Volume III Part 16 (2/2)

Such a division never was known before in the House of Commons, and the accuracy of the calculations is really surprising

Mulgrave told o they had 317 people, which with the Teller makes the exact number Holmes went over the other list, and made it 307--also correct In the House so justly had they reckoned, that when the numbers first counted (306) were told to Duncannon in the lobby he said, 'Then we shall win by 10' Burdett and Cobbett went ahich with Tellers makes a total of 626 members in the House All the Irish lish but 25 The Irish and Scotch, in fact, made the majority

The elation on one side and the depression on the other were naturally considerable, and there was not tihts Much money on and lost; everybody betted I won 55, for on the whole I thought (though quite a toss-up) that the chances were rather in favour of Abercroers on his side, and their aeredSutton to be sure, I finished by leaning the other way The debate seems to have been dull--Sutton was dull, Peel was dull; Stanley clever, strong against the Opposition, but thought to have been indiscreet A Tory toldspeech, which, if so, will not do hiood He carried apparently very few people with hied his vote because Stanley made out that Abercromby was for the Ballot This seems an excellent reason why he should be opposed as a Minister or a candidate, but none why he should not sit in the chair of the House Lord John Russell is said to have spoken re his first appearance as their leader Peel and the Duke dined at Lord Salisbury's, and all the Tories were invited there in the evening, with the intention probably of celebrating their anticipated victory; and, if so, their ed to dis that it is a very serious disaster The es the wavering and tiht have felt half disposed to support the Governth leads to very uncomfortable reflections, for every h there are probably none a thethe erstein, and Burdett, ent away

[Page Head: PARTIES BALANCED]

The majority of the world naturally look at this event with the eye of party, and as a triumph one way and a mortification the other; but I, who have no party prejudices and predilections, and care nothing who is in the chair, and not ,' as Cobbett calls it, is kept going, look at this division with sorrow and alar undoubted evidence that no prospect appears of the possibility of this or any other Govern able to accomplish the purposes for which a Governarly ter can be more clear than that the present Ministers are in a minority, and that all the other parties in the House united can beat them when they will It is equally clear that they can beat any section of their opponents whenever these are disunited The political attraction which binds together the , and there are too many elements of repulsion in _esse_ or in _posse_ not to insure the speedy disjunction of the several atoether, what is to happen? Peel will take a beating or two, but he _ain dissolve Suppose he dissolves The Tories think the reaction is on the increase, and that the Conservative interest would gain largely by another dissolution; still there is scarcely a hope of their gaining enough to enable Peel to carry on the Government with such constant and dependible majorities as can alone render it efficacious and secure On the other hand, if Peel resigns, the Opposition, should they return to power, ainst 300 Tories?

and what Ministry can by possibility be formed that can have a certain s, Radicals, Repealers, and radation of opinion? Their situation, notwithstanding their victory, seeonists with reference to their power as a party; and if they do storain to the country, as far as appearances go, what chance have they ofanother House of Coeable and better adapted to their purpose than this? This victory, therefore, will not enable the old Government to triumph over the new, or materially affect the positions of the two parties, and, as soht, they will be very ot it

The first ienerally one of alarm, which upon this occasion subsequent reflection has diminished as far as relates to the _immediate_ peril of the present Governht as to the Address, on which some pretend no amendment will be moved, others that one will, which as certainly will be carried No question can, however, beleaders, for they would be disposed in prudence to abstain froreat difficulty in dealing with their associates If they resolve upon pushi+ng their victory and a terror by their violence; if they avoid this, probably some of the Radicals will do it, and then they ainst a Radical section of the House, or join with the Radicals in one of tays, either by supporting their a the closer the bonds of that connexion which they are ashaly incline to believe, be in the end fatal to the Whig party The only thing that can truly be predicted is, that all is confusion, uncertainty, es full of difficulty and peril, but not _totally_ without hope

February 21st, 1835 {p216}

The Governrievously annoyed at the event of Thursday, and the Duke rejected all the coood thing' At Lord Salisbury's dinner (to which Peel did not go) they were all very dejected, and the Duke said at once it was as bad as could be; and the thing appeared the worse because they had been led to feel so very secure He desired his private secretary to have everything ready to quit the Foreign Office at a reat dinner to all the Ambassadors and twenty-six people) he said to s again_' 'Do you?' I said, 'I alad you think so' 'Oh, yes, I think that, however this ain'

The Whigs are resolved to push their victory with all their energies, and they appear to have no doubt of ousting the Government, and as they are determined to proceed by any and every means in their career, and the others are equally resolved to fight the battle while any means of resistance reuish any hope of a coalition between moderate men of both sides for the simple reason that er be found

February 23rd, 1835 {p216}

[Page Head: FIERCE OPPOSITION TO GOVERNMENT]

