presume, by the Duke of Cumberland) about the
appointment of sheriffs. He has taken it into his head that he
will not appoint any Roman Catholic sheriff; and as several have
been named, and these generally first on the list, according to
the usual practice, they must be chosen. The King will be obliged
to give way, but it is an additional proof of his bad disposition
and his pleasure in thwarting his Ministers on every possible
occasion.

[Page Head: STAPLETON'S 'MEMOIRS OF CANNING']

January 7th, 1830 {p.263}

Stapleton's 'Memoirs of Canning' are coming out directly, but he
is prevented from making use of all the documents he, or rather
Lady Canning, has. She has had an angry correspondence with the
Foreign Office. Every Minister takes away a _precis_ of all he
has done while in office, but Canning's _precis_ was not finished
when he died. She wrote and demanded that what was incomplete
should be furnished to her, but claimed it as a right, and said
it was for the purpose of vindicating him. Lord Aberdeen declined
giving it, and I think very properly. The reason he assigned was
that a Minister who was furnished with such documents for his own
justification was bound by his oath of secresy not to reveal the
contents, but the secrets of the State could not be imparted to
any irresponsible person, who was under no such restraint.

Vesey Fitzgerald is better, but will hardly be able to do any
business. Some think he will have leave of absence, that Dawson
will exchange offices with Courtenay, and do the business of the
Board of Trade; others, that Herries will succeed Vesey, or
Frankland Lewis. The revenue has fallen off one million and more.
The accounts of distress from the country grow worse and more
desponding, and a return to one pound notes begins to be talked
of.

Roehampton, January 9th, 1830 {p.263}

Yesterday morning died Sir Thomas Lawrence after a very short
illness. Few people knew he was ill before they heard he was
dead. He was _longe primus_ of all living painters, and has left
no one fit to succeed him in the chair of the Royal Academy.
Lawrence was about sixty, very like Canning in appearance,
remarkably gentlemanlike, with very mild manners, though rather
too _doucereux_, agreeable in society, unassuming, and not a
great talker; his mind was highly cultivated, he had a taste for
every kind of literature, and was enthusiastically devoted to his
art; he was very industrious, and painted an e