Volume III Part 13 (2/2)
The Council was asseot his speech all ready, first asking the Duke of Wellington if he should go on, to which the Duke assented, delivered hiracious terms' It really was (however superfluous) not at all ill done, recapitulating what everybody knows, declaring that Sir Robert Peel was now Minister of this country, and thanking the Duke of Wellington in his own name and in that of the country for the part he had taken and for thethe interval; he said that he should request hier He was not ridiculous to-day
With regard to Lynn, I have handed George Bentinck over to William Peel and Granville Somerset, and so washed my hands of it
December 13th, 1834 {p175}
Stanley has declined; I know not in what ter res are triu to do with it Lord Grey, asup Liddell for Northuht threw thee he held--'that if the Duke and Peel followed his father's steps, and adopted Liberal measures, he should support them' Lady Holland was almost in fits, and Allen in convulsions
Decereat joy, was sent for by Peel yesterday, and very civilly invited to join the new Cabinet He thought it necessary to enquire if hean assurance to that effect he at once consented
Graha his letter, but he declined joining Wharncliffe told me that the correspondence between Peel and Stanley was extremely civil The Cabinet is now pretty nearly coether at Peel's yesterday I asked Wharncliffe how Sir Edward Knatchbull was to be converted into a Liberal, and he said, 'Oh, there will be no difficulty; he is very reasonable' It would be (to me) a bitter pill to s to take Knatchbull; he is the h Tories which threw out the Duke's Governs are sorry that Graham does not join, for they hate him and want to be rid of him They are also discomposed at a letter of Stanley's in reply to an address to the King froow that has been forwarded to hily Conservative
Stanley and Graham will support the Governton is the real obstacle to their joining To Peel Stanley has no objection; he has spoken of hihest terms; but after the speech which the Duke made when Lord Grey went out, in which he attacked hiust at the tiard to his own honour, and compatibly with his respect and attachment for Lord Grey, form a part of this Govern from one of those imprudences which the Duke blurts out without reflection, thinking only of the present ti Rice, whoreat object (in which they hoped to succeed) was to keep the whole of their party together--their party in the House of Commons, of course Whether he included Stanley in this or not I don't know, but if he did he reckons probably without his host
Decee Head: DUKE OF RICHMOND AND SIR E KNATCHBULL]
Met the Duke of Richmond yesterday, who ca talk with him; he said they had discussed the whole matter (Stanley, Graham, and himself) at Knowsley, and decided not to join; that the Duke of Wellington's violent speech against all the members of the late Government and their policy made it quite impossible, but that they were determined to support Peel if they possibly could; and he seems not apprehensive there would be any difficulty; he thinks Stanley's support out of office will be more valuable than if he had joined theotten the Duke's speech) itcan bebetween them all; and certainly all those ould have followed Stanley, had he taken office,Governht Knatchbull was so High a Tory that I did not see how they could ly anti-Liberal, and that he had had the option of being abeen himself commissioned to offer him the Secretaryshi+p at War This, however, it is very clear, was offered as a reward for the service he had done in giving the mortal thrust to the Duke, and as he is an honest man, and wanted at that time the Duke's life rather than his purse, he was probably satisfied with his exploit, and never would have done on any ter as to join a Reform Ministry It is, however, remarkable that this should have occurred See what it was Knatchbull, a High Tory, turns out the Duke and a Tory Govern Minister to whose triumph he has been instrumental, refuses it; and afterwards, on the exclusion of the sa Tory Governo destroyed, and takes it
Decereat field-day at Court yesterday; all the new Ministers sworn in, except the Colonial Secretary, who is not yet appointed, and so addressed each of the hands, and to Scarlett he made a very pretty speech about the administration of the law Lord Rosslyn was substituted for Lord Aberdeen (only in the ) as President of the Council; why did not appear, but I had learnt froements would in some respects be only temporary, and made with a view to the subsequent admission of Stanley and his party; the nature of their communications has been such as to afford a very fair prospect of that junction Peel is o to Ireland as Chancellor Lord de Grey has been asked to be Lord-Lieutenant I find Stanley in his letter to Peel said that the Duke of Wellington's speech was an obstacle to his joining the Governe his own thi Govern the Duke said; but they should coredients of the difficulty, as it in fact ha him on uncomfortable personal terms with his old friends
December 20th, 1834 {p178}
Peel's letter to his constituents has appeared as his enious document, and well calculated to answer the purpose, if it can be answered at all The letter was submitted to the Cabinet at a dinner at Lyndhurst's on Wednesday last, and they sat till twelve o'clock upon it, after which it was copied out, a reat newspapers ('Times,' 'Herald,' and 'Post') to announce its arrival, and at three in the s affect to hold it very cheap, and to treat it as an artful but shallow and inefficient production It is rather too Liberal for the bigoted Tories, but all the moderate people are well satisfied with it Of course it haselse
Decee Head: PROSPECTS OF THE MINISTRY]
