met the whole Dilly at
dinner yesterday at Stafford House, and when I told Stanley and
Graham that I understood Spring Rice made the difficulty, they
both said that it must be what they called 'his conundrum,' which
I had never heard of before; but it means his determination to
apply the surplus to the purposes of _general education_, but not
to go a jot further, and they suppose that this is not far enough
for the others, and hence the difficulty.

April 13th, 1835 {p.253}

Nothing positively known yesterday, but that the thing is settled
in some way, Clusterings and congregations of Whigs about
Brookes', audiences with the King, and great doubt whether Grey
took office, and the Foreign Office.

April 14th, 1835 {p.253}

Yesterday it was understood that everything was settled, but
after all it was only the night before last that Melbourne was
definitively charged with the formation of a Government. The
difficulties were O'Connell and Spring Rice; the former was got
over by his waiving all claim to employment and promising his
gratuitous support. By what underhand management or persuasion,
and what secret understanding, this was effected will be a
mystery for the present, but nobody doubts that it has been
accomplished by some juggle. Spring Rice wanted to wash his hands
of the concern; he did not think it promised sufficient
stability, and without some assurance of its lasting he wished to
decline taking office. They would not hear this, and represented
to him that he was indispensable, and it ended in his giving way.
It certainly would have been very unjustifiable of him, after
going all lengths with them, to hold back at last, but it shows
the opinion of the best men among them of the rottenness of the
concern. Lord Grey declined taking office, but wrote to say that
the Government should have all his support, and that he wished
Howick to be included in it, which is the same thing as if he
were there himself. Nothing was settled about the cast of
offices, and they were waiting for Lord John's arrival from
Woburn to discuss that matter. Between the pretensions of one
man, the reluctance of another, and the hymeneal occupation of
the leader the matter hobbled on very slowly. I certainly never
remember a great victory for which Te Deum was chanted with so
faint and joyless a voice. Peel looks gayer and easier than all
Brookes' put together, and Lady Holland said, 'Now that we have
gained our object I am not