the discussion in the House of Lords when the Bill was
brought up, and it seems paradoxical, but is true, that though it
was on the whole satisfactory, nobody was satisfied. Lord Grey
complained to me that Lord Harrowby was too stiff; Lord Harrowby
complained that Lord Grey was always beating about the bush of
compromise, but never would commit himself fairly to concession.
Melbourne complained last night that what was done was done in
such an ungracious manner, so niggardly, that he hated the man
(Harrowby) who did it. The ultra-Tories are outrageous 'that he
gave up everything without reason or cause;' the ultra-Whigs
equally furious 'that he had shown how little way he was disposed
to go in Committee; his object was to turn out the Government;'
and what is comical, neither party will believe that Harrowby
really is so obnoxious to the other as he is said to be. Each is
convinced that he is acting in the interests of the other. What a
position, what injustice, blindness, folly, obstinacy, brought
together and exhibited! If ever there was a man whose conduct was
exempt from the ordinary motives of ambition, and who made
personal sacrifices in what he is doing, it is Lord Harrowby, and
yet there is no reproach that is not cast upon him, no term of
abuse that is not applied to him, no motive that is not ascribed
to him. No wonder a man who has seen much of them is sick of
politics and public life. Nothing now is thought of but the
_lists_, and of course everybody has got one. The Tories still
pretend to a majority of seven; the Government and Harrowby think
they have one of from ten to twenty, and I suspect fifteen will
be found about the mark. The unfortunate thing is that neither of
our cocks is good for fighting, not from want of courage, but
Harrowby is peevish, ungracious and unpopular, and Wharncliffe
carries no great weight. To be sure neither of them pretends to
make a party, but then their opponents insist upon it that they
do, and men shrink from enlisting (or being supposed to enlist)
under Wharncliffe's banner. However, notwithstanding the violence
of the noisy fools of the party, and of the women, there is a
more rational disposition on the part of practical men, for
Wharncliffe spoke to Ellenborough yesterday, and told him that
though he knew he and Harrowby were regarded as traitors by all
of them, he did hope that when the Bill came into Committee they
would agree to consult together, and try and come t