llow in Southwark in spite of an
Anti-Poor Law cry, by the help of which his friends were very
sanguine about his success.

[20] [The Privilege question arose out of a prosecution of
Messrs. Hansard by one Stockdale, for the publication
of a libel on himself in the Parliamentary Debates.
Hansard pleaded the authority of Parliament, but the
Court of Queen's Bench rejected the plea and gave
judgement against Hansard. The House of Commons, on the
motion of Lord John Russell, who was supported by Sir
R. Peel, defended their printers, and committed the
Sheriffs of London for levying damages on Hansard. Peel
afterwards acknowledged that he had been misled by the
advice of Sir F. Pollock and had gone too far; in fact,
it appears from the text that the weight of legal
authority was against him. The dispute was settled at
last by legislation. See _infra_, February 21st, 1840.]

January 26th, 1840 {p.258}

The Government are triumphant at all their elections, and raised
to the skies by their success, which they construe into an
indication of reaction in their favour. It is certainly a great
thing for them, for it produces a good moral effect, besides the
influence it will have on the division next week, and it tends to
show that if a dissolution were to take place, the Conservatives
would not be in so much better, nor the Whigs in so much worse a
position, as the former have been for some time boasting of, and
the latter apprehending. Everybody (except those who have an
interest in defending it) thinks the allowance proposed for
Prince Albert very exorbitant: L50,000 a year given for pocket
money is quite monstrous, and it would have been prudent to
propose a more moderate grant for the sake of his popularity.
Prince George of Denmark had L50,000 a year (as it is said), but
the Queen gave it him, and he had a household four times more
numerous than is intended for Prince Albert.

January 29th, 1840 {p.258}

On Monday night Government were beaten by 104 on the question of
reducing the Prince's allowance from L50,000 to L30,000 a year.
They knew they should be beaten, but nevertheless John Russell
would go doggedly on and encounter this mortifying defeat,
instead of giving way with the best grace he could. He lost his
temper, and flung dirt at Peel, like a sulky boy flinging rotten
eggs