he Appropriation clause and the Irish
Corporation Bill. The Government and O'Connell are not likely to
differ on anything but this, and if a strong measure passes the
House of Commons, the Lords will throw it out, and probably
Government will not in their hearts be sorry for it. In the
balanced state of parties, the tranquillity and prosperity that
prevail, possession is everything, and I am therefore quite
satisfied that nothing but some unforeseen circumstance or event
will disturb these people. Brougham is seriously ill at Brougham.
Melbourne has been in correspondence with him, and these
arrangements are by way of having been made with his concurrence.
Nothing whatever is settled as to ulterior law matters; the
Vice-Chancellor told me so yesterday, and the Chancellor told
him. They talk of a permanent judge in the Privy Council, which
would be a virtual repeal of the principal part of Brougham's
famous Bill; for if there was one permanent judge with a casual
_quorum_, the permanent judge would in point of fact be the real
administrator of the law, as he used to be under the old system.

[8] The Lord President of the Council gives an annual
dinner to his colleagues, at which the list of Sheriffs
for the ensuing year is settled. The arrangements are
made by the Clerk of the Council, after the nomination
of the Sheriffs by the Judges.

I had a great deal of conversation with Poulett Thomson last night
after dinner on one subject or another; he is very good-humoured,
pleasing, and intelligent, but the greatest coxcomb I ever saw,
and the vainest dog, though his vanity is not offensive or
arrogant; but he told me that when Lord Grey's Government was
formed (at which time he was a junior partner in a mercantile
house, and had been at most five years in Parliament), he was
averse to take office, but Althorp declared he would not come in
unless Thomson did also, and that, knowing the importance of
Althorp's accession to the Government, he sacrificed a large
income, and took the Board of Trade; that when this was offered to
him, he was asked whether he cared if he was President or
Vice-President, as they wished to make Lord Auckland President if
he (Poulett Thomson) had no objection. He said, provided the
President was not in the Cabinet, he did not care; and accordingly
he condescended to be Vice-President, knowing that all the
business must be done in the House of Commons,