The Opposition mean to move an aer ed, and their understanding with O'Connell and all the Radicals so good that they think there is no danger of any indiscreet ebullition in any quarter Discarding every prospective consideration, and prepared to encounter all consequences, they concentrate all their energies upon the single object of turning out the Govern It is the first tireat party ever proceeded upon, and avowed, such a principle as that which binds these people together and puts the's Ministry, without any reference to theto see how they may intend to carry on the Government Not only do they throw out of their consideration the conduct of the Administration, but they are resolved to acco prepared to substitute any stronger Governe that its dissolution must necessarily produce a state of extraordinary embarrassment, fro the country All that they ever condescend to say, in answer to any such reative in a most extraordinary and unjustifiable ht to reject his Government, that he had to turn out ours; if there is e and the Tories must be responsible for it We care not what are the principles noed by theovern this country, and are not to be tolerated at the head of affairs If they are, it is not to be endured that they should usurp our places, and then in defiance of all their principles, and in opposition to all their previous conduct, carry into effect the ht forward We will listen therefore to nothing Out they shall go, and till we have got them out, ill never rest, nor desist froe quaerere,' such is theTheir intention see very desperate, but to keep beating the Govern their oer and the helpless state of their adversaries to the world Some of them affect to deny their union with O'Connell, but they say whatever suits their present purpose In the case of Manners Sutton, they took care to have the charges against hih the country, and did their best to have them believed The constituencies believed thely; and when, by these means, they had secured a majority, they came down at the last moment to the House of Commons and owned that there was not one word of truth in the allegations against him John Russell had written a letter (perhaps ed opposition to Sutton, on the ground of his having advised the dissolution of the last Parliaot possession of this letter, which was handed to hi the debate, he does not knohoave it to Peel while he was speaking, or just before Peel asked John Russell if he had ever said so, and John Russell denied it Peel did not produce the letter as he ht have done, but the story was told in the 'Times' the next day So in the case of the Bishop of Exeter, and Lord John's controversy with hi it, but he ht have known it; the lie did its business--

In public spoke, it fell with greater force, And, heard by hundreds, was believed, of course;

and though he afterwards y, half the people ere influenced by the original statement never heard of the contradiction, or cared for it, if they did; and to show the candour of the Liberal press, the 'Morning Chronicle,' and other papers of that persuasion, which truinal lie, never inserted the subsequent correspondence, and Lord John's contradiction of his own statement I like him so much personally, that I a with indignation at the idea of another dissolution, and talk of such advice to the King as affording good ground for ih till they have settled the House of Lords, and had their wicked will of it, the Ministers would be pretty safe before that tribunal for such an act It is the general opinion that Peel will dissolve, and go once more to the country if he can, but this must depend upon the sort of opposition they offer, and theinto the field Adolphus FitzClarence toldso determined as he is to stand by this Government to the last, and I do not think any of these e

February 24th, 1835 {p219}

[Page Head: UNION WITH O'CONNELL]

The Opposition expect a majority of from thirty to forty on the a it ive up Repeal, and they are to find soain What he wants is to be a Master of the Rolls in Ireland; the rent fails, andthat there is no buying that race; ould it have been to have o; and it will not be the least curious part of his curious life if this bargain takes place, and he settles down into the regular discharge of his professional duties, and _bona fide_ abandons agitation There was great curiosity last night to knohether the Speaker dined with Peel

It is usual for him to dine with the leader of the House of Commons on these occasions, and hear the speech read Sutton always dined with Althorp, but then Althorp put him in the chair

Abercromby, however, very properly told Peel the difficulty he felt, and that he thought he should only embarrass the company, and Peel acquiesced in his excuse

February 25th, 1835 {p219}

The King went down to Parliament in the midst of a vast crowd, and was neither well nor ill received; nobody takes his hat off, but there was so The speech disappointed ht so at the King's Head, Palace Yard, to which moderate members of Parliament were invited by an anonymous circular Thirty-three were present, Sir Oswald Mosley in the chair Graham came to it, and said Lord Stanley would have come also, but that he had invited a few of his friends to assemble at his house, with an object siether and that if it were agreeable to any of these gentlelad to see them They all went, and there were present forty-five or fifty, of whoht had voted for Abercro that it was evident the Government must fall if they were to be repeatedly defeated, and his view of the necessity of obstructing violentto this effect The result was an agreeht a few more names were added to their list This may, therefore, be considered the Stanley party, and the best thing that can happen will be that this party should grow numerous Many men do not like the composition of the Govern identified with it, as the s are disposed to support Peel Stanley securing the himself at their head, must in fact subscribe to their opinions and disposition; and as men are more inclined to join a numerous than a scanty sect, fresh adherents may repair to that standard Eventually he will join the Govern the storh this(which will probably have important results, as it was the foundation of that which met afterwards at Stanley's, and the formation of this party will turn the balance on the Conservative side) originated in the nificant causes Sir Oswald Mosley, an ordinary person, and a Mr Young, talking the thing over, suggested to one another to try and get together moderate men, and they penned and sent out a parcel of notes addressed to those who they thought ca no indication of the quarter from which they emanated When the thirty-three people who came were asseers to each other, and each asking who such and such an one was When Grahao to Lord Stanley's, Mosley rather wanted to decline, to go on with his own , and play an important part, but nobody would hear of this, so he was obliged to go with the rest to Stanley's house]

[Page Head: DEBATE ON THE ADDRESS]