er, and the Duke's
friends detest Peel still more than the Duke does himself. He told
me all that had passed at the time of the blow-up of the present
Government, which I have partly recorded from a former conversation
with him, and his story certainly proves that the Duke (though I
think he committed an enormous error in judgment) was not
influenced by any motives of personal ambition.

[Page Head: MANNERS SUTTON PROPOSED AS PREMIER.]

As soon as the King sent for Lyndhurst the latter went to the
Duke, who (as is known) agreed to form a Government, never
doubting that he was to be himself Prime Minister. Lyndhurst went
to Peel, who declined to take office, and he then went to Baring.
Lyndhurst and Arbuthnot sent for Baring out of the House of
Commons, and took him to old Bankes' house in Palace Yard, where
they had their conversation with him. He begged for time to
consider of it, and to be allowed to consult Peel, to which they
assented. He afterwards agreed, but on condition that Manners
Sutton should also be in the Cabinet. Lyndhurst had about the
same time made overtures to Manners Sutton, and though nothing
was finally settled it was understood he would accept them. So
matters stood, when one day (it must have been the Wednesday or
Thursday) Vesey Fitzgerald called on the Arbuthnots, and in a
conversation about the different arrangements he intimated that
Manners Sutton expected to be Prime Minister, and on asking him
more particularly they found that this was also his own
impression. The next morning Arbuthnot went off to Lyndhurst's
house, where he arrived before Lyndhurst was dressed, and told
him what had fallen from Fitzgerald, and asked what it could
mean. Lyndhurst answered very evasively, but promised to have the
matter cleared up. Arbuthnot, not satisfied, went to the Duke and
told him what had passed, and added his conviction that there was
some such project on foot (to make Sutton Premier) of which he
was not aware. The Duke said he did not care a farthing who was
Premier, and that if it was thought desirable that Sutton should
be he had not the smallest objection, and was by no means anxious
to fill the post himself. I asked whether the Duke would have
taken office if Sutton had been Minister, and was told that
nothing was settled, but probably not.

The same day there was a meeting at Apsley House, at which the
Duke, Lyndhurst, Baring, Ellenborough, and (I think) Rosslyn or
Aberdeen, or both, we