Volume III Part 4 (2/2)

Soreat luminaries of the present day The subject of astrononess in conte those who have hty process and advanced the lis of another order I could not then takeof surprise and so like incredulity, all involuntary and very foolish; but to see aabout the roos and nonsense, and to know that La Place was her plaything and Newton her acquaintance, was too striking a contrast not to torment the brain It was Newton's mantle trimmed and flounced by Maradan

February 17th, 1834 {p058}

In the House of Commons the Sheil committee came to a sudden termination It was a silly and discreditable business, and people were glad it ended The course adopted was this: they took the 'Exaraph inculpatory of Sheil, and they called on Hill to prove his case Hill called witnesses, one of whom, Macaulay, refused to speak He said he would not repeat what had passed in private conversation The committee approved, and Hill threw up his case, held out his hand 'with strong eies, and Sheil was acquitted Then caies in the House of Commons

Peel told me that he was convinced Sheil really had never said as ih very loosely, is probable, and the people who had told Althorp would not coise too, but he did it very reluctantly The Irishmen, however, had not done, and O'Dwyer (formerly a reporter) attacked Pease, asked for explanations, his card and address Pease, who is a Quaker, said 'he gave no explanations but on his legs in the House of Coe Head: O'CONNELL'S ATTACK ON BARON SMITH]

But there was a more serious matter than Sheil and Hill's trash--O'Connell's attack upon Baron Smith, the circumstances of which exeed under Althorp's auspices, and the general ave notice of a motion for an address to the Crown to remove the Baron Government resolved to oppose it

Littleton authorised Sharite to hi in the debate offensive to hie nobody thought of any support the motion would receive beyond that of the tail The Ministers came down to the House in this mind Stanley and Graham went away for some purpose or other, and when they came back they found that O'Connell had altered the terms of his motion, and that Althorp, Littleton, and the Solicitor-General had agreed to support it; in short, that O'Connell had laid a trap for thery anddone he knocked under, and tried to bolster up the business Graham would not, and in a maudlin, stupid sort of speech declared his opposition, which was honest enough All this annoyed the Government very much, and now O'Connell is said to be quite satisfied hat he has done, and does not want to have a coe by the vote of Parliaainst the Government, and said that he had never knoorse case since he sat in Parlia could be more mischievous than the effect such a vote would produce in Ireland Scarlett, Peel, and Spankie ood speeches; Stanley, John Russell, and Cae Head: STATE OF THE TORY PARTY]

The sa a surplus revenue and reduction of taxation, all very flourishi+ng and pro his intended reduction of the House Tax, he said without any disguise that he did not think it an objectionable tax, but that he took it off on account of the claainst it Here are three exhibitions in one week, and this is the Minister of our finances and organ of Government in the House of Commons No ood-huood, his htforward, and his conscious rectitude, his personal popularity, enable him to commit his blunders with impunity; but the authority of Governue which are incoovernment, and the effects of his weakness and facilityafter the cessation of their immediate operation

February 19th, 1834 {p060}

Last night Whittle Harvey's motion on the Pension List He ainst him This division is not a bad exemplification of the state of parties and of the House of Commons Some of the Tories voted (in the majority of course), many others would not I asked one of them (Henry Hope, ato vote 'No,' he said, 'I shall not vote, the Governe their own business as they can' He would not vote against a proposition he reatest aversion, because he would thereby be supporting the Govern a victory to the Radicals, establishi+ng a dangerous principle, and doing a great injury to a host of individuals, the greater part of who his own friends, because he thinks that the result may be productive of some embarrassment to Ministers This is one of the cases in which the conduct of Government has been such as their bitterest enemies must applaud, when they risk their popularity to support a very unsightly list of pensions, not granted by themselves, or to their friends, froh Tories will not support the such a battle as this On the other hand, the Governht avail thes, in such a case as that of Baron Sht; and so ill blood is constantly increasing between theuards sit by and chuckle at the evils these mutual jealousies and antipathies produce Richreatly annoyed at Baron S the e Althorp, he threw himself into the breach; said he had advised hiain The conduct of Althorp, Littleton, and Caive a fresh triuarvan, Jacob _v_ Barron; 'it is the voice of _Jacob_ but the hand of _Esau_'), who has had his oay hitherto in this Parliament In this business and in Sheil's he has done just what he pleased, and ht as he could possibly desire O'Dwyer told the Speaker that O'Connell had never expected _or even wished_ that Ministers should give way to hie Head: LORD ALTHORP'S DEFECTS AS LEADER]

