Volume III Part 25 (1/2)

[6] [A collection of diplomatic papers and correspondence between the Russian Governents, published about this tiht on the secret policy of the Cabinet of St Petersburg They were, in fact, copies of the original documents which had been sent to Warsaw for the information of the Grand Duke Constantine when Viceroy of Poland, and they fell into the hands of the insurgents at the time of the Polish Revolution of 1830 Prince Adaland, where the publication of thereat attention]

The law appointood, and they have certainly been made with especial reference to the fitness of the men to preside over their respective Courts Pepys's is perhaps one of the ood sound lawyer, in leading practice at the Bar, never heard of in politics, no orator, a plain undistinguished man, to whom expectation never pointed, and upon whom the Solicitor-Generalshi+p fell as it were by accident, finds himself Master of the Rolls in a few months after his appointment, by the sudden death of Leach, and in little more than one year from that time a peer and Chancellor I fancy there were considerable difficulties in settling these appoint disappointed expectants, but of the details of the difficulties I know nothing They will probably confer soth on the Governed at Wilton's

[7] [Sir Christopher Pepys, Master of the Rolls, was raised to the Peerage as Lord Cottenham, and received the Great Seal Mr Bickersteth succeeded hie with the title of Lord Langdale These appointments were much discussed, and at last decided by a vote of the Cabinet, several of the Ministers being in favour ofBickersteth Lord Chancellor, because he promised more as a Law Refore Head: PROSPECTS OF THE SESSION]

Dinner yesterday for the Sheriffs[8] The plan I had adopted (which was not coes from the Exchequer on 'the morrow of St Martin's') did very well, and we had few difficulties with the English counties There was Lord Cottenham, for the first time, and Howick and Poulett Thomson, their first appearances as Cabinet Ministers Parliae with a favourable prospect for the present Government

Stanley has openly expressed his opinion that no changes are desirable, and Peel will not be anxious to thrust hi his place if he can get it; so the hot and sanguine Tories, who have been vastly elevated at the prospect they thought was before them, will have to fret and fureat Tory gathering at Drayton the other day, but I have not heard what they resolved upon Lord Lansdowne told me yesterday that Stanley has declared openly the opinion above stated, and he seems to think they are pretty safe Tavistock wrote me word that the Government meant to be moderate, and that any concessions would be reat questions likely to be discussed are the Appropriation clause and the Irish Corporation Bill The Govern but this, and if a strong measure passes the House of Commons, the Lords will throw it out, and probably Government will not in their hearts be sorry for it In the balanced state of parties, the tranquillity and prosperity that prevail, possession is everything, and I a but some unforeseen circuhaham

Melbourne has been in correspondence with hi beenwhatever is settled as to ulterior law matters; the Vice-Chancellor told me so yesterday, and the Chancellor told hie in the Privy Council, which would be a virtual repeal of the principal part of Broughae with a casual _quorue would in point of fact be the real administrator of the law, as he used to be under the old systeives an annual dinner to his colleagues, at which the list of Sheriffs for the ensuing year is settled The arrangements are made by the Clerk of the Council, after the noreat deal of conversation with Poulett Thoht after dinner on one subject or another; he is very good-hureatest coxcoh his vanity is not offensive or arrogant; but he told me that when Lord Grey's Government was formed (at which time he was a junior partner in a mercantile house, and had been at most five years in Parliament), he was averse to take office, but Althorp declared he would not co the importance of Althorp's accession to the Governe income, and took the Board of Trade; that when this was offered to him, he was asked whether he cared if he was President or Vice-President, as they wished to make Lord Auckland President if he (Poulett Thomson) had no objection He said, provided the President was not in the Cabinet, he did not care; and accordingly he condescended to be Vice-President, knowing that all the business must be done in the House of Commons, and that he must be (as in fact he said he was) the virtual head of the office All this was told with a good-huh internally He then descanted on the inefficiency of his subordinates; that Auckland did not like writing, that nobody else could write, and consequently every paper had been drawn up by himself since he first entered the office To do hiot into the Cabinet he said he could no longer go on in this way, and accordingly he has superannuated Lack, and is going to appoint the best man he can find in his place This operation has led to the removal of Hay, whoe Head: PERCEVAL'S APOSTOLIC MISSION]

February 1st, 1836 {p330}

Howick gave me an account yesterday of Spencer Perceval's communications to the Ministers, and other Privy Councillors He called on Howick, who received hian, 'You will probably be surprised when you learn, what has brought me here' Howick bowed 'You are aware that God has been pleased in these latter times to make especial communications of His will to certain chosen instruible to those who hear it, nor always to those by whom it is uttered: I ahty to make known His will, and I am come to declare to you, &c'

and then he went off in a rhapsody about the degeneracy of the ti off fro at, as his definite object?

