better grace in the House of Lords, and this is what I have all
along thought. O'Connell arrived yesterday, took his seat, and
announced his intention of supporting Government at any rate. All
the Irish members do the same, and this great body, that everyone
expected would display hostility to the Bill, have formed
themselves into a phalanx, and will carry it through any
difficulties by their compactness and the regularity of their
attendance.

January 25th, 1832 {p.239}

We met at Lord Harrowby's last night--Wharncliffe, Harrowby,
Haddington, and Sandon--and I found their minds were quite made
up. Wharncliffe is to present a petition from Hull, and to take
that opportunity of making his declaration, and the other two are
to support him. Wharncliffe saw the Bishop of London in the
morning, who is decided the same way, and he asked Lord Devon,
who knows the House of Lords very well, if he thought, in the
event of their raising the standard of moderate Reform, that they
would have adherents, to which he replied he was convinced they
would. Lord Harrowby saw the Archbishop, who would not pledge
himself, but appeared well disposed; and altogether they think
they can count upon nine bishops. Wharncliffe spoke to the Duke
of Wellington about Lord Aberdeen's motion, and represented all
the impolicy of it at this moment, and the connection it might
have with the Peerage question; to which he only replied by
enlarging on 'the importance of the Belgic question,' either
unable or unwilling to embrace this measure in its complex
relations, and never perceiving that the country cares not a
straw about Belgium or anything but Reform, though they may begin
to care about such things when this question is settled.
Haddington also went to Aberdeen, who would hear nothing; but he
and the Duke severally promised to speak to one another. The
question last night was whether Wharncliffe should say his say
directly, or wait (as he wishes to do) for a few days. The
decision of this he referred to me, and I have referred it to
Melbourne, to whom I have communicated what has passed.

News came yesterday that the cholera had got within three miles
of Edinburgh, and to show the fallacy of any theory about it, and
the inutility of the prescribed precautions, at one place
(Newport, I think) one person in five of the whole population was
attacked, though there was no lack of diet, warmth, and clothing
for the poor. This disease escapes from al