deavoured to stop his mouth with a good luncheon,
but this would not do. He told the Archbishop the end of the
world was approaching, and that it was owing to the neglect of
himself and his brethren that the nation was in its present awful
state. Perceval told Lord Lansdowne that their sect was
increasing greatly and rapidly; they have several congregations
in London, two clergymen of the Church of England have joined
them, and two men who still occupy their pulpits are only waiting
for the call which they daily expect to receive.

February 5th, 1836 {p.334}

Parliament met yesterday; the King received with great apathy.
The Tories have not begun very well. After boasting of their
increased numbers, and of the great things they had accomplished
by elections during the recess, they got beaten on a division by
41--a greater number than they were ever beaten by last year on
any great question. The speech was a very milk-and-water
production, and scarcely afforded a peg to hang an amendment
upon. It is true that on the point on which the amendment was
made (not pledging the House to adopt the principle of the
English Corporation Act in the Irish Bill) the Duke was probably
right, but a protest would have done just as well, and there was
no need to press an amendment on such a trifle. The other side
felt this in the House of Lords, and gave it up, though there
were so many Ministerial peers in the House that the division
would have been very near; but in the House of Commons Lord John
Russell would not give way, and what is more, Peel never had any
intention of moving any amendment, for there was a great meeting
in the morning at his house, and there it was resolved that none
should be moved; and certainly very few people expected any. At
last he moved it, because it had been moved in the House of
Lords, but it seems to have been a foolish, bungling business
altogether. The Tories are always hot for dividing, and the silly
idle creatures who compose the bulk of the party apologise for
their continual absence by saying, 'Oh, you never divide, so
what's the use of coming up,' as if divisions must be got up for
them when it suits their convenience to quit their hunting and
shooting and run up to town. Stanley made a strong speech against
the Government, to my great amazement, and, having been
ironically cheered by the Treasury bench, he got angry. He sat,
too, on the Opposition bench (the same on which Peel sits),
nearer