they agreed to hoist their
standard, get what followers they can, and declare in the House
for the second reading without loss of time. Harrowby said of
himself that he was the worst person in the world to conciliate
and be civil, which is true enough, but he has a high reputation,
and his opinion is of immense value. Until they declare themselves
not a step will be made, and if they cannot gain adherents, why
the matter is at an end; while if their example be followed, there
is still a chance of averting the climax of all evils, the
swamping the House of Lords and the permanent establishment of the
power of the present Government. Wharncliffe is to go to the Duke
of Wellington to-day, to entreat him not to let his party divide
on Aberdeen's motion on Thursday, and Harrowby will go to the
Archbishop to invite his adhesion to their party. I am very
doubtful what success to augur from this, but it is the only
chance, and though the bulk of the Tory Peers are prejudiced,
obstinate, and stupid to the last degree, there are scattered
amongst them men of more rational views and more moderate
dispositions. Sandon came in while we were there, and expressed
precisely the same opinion that I had been endeavouring to enforce
upon them. He said that in the House of Commons, whence he was
just come, the Government had refused to give way upon a very
reasonable objection, without assigning any reason (the numbers in
Schedule B), that this evinced an unconciliatory spirit, which was
very distressing to those who wished for a compromise, that
Hobhouse came to him after the debate, and said how anxious he was
they should come to some understanding, and act in a greater
spirit of conciliation, and talked of a meeting of the moderate on
either side, that his constituents were eager for a settlement,
and by no means averse to concession, but that while Peel, Croker,
and others persisted in the tone they had adopted, and in the sort
of opposition they were pursuing, it was quite impossible for the
Government to give way upon anything, or evince any disposition to
make concessions. Sandon said he had no doubt whatever that if
Peel had assumed a different tone at the beginning of the session
the Government would have been more moderate, and mutual
concessions might have been feasible even in the House of Commons.
Hobhouse, however, said that the alterations, whatever they might
be (and he owned that he should like some), would come with a