disquietude at the
French armaments, considerable uneasiness at the dispute with
America, and much disgust at our having been apparently
bamboozled by the Chinese, form the principal topics of political
grievance and complaint.

February 12th, 1841 {p.373}

The other day I met Lord Howick, and had a talk with him about
the Irish questions now pending. The Government are much pleased
with his support of Morpeth's Bill. As he stands, as it were,
midway between the two Bills, I asked him to explain to me the
merits of the question, which he did, as it seemed to me, fairly
enough. He approves of the machinery of Stanley's registration,
and of Morpeth's definition of the franchise, not binding himself
to _amount_, but not objecting to that proposed. He showed me a
letter he wrote to Stanley, in a very amicable strain, setting
forth the danger which he thought would attend any settlement of
the question which did not embrace a definition of the franchise,
and entreating him to reconsider the question, for the purpose of
coming to some arrangement. The answer was not encouraging, for
it consisted of a note from Lady Stanley to Lady Howick, in which
she said that Stanley had got the gout in his hand, and could not
write, but desired her to say that he entirely disagreed with
Howick. Howick talked sensibly enough about it, and asked me if I
could not do anything to bring about a compromise, his notion
being that there should be a committee above stairs to take
evidence as to the effect of the L5 franchise, and that only the
principle of definition should be admitted. I told him I had no
means whatever, had no access to any of the leaders, that the
only men to whom I could talk were Graham or Fitzgerald, and that
if I fell in with either, I would see if any possibility
presented itself.

February 14th, 1841 {p.374}

[Page Head: SIR JAMES GRAHAM ON IRISH AFFAIRS.]

The day before yesterday I met Graham by accident at Boodle's, so
I took the opportunity of talking to him about these Bills, and I
soon found that there is no possibility of any compromise. He
expressed the greatest alarm and disgust at Morpeth's measure;
said that he had never seen Stanley so determined, and that he
and Peel both entirely agreed with him; that he could not
understand how John Russell, or indeed any member of Lord Grey's
Government, could consent to such a violation of the principle of
the Reform Bill, and to the formation of a new franchi