s.

[Page Head: THE MURDER OF LORD NORBURY.]

The murder of Lord Norbury[11] has made a great sensation because
the man is so conspicuous; for there seems no reason for
believing that he was murdered from any religious or political
motive, but that it was only another of the many praedial
enormities that are from time to time committed in Ireland. At
present this event only serves to exasperate angry passions, to
call forth loud blasts of the never silent trumpet against
Romanism and the Irish population, and it does not lead men's
minds _immediately_ to a conviction of the necessity of calmly
investigating, and if possible applying a remedy to, a social
condition so full of crime and misery, and so revolting to every
feeling of humanity, as that of Ireland. But the death of this
poor man will conduce to this end, for it is only through long
processes of evil and after much suffering that good is
accomplished.

[11] [The Earl of Norbury was shot near his own house at
Kilbeggan, in the county of Meath. The assassin was
never discovered.]

The case of the Canadian prisoners has been argued before the
Court of Queen's Bench,[12] but it has not excited much interest.
They give judgement on Monday. Roebuck is said to have spoken
very moderately.

[12] [Twelve Canadian prisoners having landed at Liverpool
were brought up on _habeas corpus_ before Lord Denman
and the Court of Queen's Bench. The court upheld the
committal of the prisoners.]

January 24th, 1839 {p.157}

Duncannon found Durham in a very complacent mood, and he entered
with him fully into the subject of Canada and their quarrels.
With respect to Turton's affairs, Durham denies he ever said, or
authorised anybody else to say, that the appointment had
Melbourne's consent, and he admits that Melbourne did put his
veto upon Turton's appointment to office, but says he considered
this veto applicable only to offices _under Government_, and that
the place to which he appointed him was not _under Government_,
but one at his own disposal, and for which he was wholly and
solely responsible. This is his excuse, and a very bad one it is.
It won't go down in the House of Lords, I imagine.

As the time draws near for the meeting of Parliament the
probability of ousting the Government grows fainter; we hear no
more of disunion and Radical hostility, and things promise to
continue pretty much as they have