Knatchbull has given notice of a motion to reverse the decision for a committee on the case of Baron Smith, and in conjunction with Peel It must embarrass the Government, but it is not, I think, judicious, because it is not the sa it on different grounds In the division last night the three Lennox's all voted with the minority, brothers of a Cabinet Minister, and all their sisters being on the Pension List Molyneux was going out, and was forcibly retained by Stanley It looks as if the whipping in was very unskilfullythe present prosperity and tranquillity, it is impossible not to be disturbed at the mode in which business is conducted in the House of Commons, and at the state and ani the leader there His character is peculiarly fitted to do mischief in these times, and his virtues are unfortunate, for they serve to bolster him up, and to keep him where he is in spite of his blunders His tereat, that there is an impression that the House will be led by him more easily than by Stanley, who alone, of the present Government, could aspire to that post nobody iiven hireat personal sacrifice in retaining his present situation The consciousness of this makes him comparatively indifferent to victory or defeat, and careless of that nice ement which formerly was indispensable in a leader He seems totally blind to the consequences of his errors, and the advantage that is taken of them by those who not only reat interests they are bound to protect Occurrences and circumstances that would have filled former leaders with vexation, and their folloith dis his serenity or alar his mind He acts as if in utter unconsciousness of a restless spirit of popular aggrandiseeable machine, as if it was sufficient to mean well, and he lets ilant and systeht regulate the movements and check the eccentricities of this vast and unruly body Since the opening of this session, all that he has said and done has proved his utter unfitness for the place he occupies First, his iave to that affair Then, in bringing forward his financial statement, the navete hich he adainst the House Tax, and withdrawn it contrary to his own judgave in to O'Connell's ues and his party without an apparent reason orallied to despair, all security is at an end, for that which would be produced by his good intentions is destroyed by reflecting on his ment; half republican in his principles, and incredulous of any danger to be apprehended from the continual increase of popular influences in the House of Commons, he does not perceive how much the authority of a leader is diminished in his hands, and how difficult it will be for any successor of his to gain that sort of ascendency which is indispensable for the effective conduct of public business, and the reat talents, great tact, discretion, sagacity, and temper will be required; more, I fear, than fall to the share of Stanley, who is better qualified to be a debater than a leader Moderate men, who do not approve of this Government, but who do not desire to turn them out, if they would only act upon tolerably conservative principles, are thrown into despair by the behaviour of Althorp, and regard with consternation the inevitable increase of anarchy in the House of Commons, and consequent prevalence of Radical principles, fro character he displays[10]

[10] [These reether just to Lord Althorp, and it is noell known from other sources, equally authentic, that he was s, and passionately desirous to be released from office But it was notorious that the retirement of Lord Althorp fronal for the dissolution of Earl Grey's Government, and so within a few months the result proved]

February 22nd, 1834 {p063}

[Page Head: SIR ROBERT PEEL'S FUTURE]

Went to the House of Coreat change, and hardly a hu whose face I knew I heard the end of the debate on Chandos' , and I heard the debate on rescinding the order for a committee on Baron Smith

Shaho held the Baron's brief, made a very fine speech, but afforded atoowhen to stop Not contented with a very powerful and eloquent appeal, which he wound up with an energetic peroration, he suffered himself to be led away into a tirade about O'Connell's enht have done with shouts of applause, was coughed and 'questioned' to the close Stanleyto be moderate, he was only dull

Peel spoke very shortly, but very well indeed Peel's is an enviable position; in the prime of life, with an immense fortune, _facile princeps_ in the House of Commons, unshackled by party connections and prejudices, universally regarded as the ablest h character, free from the cares of office, able to devote himself to literature, to politics, or idleness, as the fancy takes hiued, theheard with profound attention and respect This is the enjoyable period of his life, and he mustabout his return to power, his cares and anxieties will begin, and hatever success his ambition may hereafter be crowned, he will hardly fail to look back with regret to this holiday tiht heliberated fro able to take any part that his sense of his own interests or of the public exigencies may point out! And then the satisfactory consciousness of being by far the most eminent man in the House of Commons, to see and feel the respect he inspires and the consideration he enjoys It is a melancholy proof of the decadence of ability and eloquence in that House, when Peel is the first, and, except Stanley, aly, great dexterity--his language is powerful and easy; he reasons well, hits hard, and replies with remarkable promptitude and effect; but he is at an ireat ; his voice is not melodious, and it is a little raceful, his person and ar, and he has certain tricks in his arity in a manner almost offensive, and which is only redeereat ment, tact and discretion, his facility, proe of the assembly he addresses, familiarity with the details of every sort of Parliareat coreat favourite of mine, but I am satisfied that he is the fittest man to be Minister, and I therefore wish to see hilad they were at having been defeated on Baron Sreat ehtily altered, when such defeats and such scrapes produce no effect upon Governo on upon two majorities of 4 and 8 and one defeat

February 25th, 1834 {p065}

There has been aat Althorp's to-day, numerously attended, in which he talked with soone away in a humour to support Govern at the disunion aht exist differences of opinion on some minor points, he believed there never had existed a Cabinet of which the ether by private friendshi+p and political concurrence

It was Methuen who harangued, and who said that thethat unless gentleularly and consistently support the Government it could not be carried on, when Paul[11] rejoined that the Government did not support itself, and that they seemed divided Moreover, that when the Chancellor of the Exchequer hi particular taxes, he et what they could for theeneral scramble

[11] [Paul Methuen, Esq, MP for Wiltshi+re It was to him that O'Connell made the memorable but somewhat profane retort, 'Paul, Paul, why persecutest thou e Villiers to-day (not to ives a deplorable account of Spain, that Carlos has a large party in the north, where the Queen's person is odious, the monks have persuaded the people that she is atheistical and republican, that she has not force enough to crush the rebellion, and what she has is scattered on different points, without being able to orous efforts, that she has no money The Cortes is to be asseood advice on this subject, and nobody can anticipate the effect that will be produced by 300 or 400 individuals ive effectual aid to Carlos, and dashed into Spain, he ht certainly have placed him on the throne, and then secured hiuel's own case he (George Villiers) by no means considers hopeless, thinks him much better off than Pedro hen at Oporto The stories of the Queen's[12] gallantries are true He does not say so _totidees to convey as much in answer to a question his reat probability is that universal anarchy will convulse that country with civil war of the doainst each other The Carlists of Spain being in the north, and those of France in the south, it is very likely they will endeavour to make common cause, in which case it will be difficult for France not to interfere, so he thinks; so do not I, and am more disposed to believe that Louis Philippe is too prudent to run his head into such a hornet's nest, and that he will content hi with the Spanish disputes He had not yet received any letters from Palmerston[13]