t their being turned out,
from which I saw that they are to stay in. We met Gosh, and I
walked with them to the House of Commons. We renewed the subject,
and he said that he had been just as much as I could be for the
adoption of strong measures, but that the great object was to
carry the Bill, and if the Duke did not act with the greatest
prudence and caution it would still be lost. He hinted that the
difficulties with the King are still great, and that he is in a
state of excitement which alarms them lest he should go mad. It
is pretty clear that the Duke cannot venture to turn them out. In
the meantime the Duke of Cumberland continues at work. Lord
Bathurst told me that he went to Windsor on Saturday, that he had
assured the King that great alarm prevailed in London, that the
people were very violent, and that the Duke had been hissed by
the mob in going to the House of Lords, all of which of course he
believes. The Duke is very unwell. I think matters do not look at
all well, and I am alarmed.

[Page Head: CATHOLIC RELIEF BILL.]

March 11th, 1829 {p.186}

The Duke was much better yesterday, went to the House, and made a
very good and stirring speech in answer to Lord Winchelsea, who
disgusted all his own party by announcing himself an advocate for
reform in Parliament. It is now clear that Lowther, &c., are not
to quit their places unless something fresh occurs. The reason
supposed is that the King supports them, and that the Duke does
not venture to insist on their dismissal. The real reason is that
he has got an idea that the Whigs want to make him quarrel with
his old friends in order to render him more dependent upon them,
and he is therefore anxious (as he thinks he can) to carry
through the measure without quarrelling with anybody, so that he
will retain the support of the Tories and show the Whigs that he
can do without them, a notion which is unfounded, besides being
both unwise and illiberal. He has already given some persons to
understand that they _must_ support him on this question, and now
he is going to grant a dispensation to others, nor is there any
necessity for _quarrelling_ with anybody. Lowther himself
evidently felt that he could not hold his office and oppose the
measure, and consequently resigned. The Duke might accept his
resignation with a very friendly explanation on the subject;
eventually he would be certain to join Government again, for to
what other party could he betake himself