ing the last act of his glorious life.

My brother writes me word from Paris that Leopold is deadly sick
of his Belgian crown, and impatient to abdicate, thinking that it
is a better thing to be an English Prince, uncle to the Queen,
with L50,000 a year, than to be monarch of a troublesome vulgar
little kingdom which all its neighbours regard with an evil or a
covetous eye. Louis Philippe is in a mighty fright about it, and
he is right, for Leopold's abdication would be almost sure to
disturb the peace of Europe. Stanley thinks the peace of Europe
will be disturbed, and that speedily, by the great antagonistic
forces of religion growing out of the Prussian disputes between
the Court of Berlin and the Archbishop of Cologne; this he told
me the other day, and said people were little aware of what a
religious storm was brewing; but his opinions are not to be
trusted very confidently, especially when religion is concerned
in them.

May 13th, 1838 {p.092}

[Page Head: THE APPROPRIATION CLAUSE MAINTAINED.]

The world was astonished by Sir Thomas Acland giving notice of a
motion, which comes on to-morrow, for expunging from the Journals
the famous Appropriation Resolution which turned out Peel's
Government.[1] It was doubted at first whether this was a spurt
of his own or a concerted project, but it turns out to have been
the latter. The Government think it a good thing for them, as
they count upon a certain majority, and I am quite unable to see
the use of such a motion as this, even as a party move. The Duke
of Wellington said, at the end of last Session, that he wished to
meet the Government half way, and settle the Tithe question, and
nothing can be less likely to promote an adjustment than this
attack; but I understand _now_ they do not wish to settle it, and
that they prefer trusting to the operation of Stanley's Bill, and
say there is no reason for accepting 75 per cent. for the clergy
when they can eventually get the whole. But they had better
settle the question if they possibly can, for experience might
have shown them that if the spirit of resistance and hostility to
the Church is again roused into action, the means of vexing and
impoverishing the clergy will not be wanting, and the provisions
of Stanley's Bill will only have the effect of making the
landlords parties to the contest, who, if they find their own
interests at variance with the interests of the Church, will not
hesitate for a moment in sacrifi