dinner at
Roehampton. Indeed I do not think that upon a point affecting the revenues
of India I ought to vote as a judge.

Brougham ridiculed the Directors who sat there in a mass, nine of them.
Fergusson spoke of "the Court." Brougham said he was not surprised he
should make that mistake seeing such an array of directors. Brougham put it
_ad verecundiam_ to the directors whether they would vote upon a question
in which they were directly interested, and in which they had already
appeared by Counsel.

They were and will be very sulky. They will stay away and decline
supporting Government.

The bulletin is bad.

Two most impertinent letters from Lord Arbuthnot and Mr. Arbuthnot asking
for, or rather _demanding_, cadetships. They will find I am not to be
bullied.

_June 21._

The King expectorated blood yesterday. He is failing in strength, and now
certainly dying.

Read a memorandum of Wilson's on a proposed remodelling of the army. It is
founded on my idea of bringing it into the form it formerly had, with fewer
European officers and more native officers, in higher ranks. He proposes
having two more European Non-Commissioned officers, a Subadar Major, and
another Subadar, and several minor things.

_June 22._

Cabinet. The Duke thought the character of the Government would be affected
if we gave up the Forgery Bill in the Lords, not in consequence of any
change of opinion, but of a majority of 13 in the House of Commons. I am
satisfied the law, as it is, ought to be maintained. In the House Lord
Lansdowne made a speech on moving the second reading, and Lord Winchelsea
and the Duke of Richmond said they should vote for the Bill as it was--
none, however, taking religious objections, Lord Lansdowne throwing out
that he would consent to make the bill temporary. The Chancellor made a
very good speech, expressing his general objections to the Bill as it
stands, and reserving his reasons for the Committee.

The King is rather worse and weaker.

In the House of Commons last night a mine was sprung and all parties, Whigs
and Tories, East and West Indians, united by a trick on the sugar duties.
However, we had a majority.

_June 23._

It seems Peel and Herries and even Goulburn himself rather doubts whether
the sugar arrangement will work, and Peel has some doubt as to his
majority. Altogether he is very much out of humour, or rather _ennuye_, and
a very little would induce him to give up.

Cabinet din