feeling, that he wrote to him to say
that he had joined his party on the express notion that he was
prepared to give the Government a fair trial, and to ask whether
he did not understand him correctly in attributing to him still
such an intention. He replied very courteously, and tolerably
satisfactorily, but it certainly seems probable that he is more
disposed to reunite with his old friends than to form any
connection with these men, though what is uppermost in his mind
is to raise his own consequence and authority, and make the best
bargain he eventually can. Charlton says that he has since tried
to engage him in conversation upon the subject of the democratic
tendency of the times, but that he has no mind to discuss the
subject. Charlton is such a violent, foolish, dangerous fellow,
that it is no wonder if Stanley kept aloof from him, and was not
disposed to be more than merely civil to him.

March 17th, 1835 {p.228}

[Page Head: LORD LONDONDERRY'S DEFENCE.]

Londonderry made a good speech in the House of Lords last night,
gentlemanlike and temperate. He got a good deal of empty praise in
both Houses in lieu of the solid pudding he is obliged to give up.
He said 'that he had had no communication with the Government, nor
had sought any advice, neither had any been tendered to him; that
he had after due deliberation determined on the course he should
pursue.' All this is untrue; he went to Peel on Saturday morning,
and told him he was ready to do what he pleased; but Peel said he
could give him no opinion. He then consulted various people, the
Dukes of Cumberland and Buckingham _inter alios_, who advised him
not to resign. It appeared to be his object to obtain opinions to
that effect, and up to late yesterday afternoon nobody knew what
he meant to do; so much so, that the Duke left the Foreign Office
without being apprised of his intentions, and desired if any
letter came from him that it might be sent after him to the House
of Lords. He received the letter on the stairs, which he read and
instantly sent to Peel. It has altogether been a miserable affair,
and it is certainly true what John Russell said, that in 'the
experiment they are now making, that which the Right Honourable
Baronet called a fair trial, they were running considerable hazard
that the most useful prerogatives of the Crown would lose that
dignity and respect in which they had formerly been held.' It is
clearly true that this most dangerous pr