lanation that evening in the House. Lord John Russell's reply
to Stanley's speech was very courteous, and rather well done as
far as it went, for he only said a few words. Lord Stanley is
certainly fallen from his high estate, and is in a very different
position from that which he aspired to occupy at the beginning of
the session. He is without a party, and without any authority in
the House except what he derives from his own talents for debate.
He has now no alternative but to unite himself with Peel's party,
and to act under him, without any pretension to competition, and
without the possibility of being considered as a separate element
of political power. He has been brought to this by a series of
false steps from his first refusal to join Peel, followed by his
flippant and undecided conduct throughout the great contest. The
Whigs and the Tories both hate him, and neither will be very
ready to forgive him. There is a mixture of contempt in the
dislike of the former, and an undisguised satisfaction among the
most violent at having got rid of him, which make any future
approximation to their side impossible, and the Tories, though
they will receive him in their ranks, will never forgive him for
his conduct, to which they attribute the failure of the
Conservative effort, for his presumption in endeavouring to set
up a middle party and render himself the arbiter of the contest,
and especially for his affectation of want of confidence in Peel
and his attacks upon the Duke. In the meantime this move of
Stanley's has rather served to strengthen the Government in the
House of Commons; between the disposition of many to go with
Government, the lukewarmness and indolence of the Conservatives,
and the steady attendance of a phalanx of Radicals, they have got
good, regular, steady-working majorities, and appear as strong in
the House of Commons as any Government need be.

July 4th, 1835 {p.274}

Yesterday Brougham gave judgment in the case of Swift and Kelly--a
written judgment and at great length. I thought it remarkably well
done, embracing all the points of the case, and laying down the law
and the reasons for reversing the decree of the court below in a
very forcible and perspicuous manner. He must have written this
judgment with great rapidity, for it was only on Tuesday afternoon
that it was settled to be given on Thursday, all of which is a proof
of his admirable talents. His conduct on the last day of the hearing