A Political Diary, 1828-1830 Part 44

The Attorney-General was very angry indeed at the alterations made in the Bill, and threatened to throw it over in the House of Commons.

Nothing said about the Libel law; but Lord Holland is to say something on the third reading. Sir Jonah's case. W. Goady spoke. He spoke so slow, it was like a banker paying in sixpences to gain time. He was so dull I went away for fear of falling asleep. The Duke stayed and slept.

The Duke remained at Windsor all night. I met him as he was coming down to the office to-day. He said he had remained to see the King and give up to him the late King's snuff-boxes, &c., which were all in a great box.

Lord Wharncliffe told me he thought Duncombe, Bethel, Lord Morpeth, and Ramsden would come in for Yorks.h.i.+re. Afterwards we heard Brougham was to stand. It will have a very bad effect if Hume and Brougham come in for great counties. Yet I dare say they will.

Wortley goes down to stand for some Scotch boroughs, which will lead to the County of Forfar.

Long Wellesley has been arrested by Gosling the Banker for 4,000, on which it was found that he had but 3,000 in the books in the Bank, so he remained in durance for the other 1,000 till he found five people, each willing to be bound for 200. This disposes of him for Ess.e.x. He had given out that he had 30,000. An express has been sent off to a Mr. Lloyd, the son-in-law of the old Eliab Harvey, to stand for Ess.e.x. I know the man. He was at Ryde in 1813, and at Cowes in 1826. His daughters are rather pretty girls. I suggested Tower, who would have done very well for Ess.e.x.

_July 17._

St. James's at 2. The Lord Mayor and Aldermen first came up with their address, then the same with the Common Council. The King received the addresses, which were very loyal, on the throne. He read the answers very well. The Ministers stood on his left and the household on his right. About seven gentlemen pensioners were on each side from the door to the foot of the throne. The Lord Mayor, &c., were introduced by the Lord Chamberlain.

It was well done, and is rather an imposing ceremony.

Cabinet. First a question as to what should be done about Ashe, the man who wrote a libel on the Duke of c.u.mberland, which he sent to him and now reclaims. He has written many letters indicative of an intention to a.s.sa.s.sinate, and is now come up from Carlisle on foot, and has been walking opposite the Duke's house for three hours, having first written another letter of a threatening nature.

Lord Wynford wrote to Peel on the Duke of c.u.mberland's part; but the Duke will not exhibit articles of the peace. Colonel Peter gave Ashe 5_s_. and he went away.

The question was what could be done with him? I suggested that, as in the case of an expected duel, a magistrate on mere information that a breach of the peace was apprehended would take persons into custody and hold them to bail; so here the same thing might be done, one of the letters distinctly threatening a breach of the peace. This would secure the man till it could be discovered whether there was legal ground to indict him for the letters.

This will be done.

We then came to the consideration of the East Retford question. All the press were for giving up the Bill. I took some part in the discussion.

However, Peel was so strongly for the Lords going as the Commons had done, and for preventing the appearance of disunion in the Cabinet, that his wishes were acceded to, and we support the Bill. The Duke _thinks_ it will be thrown out, and I _hope_ it will. It will be very difficult to make a speech in favour of the Bill which will not commit us to a bad precedent.

However, I shall try. Peel was very obstinate and disagreeable. In fact the interfering with the existing franchise never was made a Cabinet question.

The giving the franchise to Ba.s.setlaw [Footnote: The Hundred of Ba.s.setlaw, forming the existing borough of East Retford.] rather than to Birmingham was, and it was because after an agreement that we should all vote for Ba.s.setlaw, Huskisson voted for Birmingham and then resigned, that the separation took place.

These questions never were made Government questions before, and it is much better they should not be.

Peel thinks he will not be able to oppose reform in general if we do not show a disposition to punish individual cases of corruption.

I did not get away till seven, and then went to Hardinge's to bring him down to Wilderness. [Footnote: Seat of Lord Camden, near Sevenoaks.] He told me the Speaker had been with the Duke and did not resign just now.

There had been a question whether he should not; but it was thought we might be damaged at the elections if we made any change now. The Duke asked Hardinge what he thought as to taking Huskisson and Palmerston back again?

Hardinge declared against having Huskisson, but recommended Palmerston. I dare say as soon as the elections are over something will be done, and that Palmerston will be offered the Chancellors.h.i.+p of the Exchequer.

Peel once wanted Edward Stanley, but it seems he has wavered a good deal.

Unless his manner should change it would be impossible to go on with him as Minister; but I trust in G.o.d we shall never lose the Duke.

_July 19._

Received at nine a card from Lord Bathurst informing me that the Queen would be in Downing Street at ten. Went in plain clothes as I was desired.

Found the Queen was to be there to see the Guards, whom the King was to inspect. The Ministers were invited and the connections of the Bathursts.

We were presented to the Queen, and kissed her hand. After the parade, which the King attended on foot, he joined the party, and they had breakfast. However, before that I went away. At one again at St. James's.