Dined yesterday at the Mansion House; never having before seen a civic feast, I thought this a good opportunity The Egyptian Hall is fine enough; the other rooreat company, and all Tories almost The Lord Mayor boasted of his impartiality, and how he had invited all parties alike, but none of the Whigs would go Peel spoke tolerably, but not so well as I expected; ood tone In the speeches of the others there was nothing re Grote and Lushi+ngton, though not by nareat exertions, and they expect to bring in three out of the fourof the enerally out in their calculations In the radually filled up, and generally with Tories of a bad description--eg Roden[1] as Lord Steward, which, though no political situation, would do har in the list It never will be believed that such oted and obstinate, and virtuous moreover--will consent to join Peel if he has resolved to act upon principles diametrically the reverse of those they have ever sustained, and they persist (the Whigs) in asserting that every fresh appointovern on Tory principles
[1] Roden refused on account of his health--January 4th
[Page Head: PROSPECTS OF THE ELECTION]
A few days ago I fell in with Hobhouse, and he walked with me to my office He told me that he and his fellow Committee men at Ellice's, astonished at the confident expectations of the Carltonians as to the result of a dissolution, went over the list scrupulously and jealously, and resolved to know the worst; that afterall doubtful places and all Stanleyites, they found the froht not be safe to count, they still found 145, which they saw no possibility of disputing On the other hand the Conservatives, without going to actual nuh I confess I do not think on any sufficient grounds as far as present appearances go As far as I can judge by the slight indications which reach reat dexterity, and I begin to think that Rice's expectation of being able to hold together the whole of those who are not with the new Governh there is a little feeling for the ex-Ministry and no excitement in the country, there is a cal to the hopes of one party as it is represented to be expressive with regard to the power of the other, for unless some enthusiasm can be created, some loyal motion to disturb the inertia of themuch in the same situation as before, and that certainly is not one favourable to the desires and pretensions of the Conservative Government Then within this day or two there appear indications of a disposition to hold off on the part of Stanley and Grahaht well alarm any watchful and anxious ow contained not a syllable expressive of regard for the royal prerogative, or of respect for Peel, or of a disposition to try the new Governuage generally I asked Hardinge last night what he thought of it, and he said it struck hiish' I then told him that I was struck in like manner, and that I had seen a letter fro, the tone of which I did not at all like It was to George Bentinck about the Lynn election, for which he was to endeavour to find a ood; blaive satisfaction, though it must always be remembered that Peel had made use of the old materials because he could not procure new ones; said that people were now beginning to discover that the Whigs need not be reduced to the alternative of joining with the Radicals or the Tories, and that when a standard was set up (Stanley's of course) on Conservatively Liberal principles he thought plenty would be found to join it It is, therefore, very questionable what course Stanley will pursue, even though a party e itself under him, which I doubt, and no position can be much worse than this Government would be in if they were to hold office at his discretion, and only while he should be pleased to throw his weight into their scale As far as one can judge his weight will be small, for it is very ree Bentinck has been endeavouring to find a Stanleyite candidate for Lynn, ould be brought in without trouble or expense, though he has ransacked the Bar and applied to Richmond, Ripon, Graham, and Stanley his and Tories in abundance, but not one man ill co his seat to the patronage of the Duke of Richmond
It is the fashi+on to consider Peel's speech at the Mansion House less Liberal in tone and indicative of less confidence than his letter to Tamworth I don't perceive much difference Lord Roden has refused to be Lord Steward, but the invitation has done thethe appointment Both parties remain equally confident as to the result of the elections; the Whigs, as it appears to reater reason, and as the resolution of the allies (the Whigs and Radicals) is to throw out the Govern for consequences, I don't see how they ever can stand
The other night at Holland House, Mulgrave, who is one of the leadingcommittee, admitted that he did not see as to follow the overthrow of the Govern; others of them assert that Melbourne or Spencer will return, and another Whig Government be formed, but they leave out of calculation that the Radicals hom they have joined will not suffer themselves to be brushed off when done with, nor will the Tories coain to ainst the Radicals The Tories have shown themselves a reckless and desperate party, and I see no reason for supposing that their conduct will belie their character; they overthrow their friends froe, and will hardly save their enemies from charity; their interest, their real interest, they seem destined ever to be blind to Thereput themselves under the orders of Peel, they will act in a body as he shall direct them, and if so they may be a powerful and useful Opposition, and I really believe that he will not turn his eyes froard all those contingencies which ement, be eventually turned to account It is, however, ireatly disquieted at the aspect of affairs--at the mixture of bad spirit and apathy that prevails, for I consider the apathy an evil and not a good sign Those who express most loudly their alarm and abhorrence of ultra doctrines make little exertion, personal or pecuniary, to stereat examples of liberality I heard only the other day that the Duke of Buccleuch subscribed 20,000 for the election of 1831; Lord Harrowby (a poor iven l,000 for this The fact is, it is in politics to a certain degree as in religion Men fear in the one case in the same manner as they believe in the other; they have some doubts in both cases, but no convictions Their conduct belies their assertions, and when compared with that which they observe on occasions where there is no rooy or decision, their various inconsistencies, proceed froh to permit them to try and deceive others with actual falsehood and hypocrisy