s and many of
their own friends. On the other hand, he defended the new government as
the government of a truly reforming party, pointing to the commercial
changes made by Lord Liverpool's administration, to the corporation and
test Acts, and to catholic emancipation. Who could deny that these were
changes of magnitude settled in peaceful times by a parliament
unreformed? Who could deny that Sir Robert Peel had long been a
practical reformer of the law, and that the Duke of Wellington had
carried out great retrenchments? Let them then rally round throne and
altar, and resist the wild measures of the destructives. The red hero
was drawn through the town by six greys, with postilions in silk
jackets, amid the music of bands, the clash of bells, and the cheers of
the crowd. When the red procession met the blue, mutual congratulations
took the place of the old insult and defiance, and at five o'clock each
party sat down to its own feast. The reds drank toasts of a spirited,
loyal, and constitutional character, many admirable speeches were made
which the chronicler regrets that his limits will not allow him to
report,--regrets unshared by us,--and soon after eleven Mr. Gladstone
escaped. After a day at Clumber, he was speedily on his way to London.
'Off at 101/2 P.M. Missed the High Flyer at Tuxford, broke down in my
chaise on the way to Newark; no injury, thanks to God. Remained 21/2 hours
alone; overtaken by the Wellington at 31/2 A.M. Arrived in London (Jan.
8) before 8 P.M. Good travelling.' On reckoning up his movements he
finds that, though not at all fond of travelling for the sake of going
from place to place, he has had in 1834 quite 2400 miles of it.

Before the dissolution, Sir H. Hardinge had told him that the
conservatives would not be over 340 nor under 300, but by the middle of
the month things looked less prosperous. The reaction against the whigs
had not yet reached full flood, the royal dismissal of the
administration was unpopular, moderate people more especially in
Scotland could not stand a government where the Duke of Wellington, the
symbol of a benighted and stubborn toryism, was seen over Peel's
shoulder. 'At present,' Mr. Gladstone writes, 'the case is, even in my
view, hopeful; in that of most here it is more. And certainly, to have
this very privilege of entertaining a deliberate and reasonable hope, to
think that notwithstanding the ten pound clause, a moderate parliament
may be returned; in fine,