must be taken in
connection not only with the rest of the text, but with the
argument. Holland said Lord Grey meant to ask Harrowby for the
letter. From thence I went to Harrowby, and told him this. He said
he would not show it, that Grey had no right to ask for a private
letter written by him weeks before to one of his friends, and it
was beneath him to answer for and explain anything he had thought
fit to say. But he has done what will probably answer as well, for
he has given Ebrington a copy of it for the express purpose of
going to Lord Grey and explaining anything that appears ambiguous
to him. As the business develops itself, and the time approaches,
communication becomes more open and frequent; the Tories talk with
great confidence of their majority, and the ultra-Whigs are quite
ready to believe them; the two extreme ends are furious. Our list
up to this day presents a result of forty-three votes to
thirty-seven doubtful, out of which it is hard if a majority
cannot be got. I have no doubt now that they will take a very
early opportunity of making a declaration. Peel, in the other
House, is doing what he can to inflame and divide, and repress any
spirit of conciliation. Nothing is sure in his policy but that it
revolves round himself as the centre, and is influenced by some
view which he takes of his own future advantage, probably the
rallying of the Conservative party (as they call themselves,
though they are throwing away everything into confusion and
sinking everything by their obstinacy) and his being at the head
of it. He made a most furious and mischievous speech.

February 29th, 1832 {p.264}

Ebrington took Harrowby's letter to Lord Grey, who was satisfied
but not pleased; the date and the circumstances (which were
explained) removed all bad impressions from his mind. Since this
a garbled version (or rather extracts) has appeared in the
'Times,' which endeavours to make a great stir about it. Harrowby
was very much annoyed, and thought of sending the letter itself
to the 'Times' to be published at once; but Haddington and I both
urged him not, and last night he put a contradiction in the
'Globe.' I have little doubt that this as well as the former
extracts came from the shop of Durham and Co., and so Melbourne
told me he thought likewise. There was a great breeze at the last
Cabinet dinner between Durham and Richmond again on the old
subject--the Peers. I believe they will now take their chance.
O