led three months
afterwards to the battle of Navarino, which was fought
on the 20th of October.]

December 13th, 1827 {p.114}

Three months have passed since the above was written. I went to
Doncaster and Chatsworth, then to Newmarket, and returned to town
the middle of last month. The battle of Navarino has been fought,
and after three weeks' expectation we know very little about the
matter. The strong part of the Cabinet, with Huskisson at the
head, are for letting things take their course, and for suffering
Russia to go to war with Turkey, and leaving it to her to enforce
the articles of the Treaty of London. The plan is that Russia
should occupy Moldavia and Wallachia; that the terms should then
be offered to the Sultan, and that on his yielding the Greek
independence these provinces should be evacuated by the Russians;
this is what they propose that our mediation shall effect. In the
meantime the Ministers are uneasy about the approaching meeting
of Parliament. They anticipate a violent opposition in the House
of Lords; they are by no means sure of a majority in that House,
and there is not one among them who has spirit and character
enough to face it. Lord Dudley is terrified to the greatest
degree at the notion of being attacked by Lord Grey. Then, though
they are not disunited, they derive no strength from mutual
co-operation and support, and the tone which the King has assumed,
and the peremptory manner in which he has claimed the disposal of
every sort of patronage, is both a proof of the weakness of
Government, a source of discord among themselves, and the cause
of distrust mixed with contempt on the part of many of their
friends. The King and the Duke of Clarence made the promotions
and dispensed the honours after the battle of Navarino without
consulting the Ministers. The King gave Sumner the Bishopric of
Winchester in the same way,[22] and there is a very general
opinion that the Cabinet is weak, that they do not act together
with cordiality, that they have neither energy nor authority, and
are not likely to keep their places. It has been currently
reported that they would willingly have censured Codrington, and
have thrown the responsibility of the battle from their own
shoulders upon his, if they had dared, but that they were
prevented by the precipitate approbation expressed by the King.
These things are greatly exaggerated, but are not without
foundation.

[22] [_Vide