lections--Crime in Dorsetshire--
Spain and Portugal--Procession of the Trades' Unions--Lady
Hertford's Funeral--Petition of the London University for a
Charter--Repeal of the Union--Excitement of the King--Brougham
and Eldon at the Privy Council--Duke of Wellington's Aversion
to the Whigs--Lord Brougham and Lord Wynford--Fete at
Petworth--Lord Brougham's Conduct on the Pluralities Bill--
Crisis in the Cabinet--Prince Lieven recalled--Stanley, Graham,
and the Duke of Richmond resign on the Irish Church Bill--
History of the Crisis--Ward's Motion defeated by moving the
previous question--Affairs of Portugal--Effects of the late
Change--Oxford Commemoration--Peel's Declaration--Festival in
Westminster Abbey--Don Carlos on his way to Spain--Stanley's
'Thimble-rig' Speech--Resignation of Lord Grey--Mr. Greville's
account of the Causes of his Retirement--The Government
reconstituted by Lord Melbourne--Lord Duncannon Secretary of
State.

March 12th, 1834 {p.068}

I have been laid up with the gout for the greater part of a
fortnight, but went to Newmarket for two days to get well, and
succeeded. Weather like summer, nothing particularly new, a long
debate on the Corn Laws, which being called an open question, the
Ministers voted different ways--that is, all the Cabinet voted
one way, but the underlings took their own course. Half the
Ruralists are furious with Government for their indecision and
way of acting on this question, but I am so totally ignorant upon
it that I cannot enter into their indignation, or exactly
understand from what it proceeds. It was pretty to see Graham and
Poulett Thomson, like two game-cocks got loose from one pen,
pecking at and spurring one another. Everybody agrees that the
debate was very dull, and that is all they do agree upon.

George Villiers writes to his family from Spain, that nothing can
be worse and more unpromising than the state of that country.
Notwithstanding his Liberal opinions and desire to see a system of
constitutional freedom established in the Peninsula, he is obliged
to confess that Spain is not fit for such a boon, and that the
materials do not exist out of which such a social edifice can be
constructed. He regards with dismay and sorrow the tendency
towards irremediable confusion and political convulsions, and sees
no daylight through the dark prospect. He appears to regret Zea,
to whose removal he contributed, and finds more difficult