Volume III Part 27 (1/2)

To-night is the great night in the House of Lords, when they are to deal with the Commons' amendments of the Municipal Bill Lord Grey is expected to speak, and he told his old colleagues that if he did he should say what they would not like The fact is, he is out of huh he would not own this even to hiree on , and consequently he knows nothing, and this provokes hinant at the O'Connellism of the Government, and abhors the attacks on _his order_ Tavistock talked to reat deal yesterday about Lord John Russell, who he declares is by no , that he is opposed tooth and nail to the refor with O'Connell, that he has constantly and firmly refused to comply with the demands of the Dissenters in the matter of Church rates, and that in the Ecclesiastical Commission he and the bishops are on the best terreatest Reformer there is Lord Harrowby, and John Russell has had to act as mediator between hirasped at patronage with all their ht, and have taken to themselves that which appertained to the chapters, ust of the latter; they likewise endeavoured to get hold of that which belongs to the Chancellor, and on this occasion John wrote on a slip of paper (which he threw across the table to the Archbishop of York), 'I don't object to your robbing one another, but I can't let you rob the Crown' The Archbishop wrote back, 'That is just what I expected froood-hue Head: THEATRICALS AT BRIDGEWATER HOUSE]

There has been such a stagnation in politics lately that I have heard nothing, and having been laid up with the gout for a fortnight, have seen scarcely anybody The greatest interest I have had has been in the draewater House, to the rehearsals of which I ventured to go They were very brilliant and successful As the space was limited, the invitations necessarily were so, and everybody ild to be there There were one or two _tracasseries_ growing out of the thing, agitating for thein themselves The pieces were 'Glenfinlas,' taken from Walter Scott's ballad, and 'Lalla Rookh,' from Moore's poem; the principal performers were James Wortley, my brother Henry, Mitford, Mrs Bradshaw, Miss Kemble (Mrs Sartoris); and the chorus was coet, Lady Mary Paget (Lady Sandwich), Lady Wallscourt, Lady Georgiana Mitford, my sister, Lord Compton, Messrs Westton Grieve painted beautiful scenery, and the dresses were nificent; all the ladies were covered with diareat jewellers lent to the was perfection itself, and altogether it was singular, striking, and eminently successful, especially 'Glenfinlas,' which was very ingeniously ed, and went off to the amazement of those ere concerned in it, who did not expect such success

July 1st, 1836 {p353}

At Stoke for three days; divine weather, profusion of flowers and shade, and every luxury; nobody there of any consequence On Tuesday night at the House of Lords to hear the debate, which orth hearing Lyndhurst spoke very ably, by far the finest style of speaking, so audy, but a manly and severe style of eloquence Lord Grey spoke very becoly, but was feeble compared hat he used to be He endeavoured to effect a co offensive to anybody or any party, spoke strongly in favour of the Ministerial measure, and I think took the sound view I have no doubt the Tory Lords are all in the wrong in taking the course they do, and their arguments are very frivolous and inefficient

O'Connell was not in the House during Lyndhurst's philippic, but careat bustle

July 9th, 1836 {p353}

Since Monday (4th) at De Ros's villa The division on the appropriation clause and the reat triurievous disappointment to the Government This, with the Warwickshi+re election at the same moment, has made them very down in the mouth, and raised the _Conservative stock_ pretty considerably There was very sharp work between Stanley and John Russell, who left off _noble friending_ and took to _noble lording_ him, to show that they were quite two The fact is that they are in a huge difficulty with this appropriation clause, which served their turn for a while (when it turned out Peel and ces like a millstone round their necks, and is not unlikely to produce the dissolution of the Governe that this Irish Church in one way or another is the insuperable obstacle to peace and tranquillity in Ireland, and to the stability of any Adht for as if the prosperity or salvation of the State depended on it--

Tantu Ministers are concerned it serves the; their conduct will tell against them in the country, and when the House of Lords is accused of stopping legislation, people will not fail to ask, What else is the House of Co, or rather how reat bane of Ireland, and the cause of the disorder which prevail, and they propose a tithe Bill as the re it with a condition which they knoith as e can attain, will prevent its passing into a law, and in this shape they persist in producing it Lord John Russell and his colleagues, it is said, are pledged not to pass a tithe Bill without this clause; but what cares the public for their pledges, and what is their consistency coreat interests at stake, and which are involved in the settlement of this question?

