at it was so, but said that parties were so balanced that Peel
could not go on if he came in. I said Peel could not go on if the
King turned out the Government as he had done before, or if Peel
was instrumental in compelling them to resign; but that if they
resigned of their own accord, and because they were themselves
conscious that they could not go on, I thought Peel would be
supported by a majority even of this House of Commons; for, after
all, the country must have a Government, and if Peel took it
because it was vacant, and nobody else could be found to occupy
it, he could not be refused the trial, which he had in vain asked
for before. He owned this was true, and such an admission from
such a man was a great deal. The King is evidently waiting with
the greatest impatience for the moment when his Ministers must
resign. He complained bitterly of my brother-in-law's[4] going
abroad, and said it was a time when every Conservative ought to be
at his post, which means that every opponent of his Ministers
should strive with ceaseless zeal to drive them to the wall. He is
a true king of the Tories, for his impatience fully equals theirs.

[4] [Lord Francis Egerton.]

August 7th, 1836 {p.358}

[Page Head: DISSENSION BETWEEN LORDS AND COMMONS.]

After the meeting at the Foreign Office there seems to have been
an end of all notion of any compromise, or any giving way on the
part of the Government about the clauses in the Tithe Bill, and
Lord John Russell held very strong language. The debate presented
nothing remarkable. Sheil came over from Ireland on purpose to
speak, not being able to vote, as he had paired. Great exertions
were made on both sides, and the Tories dragged up Sir Watkin
Williams Wynn from Wales, very infirm; and had a blind man in the
House, led about by Ross. The majority of twenty-nine ought to
have been twenty-six, just the same as the last division. Sir
Charles Cockerell (Whig) was shut out, whilst on the other side
Lord Arthur Hill's[5] vote was lost by his mother's death, which
made him a Peer, and the Lennoxes and Poyntz stayed away. The
whole thing went off tamely enough; everybody in Parliament knew
what was to happen, and out of doors people don't care. While the
revenue presents an excess of two millions, and everything
flourishes, political excitement is impossible. The Lords continue
to throw out Bills, and many complaints are made of their evident
determination to reject as many