m from the House after
the debate on Tuesday, and some young men who had been below the
bar saluted him as he went by with 'Bravo, Brougham!'

March 9th, 1838 {p.074}

At the Council yesterday everybody was very merry and grinning
from ear to ear, mightily elated with their victory, or perhaps
rather their escape the night before, and at having got such a
timely reprieve. The division has given them a new lease, but
whether it will prove a long or a short one depends upon a
thousand contingencies. The violent Tories were sulky and
disappointed, though in the course of Wednesday they began to
find out that Government would have a better division than either
party had anticipated. I had been strongly of opinion that Peel
would not fight the battle, and I thought it would be bad policy
in him to do so; but any opinion contrary to his must be
entertained with diffidence, so able as he is, and so versed in
parliamentary and party tactics; and in order to form a correct
judgement of the course which it was expedient for him to adopt,
it was necessary to know both his own views as to office at the
present moment and the disposition of the party he leads.

[Page Head: SIR ROBERT PEEL'S TACTICS.]

I had no communication with any of the Tories before the
division, but yesterday I saw George Dawson, Peel's brother-in-
law, and Francis Egerton. From them I learnt, what I had all
along supposed to be the case, that Peel was driven with extreme
reluctance into fighting this battle; that it was difficult to
take no part in the discussion raised by Molesworth's
inconvenient resolution, and that he was continually urged and
pressed by his followers to attack the Government, they
persisting in the notion that the Ministers might be driven out,
and always complaining that the moderation of the Duke and the
backwardness of Peel alone kept them in their places. The
discontent and clamour were so loud and continued that it became
absolutely necessary for Peel, if he meant to keep the party
together, to gratify their impatience for action, and he
accordingly concocted this amendment in such terms as should make
it impossible for the Radicals to concur in it, it being his
especial care to avoid the semblance of any union, even
momentary, between the Tories and them. Peel certainly never
expected to beat the Government, nor did he wish it. There can be
no doubt that he saw clearly all the results that would follow
his defeat, and thou