Volume III Part 25 (2/2)

Parliareat apathy

The Tories have not begun very well After boasting of their increased nus they had accoot beaten on a division by 41--a greater nureat question The speech was a veryan amendment upon It is true that on the point on which the a the House to adopt the principle of the English Corporation Act in the Irish Bill) the Duke was probably right, but a protest would have done just as well, and there was no need to press an amendment on such a trifle The other side felt this in the House of Lords, and gave it up, though there were so many Ministerial peers in the House that the division would have been very near; but in the House of Coive way, and what isany a at his house, and there it was resolved that none should be moved; and certainly very few people expected any At last he moved it, because it had been moved in the House of Lords, but it seeether The Tories are always hot for dividing, and the silly idle creatures who coise for their continual absence by saying, 'Oh, you never divide, so what's the use of coot up for the and shooting and run up to town Stanley reat a been ironically cheered by the Treasury bench, he got angry He sat, too, on the Opposition bench (the same on which Peel sits), nearer the Speaker; still I do not believe that he will join the Opposition; however, they are surprised and pleased at the tone he took Soht will be useful to the Government, and make it out to be very i much more of it than it deserves The debate was very bad; everybody spoke wretchedly

February 6th, 1836 {p335}

I only heard last night what passed at Peel's ht not be repeated, and that theshould be considered confidential; he made them a speech, in which he indicated in pretty plain terreat consequence to shape their proceedings so as to get the support of Stanley, and that they never would be sure what line he would take; so that he does look to Stanley, notwithstanding what Lyndhurst says of his real senti him, which, no doubt, is correct

February 7th, 1836 {p335}

[Page Head: LORD HOLLAND'S ANECDOTES]

Last night I went to Holland House; found_tete-a-tete_ About twelve she went to bed, and Standish and I stayed with hi his accounts of speeches and speakers of old times, and anecdotes, some of which I had heard before, and so He is ood, so well told, his i you such a conviction of their fidelity If Lord Holland has prepared any memoirs, and put down all he remembers, as well as all he has been personally concerned in, it will htful book I asked him if his uncle and Pitt were in habits of communication in the House of Coood-hureat respect for each other; latterly I think ainst hiht they would have joined? He thought they ht have done so He thinks the finest speeches Fox made (if it were possible to select out of so many fine ones) were on the war, on the Scrutiny, and on Bonaparte's overtures Grattan co hiood, but I know I can't make a better' Fox never wrote his speeches, was fond of preparing the, as he said a postchaise was the best place to arrange his thoughts in Sheridan wrote and prepared a great deal, and generally in bed, with his books, pen, and ink, on the bed, where he would lie all day Broughaain, whole speeches; he has been known to work fifteen hours a day for six weeks together

It is inconceivable the effect the division on the address has had Holland said last night he thought it had given theh glee, talked with great contempt of the tactics and miserable composition of the Tory party He said that he knew to a vote what their nu else_ they should beat them hollow (he did not mean, of course, to include the Irish Corporation Bill in this) The sensible Tories adreat blunder, but the authors of the folly affect to bluster and put a good face on it, though it is easy to see that they are really in doleful dumps

But of all bad hits Stanley certainlywith the Ministers with the utenerally friendly to thee, and impressed on the but the Church (Exactly like his conduct to Peel and his forues on the matter of Free Trade when he separated fro that he did not mean to be committed to any particular course by the address, and deprecated a division, he would not only have prevented it, but he would have at once placed himself in a respectable position as a sort of mediator and arbiter between the two parties, and would have had the satisfaction of showing the world that both were disposed to treat him with deference and respect A word fro his amendment or withdraw it I met Grahaed a feords with him

He said the division was a very bad business

February 9th, 1836 {p337}

[Page Head: MACAULAY AND BROUGHAM]

