rendon on the 22nd
of December, 1838. He shortly afterwards resigned his
diplomatic appointment in Spain and returned to
England.]

[5] [Whatever credit for discretion Sir Francis Bond Head
might previously have enjoyed was more than effaced by
the extraordinary indiscretion of 'A Narrative of
Recent Events in Canada,' which he published at this
time.]

[6] They became great friends again at a subsequent period.
Brougham has been always throwing off and whistling
back his friends.

March 25th, 1839 {p.174}

Laid up with the gout for these ten days, in which time the only
occurrences of moment have been the great (and final) debate on
the Corn Laws, and the hostile vote in the House of Lords,[7]
followed by John Russell's declaration in the House of Commons,
and appeal to that House from the vote of the Lords. The Corn
debate was extremely long and dull, and the House more than
usually clamorous and impotent. The only speech was Peel's, said
to have been exceedingly able; the division was better for the
Cornites, and worse for their antagonists, than had been
expected; the decision received with great indifference, and the
question put on the shelf for some time.

[7] [On the 18th of March Mr. Charles Villiers' motion for
a Committee to take into consideration the duties on
corn was defeated in the House of Commons by 342 to 195
votes. I know not why Mr. Greville styles it the
'final' debate, which it certainly was not. On the 21st
of March Lord Roden carried in the House of Lords, by a
majority of five, a motion for a Committee to inquire
into the state of Ireland since 1835. This motion was
directed against Lord Normanby's Administration.
Shortly afterwards this motion was met by a resolution
of Lord John Russell's in the House of Commons
approving the Irish policy of the Government, which was
carried by 318 to 296.]

The other affair is much more interesting, because more personal,
and involving the existence of the Government. There seems to
have been an abundance of angry feeling and a great lack of
discretion and judgement on all sides: first of all in the House
of Lords thus lightly and somewhat loosely pressing this vote,
and going the length of appointing a Committee; and why