obes, mounted on
a little white New Forest pony of Lady Lyndhurst's. I rode on to
Roehampton, dined there, and rode back.

At 10 a Cabinet at Peel's. We framed the message. Peel was very flat. The
measure of immediate dissolution is one he does not half approve. He wished
to settle the Regency question. He has been put out of humour by having his
opinions upon that point not at once acquiesced in. He sees all the
difficulties of our position, and does not meet them with energy and
_elan_. He certainly is not an agreeable person to transact business with,
but he is a very able man.

The accounts from Ireland are very bad. The potatoes are exhausted at
Limerick, Tralee, and other places, and the new crop will not come in till
August. At Limerick some stores have been forced, and the troops attacked
with stones.

At Tralee there was a subscription of 450L for the purchase of potatoes;
300L was expended, and the Mayor of Tralee and other _gentlemen_ bought
some of these potatoes, which were offered at a reduced price to the
people, for _seed_! Can any country be tranquil in which resident gentlemen
can do such things? A discretionary power has been given to the Lord
Lieutenant to expend 3000L in food, should it become necessary, without
further reference.

About 180 peers have taken the oaths. I fear we shall be beaten upon the
Forgery Bill; we have a very narrow margin indeed, not above six or eight
without bishops. It is supposed the bishops will stay away. I fear those
will stay away who would, if present, vote with us, and all who are against
will come. If this should be the case we must be defeated.

The King was perfectly reasonable about Lord Combermere. The Duke showed
His Majesty the letters which had passed, and the King said he should not
think of it. He told Peel and Lord Melville he wished the Royal Academy to
remain open till after the King's funeral, that he might see the
exhibition, and said Peel should attend him when he went. This Peel thinks
very foolish, and his disposition seems to be to turn the King into
ridicule, and to throw the suspicion of insanity upon all his acts. This is
the _tactique_ of the Whigs. The King takes the Sacrament on Sunday, and
has desired the two English and one Irish archbishop to attend. This they
call 'an indication.'

_June 29._

At half-past ten went to Lord Rosslyn's, to arrange with him the Lords'
Address. Went with him to Peel's, to show it to him. He was read