I was talking yesterday with Stephen about Broughaha with him down to Clapha hiy of a boy there of whoham afterwards put himself forward as the monitor and director of the education of Macaulay, and I re of a letter he wrote to the father on the subject, which reat noise at the ti lion, which finished by biting his head off Broughaive his great superiority in ht hiuise his jealousy and dislike, the other was not behind his of aversion It was unworthy of both, but ht have considered the world large enough for both of them, and that a sufficiency of fame was attainable by each Stephen said that, if ever Macaulay's life ritten by a corapher, it would appear that he had displayed feats ofHe can repeat all Dereat part of the Bible, both in English and (the New Testaes innumerable of every description of books, which in discussion he pours forth with incredible facility He is passionately fond of Greek literature; has not much taste for Latin or French Old Mill (one of the best Greek scholars of the day) thinks Macaulay has a more extensive and accurate acquaintance with the Greek writers than any , and there is no Greek book of any note which he has not read over and over again In the Bible he takes great delight, and there are few better Biblical scholars In law he reat forte is history, especially English history Here his superhu and arranging as well as of retaining, has converted his e, from which, with the precision and correctness of a kind of intellectual , information, precept, example, anecdote, and illustration with a fahtful He writes as if he had lived in the ti the people whose actions and characters he records and delineates A little reading, too, is enough for Macaulay, for by some process impossible to other men he contrives to transfer as it were, by an impression rapid and indelible, the contents of the books he reads to his own mind, where they are deposited, always accessible, and never either forgotten or confused Far superior to Broughaination, and in the art of coreatly inferior to him in those qualities which raise haure, with a face which, however ugly, is full of expression, and a voice of great power, variety, and evenhis occasional prolixity and tediousness, is an orator in every sense of the word

Macaulay, short, fat, and ungraceful, with a round, thick, unh he has h style of eloquence in point of composition, has no pretensions to be put in coham in the House of Commons Nor is the difference and the inferiority of Macaulay less reat talker, and pours forth floods of knowledge on all subjects; but the gracefulness, lightness, and variety are wanting in his talk which are so conspicuous in his writings; there is not enough of alloy in the ood, and not sufficiently flexible, plastic, and diversified for general society Brougharave to gay, froh every description of folly and fun, dealing in those rapid transitions by which the attention and i, always instructive, never tedious, elevated to the height of the greatest intellect, and familiar with thethe hu into the midst of their pursuits and objects with a fervour and intensity of interest which surprises and delights his associates, and, above all, which puts the ceased to be true of Brougha either the wit or the _charhest kind of colloquial excellence or success, is a htful talker--1850]

February 12th, 1836

[Page Head: LORD WILLIAM BENTINCK]

Lord Williaohich is reh rank and station who has publicly professed the ultra-Radical opinions which he avows in this document It is by no means well done, and a very silly address in reater than his talents warrant, for he is not right-headed, and has coreat blunder or other in every public situation in which he has been placed; but he is simple in his habits, popular in his nificently hospitable in his h to ensure popularity Here is the inscription for the column, or whatever it be, that they have erected to his honour in India, written by Macaulay:--

TO WILLIAM CAVENDISH BENTINCK, who during seven years ruled India with erity, and benevolence; who, placed at the head of a great empire, never laid aside the simplicity and moderation of a private citizen; who infused into oriental despotisot that the end of governoverned; who abolished cruel bites; who effaced huave liberty to the expression of public opinion; whose constant study it was to elevate the intellectual and e; THIS MONUMENT was erected by e, and in religion, cherish with equal veneration and gratitude the ht, and paternal ade Head: LORD SANDON'S OPINION OF PEEL]

I walked hoht, and had much talk about the state of parties, particularly about Peel and the events at the close of the last session He talked upon the usual topic of Peel's coldness, uncommunicative disposition, want of popular qualities, and the consequent indifference of his followers to his person With respect to last year, he said that Peel had arranged with the Duke of Wellington and Lyndhurst the course that it would be advisable to adopt with regard to the Corporation Bill, and that he was put exceedingly out of hu a different line; that the leaders of the Lords found their party iht theive way to the prejudices of theunder_ to violence and folly, and his pride was mortified, because it was a sort of renunciation of his authority as leader and chief of the whole party Accordingly it ith reference to these proceedings that Peel spoke with great bitterness to Sandon, and said that 'he never would be the tool of the Lords,' He left town in high dudgeon, and was probably not sorry to display his resentment at the same time with his pohen he suddenly returned and made his speech on the Lords'

a done this without any communication with the Duke and Lyndhurst, in which he thinks he was to blaht to have seen the Duke, and have imparted to him his intentions and his ry for the part he took He has noever, put himself more openly and decidedly at the head of the party, and Sandon considers that Stanley already virtually belongs to it, inasether, and the other day when he went to Peel's house he found Stanley there

February 21st, 1836 {p341}