l connection with the Government (though of course he
will not oppose them), and that he is to be Chief Justice on
Tenterden's death or retirement. This is the secret article of the
treaty, and altogether he has not done amiss; for there are so few
Chancellors in the field that he will probably (if he chooses)
return to the Woolsack in the event of a change of Government, and
he is now in a position in which he may join either party, and
that without any _additional_ loss of character. The public will
gain by the transaction, because they will get a good judge.

In Ireland the Government have made a change (the motives of
which are not apparent) which will be very unpopular, and
infallibly get them into trouble in various ways. They have
removed Hart and made Plunket Chancellor. Hart was very popular
with the Bar; he was slow, but had introduced order and
regularity in the proceedings of the Court. There were no arrears
and no appeals. Plunket is unpopular, and was a bad judge in the
Common Pleas, and will probably make a worse Chancellor; he is
rash, hasty, and imprudent, and it is the more extraordinary as
Hart was affronted by Goderich and went with Anglesey, so upon
the score of confidence (on which they put it) there is in fact
not a pretext for it.

[Page Head: SIR JAMES GRAHAM.]

As yet not much can be known of the efficiency of the rest of the
Ministers. The only one who has had anything to do is Melbourne,
and he has surprised all those about him by a sudden display of
activity and vigour, rapid and diligent transaction of business,
for which nobody was prepared, and which will prove a great
mortification to Peel and his friends, who were in hopes he would
do nothing and let the country be burnt and plundered without
interruption. The Duke of Richmond has plunged neck-deep in
politics, and says he is delighted with it all, and with Lord
Grey's candour and unassuming bearing in the Cabinet. He is
evidently piqued that none of his party have followed him, and
made a speech in the House of Lords the other night expressing
his readiness to defend his having taken office, when nobody
attacked him. Knowing him as I do, and the exact extent of his
capacity, I fancy he must feel rather small by the side of Lord
Grey and Brougham. Graham's elevation is the most monstrous of
all. He was once my friend, a college intimacy revived in the
world, and which lasted six months, when, thinking he could do
better, he cut me