erlook all considerations, and are
ready to incur any risk and take all consequences.

As far as the state of public affairs is concerned, Ministers
have not at all a bad case to bring before the country. The great
interests, on which the eyes of the world have been fixed, are
prosperous and ably administered. Ebrington in Ireland, Auckland
in India, and now Poulett Thomson in Canada, have contributed in
their different ways to the favourable _expose_ of the
Government, nor is there any point on which they are particularly
vulnerable, or any grave reproach to which they have rendered
themselves obnoxious. But all this will not avail to make them
strong, or render their tenure of office secure and permanent.
They are not popular, all parties distrust them, none believe
that they have any fixed principles from which no considerations
would induce them to swerve, and the unfortunate circumstances
under which they so improperly took office again in March last,
and their apparent wavering between antagonist principles, and
readiness to yield to pressure when they could not escape it,
have given a worse opinion of their character than they really
deserve.

January 17th, 1840 {p.253}

[Page Head: OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.]

Parliament met yesterday. The Queen was well enough received--
much better than usual--as she went to the House. The Speech was
harmless. Some had wished to have something about the Corn Laws
in it, but this was overruled by the majority. They said nothing
about Prince Albert's Protestantism, and very properly, for
though they might as well have done so in the Speech to the Privy
Council (merely not to give a handle to their opponents for
cavilling and clamouring), it would have been an acknowledgement
of error, and a knocking under to clamour, to do so now. The
Duke, however, moved an amendment, and foisted in the word
Protestant,--a sop to the silly. I was grieved to see him descend
to such miserable humbug, and was in hopes he was superior to it,
and would have rather put down the nonsense than have lent his
sanction to it. He is said to be very well, strong in body and
clear in mind, but I fully expect that he will give, in the
course of this Session, evident proofs of the falling-off of his
mind.

In the House of Commons they are bent upon mischief, and speedy
mischief; for Sir J. Yarde Buller gave notice directly of a
motion of want of confidence, so that the strength of the two
parties will