They acted 'Genfinlas' for the last tireater success than ever The Queen was invited, but did not co parties, which are extended into the night The duchess of Buccleuch gave entertainments on Monday and Wednesday; De Ros on Friday--dinners, tents, illuay for those who can find amusement in it, which I have ceased to do

July 18th, 1836 {p355}

[Page Head: APPROPRIATION CLAUSE ABANDONED]

On Thursday night, alot back froly suspected that the Cabinet were in great embarrassment about the Irish Church question, and of course the Tories were proportionably elated at the visions of return to office which are always ready to dance before their eyes This report was confirmed to me the next day (Friday) by Lord Tavistock, who told me what really was the case The late division seems to have made a considerable impression, and several of the supporters of Government have represented that matters cannot continue in their present state, and that the resistance to payment of tithe on the one hand and the threats of rebellion on the other render it of paramount necessity to settle the question, and that it is better after all to take the Bill without the appropriation clause than to let it be again lost This difference of opinion has of course particularly embarrassed Lord John Russell, and they do not knohat to do With respect to Lord John himself the question is, Can he continue in office and let the Bill pass without the clause? If he cannot, are his colleagues as completely committed as he is, or ration, and take the Bill in that state? I told Tavistock that he well knehat my opinions had always been with respect to the introduction of that clause, which seemed to be more fully justified by the event; that I did not think any difference could be ues, and theythe Bill without the clause, they, and Lord John in particular, must make up their minds, if they did so, to have every species of abuse poured upon them from their Tory enemies and their Radical friends; but they were in a scrape, and had, in fact, got the country into a scrape too, and their duty noas to take that course which on the whole seeht personally cost theht render themselves liable If they were satisfied that no other Government would at present be formed, and that the Irish Church question could be settled in no other way, they ought to s the pill He said he thought they were not indisposed to face the obloquy, if it must be so, and that all depended upon the conduct of the Lords, and upon their affording the Govern the Bill I asked how He said that what he thought of was this--earnestly conjuring ested any such thing (which satisfied me that it was not only his own idea, but that of others also belonging to the Government)--that last year the Lords had thrown out the Bill, because the appropriation clause being a money clause, they could not touch it, but that now this objection was removed as to form, and they were at liberty to cut it out if they pleased, and return the Bill without it to the Commons; that if they would at the sa that if any surplus was reported such surplus should be at the disposal of Parlia any opinion as to the way in which Parliaht, would be sufficient to enable the Whigs _salvo honore_ to take the Bill; neither party would be co at variance with the principles they had already professed, and the alteration in the state of the question produced by the discovery of that legal process to which the clergy had had recourse would, together with such a resolution, be a sufficient warrant to them to pass the Bill I told him that I would not commit him, and I would endeavour (if I had an opportunity) to ascertain if there was any chance of the Lords taking such a course, to which I could see no objection

Petworth, July 24th, 1836 {p356}

[Page Head: THE MINISTRY IN DIFFICULTIES]

Cadon, the day before fro of the Ministerialists at the Foreign Office; called by Lord John Russell, to talk to them about the Church Bill After the skirmish in the House of Commons between him and Charles Buller a deputation, headed by Hume, waited on Melbourne to remonstrate, and they reported that the intervieas on his part very civil and good-natured, but very unsatisfactory Lord John Russell therefore called theued the that Governive ith respect to thisHume that in a former speech he had already assented to the principle of the Bill The English Radicals were, however, not to be appeased, spoke strongly, and declared they would oppose the Bill in every stage

O'Connell rose, and said that he would support Government, that it was of vital consequence to Ireland that there should be no appearance of disunion in the party, and that no idea should prevail there that there was a chance of its being broken up; and for this reason Govern away, and fastened on Tory they (the English Radicals) were I asked him whether their resentment would induce them to desert Government on the appropriation clauses and stay away, because, if so, they o out; and he said that it would not push theth Itwill have bound the Governive way on this clause, and that whatever the Lords ht the battle

The Lords in the one quietly into Co passed off with tolerable harood speech, and produced a surplus, but which the Duke of Wellington will take very good care to reduce again to _nil_

This is very easily done on one side, and the contrary on the other; redistribution can accomplish either desideratum--surplus or no surplus However, the Government seems to be in a pretty state between their h they h this session, and hustle Parliament to an end, it is difficult to see how they will ever pass the ordeal of another, for they can neither continue in their present course nor adopt any other with safety

Isupporter of the Govern on Friday, and suggested to him what a scrape his friends were in He owned that it was so, but said that parties were so balanced that Peel could not go on if he ca turned out the Government as he had done before, or if Peel was instruned of their own accord, and because they were theht Peel would be supported by a majority even of this House of Commons; for, after all, the country must have a Government, and if Peel took it because it was vacant, and nobody else could be found to occupy it, he could not be refused the trial, which he had in vain asked for before He owned this was true, and such an ad is evidently waiting with the greatest in He co abroad, and said it was a tiht to be at his post, which means that every opponent of his Ministers should strive with ceaseless zeal to drive the of the Tories, for his ierton]

August 7th, 1836 {p358}

[Page Head: DISSENSION BETWEEN LORDS AND COMMONS]