He said it was not discoverable, but that from the printed paper which he had circulated to all Privy Councillors (for to that body he appears to think that his reat acts of legislation for the last five years (beginning with the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts), as the evidences of a falling off froer, it may perhaps be inferred that he means they should all be repealed It is a ridiculous and melancholy exposure His different receptions by different people are a and characteristic Howick listened to hiued with and cross-questioned hione to the Bishops rather than to him,' to which Perceval replied, that one of the brethren (Henry Druone to the Archbishop Stanley turned hian he said, 'There is no use, Mr

Perceval, in going on this ith me We had, therefore, better put an end to the subject, and I wish you good reat difficulty persuaded to allow hio and receive the Apostles She desired Lord John Russell (who happened to be in the house) to go with hi that he had already had his interview and did not wish for another So at last she let Lord Holland be wheeled in, but ordered Edgar and Harold, the two pages, to post themselves outside the door, and rush in if they heard Lord Holland screa, and went to Drayton after Sir Robert Peel, but he coton

February 3rd, 1836 {p332}

[Page Head: LYNDHURST ON THE HOUSE OF LORDS]

Aat the Council Office yesterday on another patent case, a gun--Baron Heurteloup, the famous lithotritic doctor and inventor--which was clicked off for the information of their Lordshi+ps Since this Patent Bill, we have got very noisy between percussion guns and pianofortes I walked aith Lyndhurst to hear what he had to say He said that he understood Peel was co very active, but that the Duke talked of staying at Strathfieldsaye till after Easter; and if the Duke did not attend the House of Lords, no more would he; he said it was impossible to turn out the Government--what could they do?

that it would never do for theain without a considerable majority, and _that_ they had not, nor would have

What would a dissolution do for the considerable, if the new Corporations were to have the influence he always attributed to the of the Municipal Bill promised to be as mischievous as he had expected He said, 'Yes, I think so;' but I could see that he does not think so very badly of it as he once told ather from him that the leaders are aware that the ti to push out the Government, and that they will not try; their difficulty will be to deal with their own rash and impatient followers, who are always for desperate courses

Lyndhurst told ht Peel felt very bitterly towards Stanley, and that it must end in their decided opposition to each other I confess I never had much faith in any union between them which was likely to be durable or satisfactory Stanley has been living constantly with the Whigs, and probably looks forward to joining theain, when the settlement, or some settlement, of the Church question will allow hienial to his tastes and character to be the rival of Peel than his subordinate I told Lyndhurst that I hoped the House of Lords would be reat measures, and not thwart the Government without necessity He said he was desirous so to do, to deal with great ht see fit, but no more I asked hi others the Dublin Police Bill, to which there really had seemed to be no objection

He said, for two reasons; one was that they did not choose to ad ht have been sent up, and plenty of time afforded for their consideration, they should be laid upon the table of the House of Lords just at the end of the session, when they were to be hurried over, and passed without that mature deliberation which they required; and particularly as to the Dublin Police Bill, that they well kneas a mere job to provide for certain of O'Connell's friends He then mentioned a fact in justification of the first of the above reasons--that, in discussing with Duncannon one of the Irish Bills of which he had the ement, he alluded to one particular clause Duncannon asserted that there was no such clause in the Bill He repeated that there hen Duncannon went away, and soon afterwards returned and acknowledged that he had been in error, that the clause was there, though he was not aware of it, nor had it been inserted in the copy hich he had been first furnished

I heard a great deal ues yesterday; they continue to visit the Privy Councillors Lyndhurst told me he had been with hiave Lord Lansdowne his book, as he glanced over it, Perceval said, 'I am aware it is not ritten; the composition is not perfect, but I was not pered to write it as I received it'

Drummond went in a chaise and four to the Archbishop of York at Nunehaood luncheon, but this would not do He told the Archbishop the end of the world was approaching, and that it ing to the neglect of himself and his brethren that the nation was in its present awful state Perceval told Lord Lansdowne that their sect was increasing greatly and rapidly; they have several congregations in London, two clergyland have joined the for the call which they daily expect to receive

February 5th, 1836 {p334}