the House was the Irish Municipal
Corporation Bill.]

June 7th, 1838 {p.101}

Walked with Mulgrave[9] (whom I met at Brooks's), and asked him
to tell me candidly who was in the right about the qualification,
John Russell or Peel? He said, 'talking openly to you, I don't
mind saying both are a little in the wrong; but the fact is, the
other party do not know what would be the practical effect of the
qualification they require, and when that is made clear to them,
in Dublin particularly' (and he mentioned some numbers and
details I don't exactly recollect), 'I think they will see the
necessity of altering their opinions.' He then talked of the
political effect of settling these questions as clearing away the
obstacles which now stand in Peel's way, and said he thought it
would eventually end in some sort of amalgamation of parties.
This I was surprised to hear from him, and told him that it
appeared to me quite impossible. But it is clear enough that it
is the intention of the Government, at all events, to settle the
questions, and if the Opposition will not give way, they will.
They are quite right, for it is a great thing to get the
principle admitted and to have corporations established; and if
upon trial it is found that there is an undue preponderance cast
into either scale, it will be good ground for proposing an
alteration of the law.

[9] [Lord Mulgrave, afterwards Marquis of Normanby, was at
this time Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland.]

June 16th, 1838 {p.101}

At Hillingdon, for Ascot races, from Tuesday to Friday. A great
concourse of people on Thursday; the Queen tolerably received;
some shouting, not a great deal, and few hats taken off. This
mark of respect has quite gone out of use, and neither her
station nor her sex procures it; we are not the nearer a
revolution for this, but it is ugly. All the world went on to the
Royal Stand, and Her Majesty was very gracious and civil,
speaking to everybody.

June 21st, 1838 {p.101}

O'Connell has declined the Irish Rolls (Mastership of the Rolls).
He says that it has been the object of his ambition all his life,
but that at this moment he cannot accept it; that the moderate
course which the Government is pursuing (the abandonment of the
Appropriation Clauses &c.) and his support of that course have
already given great umbrage to the violent party in Ireland, and
his acceptance of office would be considered as the result of a
ba