Volume III Part 8 (2/2)

Littleton could be prevailed upon to resu could be more honourable to both parties than this conduct of Lord Althorp; but it was due to the fact that he had himself been a party to the communication made by Mr Littleton to O'Connell, and that he knew Mr Littleton had been exposed to more censure than he deserved]

July 20th, 1834 {p112}

At Court yesterday to swear in Duncannon Secretary of State He told me he had made Stanley[12] (the man they call Sir Benja him he must speak, for that he (Duncannon) could not Auckland and Duncannon will not certainly add much to the oratorical splendour of the Governrand case the Tories have got hold of against hi out of Lord Western's evidence in Whittle Harvey's Committee It there came out that Western had applied to Ellice, then Secretary of the Treasury (at the tireat Reform election), for money to assist at the Colchester election, and he sent 500 They want to make out that this was public money, but they won't catch hie sums, which were placed at his disposal to be eet out of it He talked of the Governreat error to suppose it was inclined to _movement_ principles, and that in point of fact there was very little difference, except on Church matters, between Sir Robert Peel and hiood a House of Commons for the Government, that in all thisup a feeling or a prejudice against the Government, and it was clear they were utterly powerless there, that the House only required to be a little cajoled, and was easily led; the word Reform was still potent there, and had only to be uttered on occasions to bring the an to show a refractory disposition

[12] [Afterwards Lord Stanley of Alderney]

July 21st, 1834 {p112}

[Page Head: LORD MELBOURNE'S ADMINISTRATION]

The Chancellor and the Hollands urged Lord Grey to take the Privy Seal This Sefton told nation of the Greys burst through all restraint, and they told it 'a qui voulait les entendre,' with every expression of rage and disgust, 'adding insult to injury' Lord Grey was more philosophical, and rather smiled at the proposition, but he did not repress the pious resentment of his children The Grey women would murder the Chancellor if they could It certainly was a curious suggestion The Hollands think of nothing on earth but how they may best keep the Duchy of Lancaster, and they fancied Lord Grey's holding the Privy Seal ht be of service to the Government, and if they could make him commit such a _bassesse_ so much the better It is not always easy to discover the Chancellor's motives, but as he is as vindictive as he is false and tricking, he perhaps took this opportunity of revenging himself for the old offer of the Attorney-Generalshi+p, which he has never forgiven[13]

[13] [This view of the case is certainly unjust to Lord Broughaard for Lord Grey than for any other statesman of the time, as his correspondence with the Earl, now recently published in Brougham's 'Posthumous Memoirs' sufficiently proves]

[The first Administration of Lord Melbourne was thus constituted: First Lord of the Treasury Viscount Melbourne

Lord Chancellor Lord Brougham

Lord President Marquis of Lansdowne

Hon Secretary Viscount Pal Rice

Chancellor of the Exchequer Viscount Althorp

Admiralty Lord Auckland

Board of Control Mr Charles Grant

Board of Trade Mr Poulett Thomson

Duchy of Lancaster Lord Holland

Paymaster of the Forces Lord John Russell

Secretary-at-War Mr Edward Ellice

Lord Privy Seal Earl of Mulgrave

Postham

Irish Secretary Mr Littleton]

CHAPTER XXIV

Taylor's 'Philip van Artevelde'--Goodwood--Earl Bathurst's Death--Death of Mrs Arbuthnot--Overtures to O'Connell--Irish tithe Bill--Theodore Hook's Improvisation--Lord Westmeath's Case in the Privy Council--First Council of Lord Melbourne's Governaries--Lord Durhaen--Spencer Perceval--Lord Grey's Retireain--The Queen's Return--Melbourne and To--Holland House-- Reflections--Conversation on the Poets--Miscellaneous Chat-- Lord Melbourne's Literary Attainments--Lord Holland's Anecdotes of Great Orators--Execution of Charles I--Lord Melbourne's Opinion of Henry VIII--The 'Tiham--His Tour in Scotland--His Unpopularity--Cowper's Secret--Canning on Refor and Brougham in 1827--Senior--Lord Melbourne and the Benthay--Spanish Eloquence--The Harley Papers--The Turf-- Death of Lord Spencer--The Westmeath Case heard--Law Appointments--Bickersteth--Louis Philippe's Position

July 23rd, 1834 {p114}

Brougham spoke for four hours on the Poor Law Bill on Monday, and made a luminous speech; Alvanley, to people's aainst the Bill; he spoke tolerably well--a grave speech and got compliments