eafter figure there himself. There has been a lively
controversy between the Whig and Tory papers, of which he has been
the object, the former lauding his law reforms, the latter
attacking his judicial incompetence. It is actually true that
hardly any original causes are brought before him, and he has
little business except appeals which must come into his Court. He
feels himself every day in a more unpleasant predicament, and of
course has a growing impatience to get rid of his judicial duties.
That he will by a series of tricks wriggle out of them there can
be no doubt, for just now he can do whatever he pleases. What he
wants is to be Prime Minister; his restless and versatile mind
will then find sufficient occupation, and there is no department
of Government which he does not think himself capable of presiding
over, leaving as he would do all troublesome details to be worked
out by others.

November 30th, 1833 {p.038}

A long sitting of our Court yesterday. The Chancellor comes
regularly. Jenner (the King's Advocate) told me that he believed
the Chancellor's object was to transfer all appeals from the
House of Lords to the Privy Council. Lyndhurst (whom I met at
Mrs. Fox's) said that it was quite true that he had no business
in his own Court, for nobody would plead there, that he wanted to
be Prime Minister, retaining the emoluments and patronage of the
Great Seal, and getting rid of its duties. There can be no doubt
that he does, and if Lord Grey dies, or is ill (in which case he
will resign), he probably will succeed. It is amusing to see
Brougham's tricks in small things; his present object is to raise
the Judicial Committee as much as he can, and bring all the
business there he can collect; in order to increase the appeals
he proposed to allow of them from the Indian Courts _in forma
pauperis_. This, however, was strenuously resisted by all the
Judges and others present, and as he always takes the lead in all
discussions relating to rules and regulations, when he found that
the unanimous opinion of the Committee was the other way, he
turned himself round and argued against his own proposal, stating
or anticipating the objections of the others, just insinuating
incidentally counter-arguments, and ending by letting the
question remain in abeyance.

[Page Head: STRATFORD CANNING AND DEDEL.]

Madame de Lieven told me an anecdote of Stratford Canning which
highly delighted her, because it justified the resis