The two Universities came up with addresses to the King and Queen. Oxford first. They very properly put their doctors first. The address was read by the Vice-Chancellor, and then, after the Queen's reply, the doctors and proctors, and a few others who formed the deputation, kissed the King's hand. As the Queen has no separate apartment the King retired, the Queen entered with her household and ladies, and then the same ceremony was gone through, the Ministers remaining on the left behind the ladies. The Queen read pretty well. She was obliged to rise each time to give her hand to be kissed. Cambridge came afterwards with the Duke of Gloucester and all the Peers, who belonged to the University, in their gowns at the head. This destroyed the character of the collegiate body. However, those only were presented who were presented of the Oxford deputation. The King went beyond his written speech to the men of Cambridge, and put us in a fright.

However, it was good-humoured, and of no great harm--a sort of joke.

I came away as I had business. Afterwards there was a Council, and the Lords Lieutenant were admitted to take the oaths.

House. East Retford. The Chancellor made a capital speech, and we had a better division than case, 29 to 7. Lord Durham spoke temperately and well.

Lord Grey well too. We had Wynford with us. There is no explaining that man. The Duke of c.u.mberland voted against us, and Eldon spoke.

At St. James's. Lord Westmoreland told me that yesterday at a great dinner the King gave his household he gave as a toast, 'The land we live in, and let those who don't like it leave it.'

This and many other things show his feelings towards the Duke of c.u.mberland.

The King reviews a regiment every morning this week. He has been on horseback within these six weeks, but he has a rupture, and is now rather afraid of riding. He is going to change the uniforms of the Lords Lieutenant.

We expect to prorogue on Friday and dissolve on Sat.u.r.day.

_July 20._

Then East Retford. Lord Wharncliffe moved a resolution with the view of giving the franchise to Birmingham instead of the Hundred. Dudley spoke for Birmingham and well. I spoke shortly. I guarded myself against being considered as pledged to any other measure, intending to decide all measures according to the special circ.u.mstances of the case.

The Duke was not so cautious as I was, and spoke strongly against giving the franchise to great towns. [Footnote: No one expected it to occur in two years' time.] Lord Holland said to the Chancellor, 'He will live to see it done.' I think I may, and therefore was cautious.

We had 39 to 16.

So ends the business of this Session.

_July 21._

Went at ten to the Duke of Wellington's, where the King and Queen were to breakfast after an inspection of the 2nd Life Guards. The day was beautiful and the people in excellent humour. The King first went with the Queen to the Regent's Park barracks, and then to the Knightsbridge barracks. When they came to the Duke's the King went to the window and was well cheered.

They then called for the Queen, who went to the window and was very well received indeed.

Yesterday evening the King walked out alone into St. James's Street. He found Watson Taylor and took his arm. The mob pressed upon him so much that Watson Taylor's shoes were trodden down at heel. While the King was alone an Irish woman came out of an alley and kissed him. This and a lecture from the Duke have cured him of walking out alone. At least he has promised not to do so again.

House at 2. Aberdeen says the King spoke very well to the foreign Ministers to-day. There was an extraordinary number of naval officers, and the fullest _levee_ I ever saw. The King recognised very cordially all his old friends. He was very gracious indeed to Elphinstone, whom he saw for the first time. He was imprudent enough to make a sort of speech to the West Indian deputation, and pledged himself warmly to support their interests.

This I saw. After I was gone I hear Astell and Campbell came up with the address of the East India Company, and that he spoke in similar terms to them. This the foolish Astell will publish everywhere.

The Duke says he goes away when the King begins to speak. I really covered my face when he began to speak about the Catholics to the deputation from Cambridge. What he said to them, which was no more than an indifferent joke, has been variously misrepresented and not at all understood. It must have been imperfectly heard.

The King is angry with the Duke of Gloucester for slurring over a part of the address from Cambridge, which was very loyal, and for not kissing his hand. He has reason to complain of this. The Duke of Gloucester kissed the Queen's hand with marked devotion.

The Duke of Suss.e.x has been already infusing poison into the King's ear and talking of invasions of the property of the Church. This the King told Peel. Those who observed the Duke of Suss.e.x at the levee thought he seemed very triumphant, and received his Whig friends with a smile which said, 'We shall do them yet.'

He was invested with the Thistle to-day. The King asked all the knights presented to drink a bottle of claret with him in October.

Blomberg was up with an address. The King said, 'You and I know each other of old. You need not be presented. By-the-bye, you may as well dine with me to-day.'

The King made an extemporaneous reply to the address of the Canons of Windsor the day after the funeral. They begged to have a copy. He endeavoured to recollect it for them, and sent it to Peel. Peel found some curious historical inaccuracies.

The Duke of Wellington thinks we shall gradually bring the King round, and induce him to move more quietly. To thwart him directly would have a bad effect; but he may be led. In the meantime he is very well in health.

The King has promised to dine with Leopold, who has asked the Duke, but not Aberdeen. The Duke thinks the King should not dine with him now. The two other Powers having manifested the greatest dissatisfaction with Leopold's conduct, and we having intimated it in the House, it would be incongruous and injurious for the King to dine with him. Leopold has written one if not two letters complaining of the conduct of the Allied Powers.