every other Parliament, except that it is rather differently and somewhat less ably composed than its predecessors The hopes and the fears of mankind have been equally disappointed, and after all the clarations, furies, despair, and triuh which we have arrived at this consummation, up to the present time, at least, s have got possession of the pohich the Tories have lost We continue at peace, and with every prospect of so being for sorees inducing the French to extend their incipient principles of free trade, to the benefit of both countries In Ireland there never has been a period for many years when the country was so quiet; it land trade flourishes, running in a deep and steady stream, there are improvement and employment in all its branches The landed interest has suffered and suffers still, but the wages of labour have not fallen with the rents of landlords, and the agricultural labourers were never better off Generally there is a better spirit abroad, less discontent, greater security, and those vague apprehensions are lulled to rest which when inthemselves from one object to another, are partly the cause and partly the effect of an evil state of things

We hear nothing now of associations, unions, and public s, and (compared hat it was) the world seems in a state of repose

CHAPTER XXII

The Speaker a Knight of the Bath--Lord Wellesley Lord Lieutenant of Ireland--M Thiers in England--Prince Esterhazy's Opinion of the State of England--Queen of Portugal at Windsor--The Duke of Leuchtenberg--Macaulay and Sydney Sham's Anecdotes of Queen Caroline--Judicial Co and M Dedel--Sydney S--The Unknown Tongues--Tribute to Lord Eldon--W J Fox--Lord Tavistock on the Prospects of his Party--Moore at the State Paper Office--Russia and England-- Belvoir Castle--The Duke of Wellington at Belvoir--Visit to Mrs Arkwright--Sir Thomas Lawrence and the Misses Siddons--A Murder at Runton--Sandon--Lord and Lady Harrowby--Burghley-- Railroads talked of--Gloonostications--State of Spain--Parliament opens--Quarrel of Sheil and Lord Althorp-- Unpopularity of Lord Palmerston--Mrs Somerville--O'Connell's Attack on Baron Set--The Pension List--Lord Althorp as Leader of the House--Sir R Peel's Position in the House--Meeting of Supporters of Government--Mr

Villiers on the State of Spain--Predicament of Horne, the Attorney-General

September 5th, 1833 {p030}

At Court yesterday, the Speaker[1] was ht It is a reward for his conduct during the Session, in which he has done Governan that he would undertake to ride the new House, but it must be with a snaffle bridle

Bosanquet and Sir Alexander Johnston were made Privy Councillors to sit in the Chancellor's new Court The Privy Council is as numerous as a moderate-sized club, and about as well composed

Awful store done, the weather like the middle of winter

[1] [Rt Hon Manners Sutton, afterwards Viscount Canterbury]

Septee Head: LORD WELLESLEY]

Yesterday the announcement of Lord Wellesley's appointreat astonishment as I ever saw Once very brilliant, probably never very efficient, he is noorn out and _effete_ It is astonishi+ng that they should send such a man, and one does not see why, because it is difficult to find a good man, they should select one of the very worst they could hit upon It is a ridiculous appointment, which is the most objectionable of all For years past he has lived entirely out of the world He co a speech every now and then, of which he is never delivered, and he comes to Court, where he sits in a corner and talks (as those who know him say) with as much fire and liveliness as ever, and with the sauished hi as to his fitness for business and governo, it is scarcely to be supposed that retiree and infirmities should have made him less so now[2] They have judiciously waited till Parliament is up before the appointment was made known Lord Wellesley is said to be in the hands of Blake the Reerous Jesuitical fellow

[2] [This opinion of Lord Wellesley was, however, speedily changed by his successful and vigorous administration of Ireland See _infra_, November 14th]

September 10th, 1833 {p031}

At Gorhambury on Saturday till Monday Dined on Friday with Talleyrand, a great dinner to M Thiers, the French Minister of Commerce, a little , wearing spectacles, and with a squeaking voice