bate ended, with a very excellent speech from
Robert Grant,[6] and a speech from Lord Palmerston which
astonished everybody. The Attorney-General was violent and
brutal, and Peel's reply very good; he was bursting with passion,
but restrained himself. I met Tierney, and told him that there
was great disappointment that he had not answered Sadler. He said
he could not speak for coughing, that Sadler's speech was clever,
but over-rated, nothing like so good as they talked of. Robert
Grant's was very good indeed, the best for matter; Palmerston's
the most brilliant, 'an imitation of Canning, and not a bad one.'
Though the Opposition gained eight in this division, they are
disappointed and disheartened, and will make but little fight on
the other stages (as it is thought). Nine bishops are to vote.
The meeting at Lambeth took place the day before yesterday, but
it came to nothing. They separated agreeing to meet again, and in
the meantime that each should take his own line. Tierney talked
of the Duke's management of this business with great admiration,
as did Lord Durham last night in the same strain; but after all
what was it but the resolution of secresy (which I think was a
most wise and judicious one)? for he did nothing but keep the
secret. However, the thing has been well imagined and well
executed. Tierney thinks Peel will resign when it is all over,
and at his father's death will be made a Peer. I should not
wonder; he must be worn to death with the torrents of abuse and
invective with which his old friends assail him on every
occasion. I presume that if he could have anticipated their
conduct he would not have been so civil to them in the beginning,
and would have taken another turn altogether; it would have been
better for him. Lady Worcester told me to-day what adds to many
other proofs that the Duke is a very _hard_ man; he takes no
notice of any of his family; he never sees his mother, has only
visited her two or three times in the last few years; and has not
now been to see Lady Anne, though she has been in such affliction
for the death of her only son, and he passes her door every time
he goes to Strathfieldsaye. He is well with Lady Maryborough,
though they quarrelled after Lord M. was driven from the Cabinet;
Lord Wellesley is seriously affronted with him at the little
consideration the Duke shows for him, and for having shown him no
confidence in all this business, especially as the Catholic
question was