en Lord Grey [Footnote: Lord
Grey had been separated from the bulk of the Whig party since their
junction with Canning in 1827.] and Lord Holland. At the same time it is
said there is a notion of bringing in Lord Grey. I suspect this report to
have been fabricated by the Ultra-Tories to annoy the King.
He thinks the Duke is annoyed, more particularly at the King's not treating
him well, and at his Government not being well supported.
In fact, however, it is a Government which will not fall, for the King
hates the Whigs; the people do not regard them. He may like the Tories, but
he knows they cannot make a Government, and the Duke's Administration has
four-fifths of the country.
Received a letter from the Duke, telling me he had settled Colonel
McDonald's knighthood, and asking me if I should be ready to talk about
India on the 13th. I said about Batta certainly; about India I had rather
talk first to Lord Melville and him.
Wrote to the Duchess of Kent telling her a Bengal cavalry cadetship was at
her disposal for the son of Colonel Harvey.
There is a very interesting letter from an English officer at Adrianople
with respect to the state of the Russian army. It has suffered and suffers
most dreadfully.
I told Aberdeen if I had seen the account of the conversation between Lord
Heytesbury and the Emperor Nicholas before I read his proposed letter, I
should have suggested that much stress should have been laid upon the
effect the downfall of Turkey would have upon affairs in France.
Polignac seems confident he can stand. He thinks he has the Chambers. The
French behave ill in the settlement of the Greek business, and object
altogether to our man, Prince Philip of Hesse Homburg. They equally object
to Prince Frederick of Orange, and to Prince Leopold, whom Russia would
have had willingly. I wonder Aberdeen did not laugh when he was proposed.
They want to settle the thing without a Prince. I suppose they want a
Frenchman.
Aberdeen is for settling Greece as a Power into whose lap the broken parts
of Turkey may fall. He gives up Euboea. That is, the surrender of Euboea is
to be proposed to the Porte, with a frontier limited in other respects,
instead of the protocol of March 22.
The Turks who have left the Morea have no indemnity. The Turks who are in
the other parts of the new Greece remain. It is altogether a wonderful
business. These anti-revolutionary States combining to revolutionise a
rebellious provinc
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