but I much doubt Peel's ever consenting to take office
_under_ Lord Grey (though with an equality of authority and
influence in the Government), and to lead a party from which all
his old friends, and those who look up to him with unbounded
devotion, must necessarily be excluded, and to give up all
pretensions to ascendency and domination in the Cabinet.

March 28th, 1835 {p.236}

[Page Head: FRESH REVERSES.]

It appears now very doubtful whether Peel will resign after a
defeat on Monday; and I am disposed to believe that it is not his
intention; indeed, I never could understand why he should. He has
over and over again declared that whenever the Opposition would
bring forward a direct motion against him, he should be prepared
to resign, but not till then. Still, I do not see how he can go
on, and am much inclined to think he ought not. Weak as he is, at
the mercy of this furious and reckless Opposition, Government
suffers in his hands; the Crown and all Executive authority
suffer. Every Government, to be useful and respectable, should
have the power of carrying its measures in its own way through
Parliament; but Peel cannot do this, and instead of quashing any
mischievous or untimely motion, he is compelled to submit to one
defeat after another upon matters which would never have been
stirred (or certainly not successfully) with the late Government,
or with any which possessed the confidence of the House of
Commons. It was expected that Hume would persist in his motion
for referring the Army estimates to a committee, and that the
Whigs would support him; but when it came to the point, at the
suggestion of John Russell and Stanley, he very sulkily withdrew
it; but the night before, Government was beaten on two divisions,
one about the Leicester election, upon which all the lawyers in
the House were unanimous. But these opinions had no effect upon
the Radical majority, and they voted an address to the Crown to
confer a charter upon the London University, Lord John Russell
supporting it, although this question had been argued before the
Privy Council, which had still to report upon it; and I believe
that the general opinion of the Lords was against conferring the
charter in the present circumstances of the university.
Certainly, there was no discussion in Council after the arguments
were closed, but I gathered that the impression was unfavourable
to the grant of the charter. The House of Commons knows nothing
of t