proceedings. I said, 'Why then,
did not he stop them?' 'Because the great misfortune of our party
is that he won't communicate with anybody.' So that this most
inexpedient discussion was forced on by the precipitation and
indiscretion of two or three men, against the convictions and the
wishes of the wise and the moderate of all parties; and when a
few words of prudence and conciliation might have stopped the
whole proceeding, pride, or obstinacy, or awkwardness prevented
those words being uttered. The only real consequence will be that
public attention will be attracted to the Committee system,
people will think a great deal about what they scarcely regarded
before, and the characters of public men will suffer. If the vote
of the House of Commons means anything, it means that these
Committees are honourably and fairly conducted, and it will be
compelled to follow up this vote by reforming them on the
specific ground of enormous and intolerable abuses, the existence
of which their vote will have denied; and all these results, the
self-stultification of the House, and the damage to the moral
reputation of its members, are brought about in order that the
Tory geese may cackle, and that men like Jemmy Bradshaw and Sir
John Tyrrell may wave their hats and their crutches in
triumph.[13] It is curious enough that the Ministers had no
notion the Tories really meant to press this matter. John Russell
went down (Le Marchant told me so) fully sensible of his own
folly on Friday night, resolved to drop his motion about the
Bishop, and convinced that, as it was the interest, so it would
be the determination, of the leading Tories to quash the
discussion.

[13] Bradshaw stood up on the benches, huzzaing and waving
his hat, and it was said Sir John Tyrrell (if it was
he) did the same, having the gout, with his crutches.

March 1st, 1838 {p.070}

Another night (Tuesday) was wasted in a fresh discussion, brought
on by a motion of Pendarves's to let the matter drop. In the
morning Lord Howick told me that the Ministers did not mean to
say or do anything more, and that their only object now was to
put an end to the business as quickly as possible. But John
Russell, who is as little communicative on one side as Peel is on
the other, had in the meantime, and without consulting anybody,
desired Pendarves to make this useless and abortive motion. This
Le Marchant told me yesterday morning, adding how annoyed