consented
to the third shots upon any account. Alvanley says he execrated
him in his heart when he found he had consented to it. Hodges
acted like a ruffian, and had anything happened he would have been
hanged. It is impossible to know whether the first shot was fired
by mistake or not. The impression on the minds of Alvanley's
friends is that it was _not_, but it is difficult to believe that
any man would endeavour to take such an advantage. However, no
shot ought to have been fired after that. The affair made an
amazing noise. As O'Connell had threatened to mention it in the
House of Commons, Damer went to Peel to put him in possession of
all the circumstances, but he said that he was sure O'Connell
would not venture to stir the matter there.

Lord Wellesley's resignation of the White Wand has set conjecture
afloat as to his motives, and it is asserted on one side, but
denied on the other, that disgust at O'Connell's predominance is
the reason, following disappointment at not having been himself
reinstated. I do not know the truth of the matter. Lord John
Russell takes his seat on Monday, after which business will begin
again in earnest in the House of Commons. There is an impression
that this Government will not be of long continuance, and that
the Ministers are themselves aware that their tenure of office
must be brief. They will at all events get through this session,
for much remains to be done in the way of approximation and
combination between different sections of public men before any
satisfactory arrangement can be made for replacing the present
Ministers. If it was not for the Irish question, and the apparent
impossibility of bringing that to any final adjustment, I should
not despair of the introduction of a better state of feeling and
the mitigation of the bitterness and animosity which set men of
different parties so irreconcilably against each other. At
present there is certainly a great calm after the storm which
raged so fiercely a little while ago. I have been so out of the
world between Newmarket and the gout that I know but little of
what has been passing, and merely throw in this brief notice to
keep up the chain of my observations and remarks.

May 24th, 1835 {p.258}

Came from Newmarket on Thursday night. Melbourne is said (by his
friends) to be doing very well in the House of Lords, but the
discussion on Friday about Lord Wellesley's resignation gave him
great annoyance. Lord Wellesley d