for anything; nobody cares for the Queen, her
popularity has sunk to zero, and loyalty is a dead letter; nobody
cares for the Government, or for any man or set of men. If there
was such a thing as a strong public opinion alive to national
interests, intent upon national objects, and deeply sensible to
the necessity of calling to the national councils all the wisdom
and experience that the crisis demands, its voice would be heard,
the two parties would cease to hold each other at bay, there
would be either a great change or a fusion in some reasonable
spirit of compromise, and we should see a Government with some
energy, independence and power, and this is what we want. But
Melbourne seems to hold office for no other purpose but that of
dining at Buckingham House, and he is content to rub on from day
to day, letting all things take their chance. Palmerston, the
most enigmatical of Ministers, who is detested by the _Corps
Diplomatique_, abhorred in his own office, unpopular in the House
of Commons, liked by nobody, abused by everybody, still reigns in
his little kingdom of the Foreign Office, and is impervious to
any sense of shame from the obloquy that has been cast upon him,
and apparently not troubling himself about the affairs of the
Government generally, which he leaves to others to defend and
uphold as they best may. The only man besides John Russell in the
Cabinet who stands high in estimation is Morpeth, and it is
remarkable that in this Government the young ones or subordinates
are its chief strength. Morpeth, Labouchere, George Grey, and
Francis Baring are better men than almost any in the Cabinet,
which is certainly the most second-rate one this country ever
saw.

March 28th, 1839 {p.178}

It is amusing to see the nervous consciousness on both the Tory
and the Whig side of blunders having been committed by each in
this demonstration of the Lords and retort of the Government. The
Chancellor of the Exchequer came into my room yesterday, and told
me that Lord Spencer had expressed his strenuous approbation of
the course they had taken, just the right medium, neither too
much nor too little; and this sanction he seemed to think very
valuable, though in fact worth nothing, for Lord Spencer lives
among oxen, and not among men. On the other hand, I met Graham,
and said to him, 'A pretty scrape you would have been in if
Government had resigned upon this vote.' He shrugged up his
shoulders and said, 'I own I am b