f cheering at his saying he hoped he
had their confidence; but the meeting broke up without any
satisfactory conclusion, and at five o'clock the general
impression was that Government would be beaten, and this in spite
of a conviction that they would resign if they were. In the
morning I met Graham, who said that he did not know whether he
and Stanley would speak or not, that they could not support the
previous question without repudiating the declaration with which
it was to be accompanied, that he considered the question to
involve the fate of the Irish Church, and with it the connexion
between the two countries. I told him we differed entirely, but
that I would not enter upon any argument on the subject; that it
was very unfortunate, and I thought the Government would not
stand. He said a tremendous contest must ensue upon the great
question, and so we parted.

In the evening a very full House. Lord Althorp stated that the
King had issued a Commission, or rather extended the powers of one
that already existed, for the purpose of effecting the objects
contemplated by the resolution, and begged Ward to withdraw his
motion. He would not, and then Althorp moved the previous
question, which, to the astonishment of everybody, was carried by
a very great majority, all the Tories voting with Government.
Stanley spoke, and spoke very well, but with considerable acrimony
and in a tone which demonstrates the breach between him and his
old colleagues to be irreparable. He was vociferously cheered by
the Tories, especially at one passage of his speech about a
Chancellor of the Exchequer and his clerical budget which, however
pungent and smart, appears to me imprudent and worth nothing as
argument. I am very sorry he has taken such a line upon this
question. His scruples have come too late to be serviceable to the
cause he espouses, and all he can do is to fan the flame of
religious discord and throw innumerable embarrassments in the way
of settling a very difficult question, the ultimate solution of
which is no longer doubtful.

June 5th, 1834 {p.093}

The Portuguese business is over--that is, for the present--but
Lord William Russell (whom I met at dinner at Richmond the day
before yesterday) told me he did not think Pedro would be able to
keep possession of the country, and that another revolution would
probably take place whenever the foreign troops in his pay were
disbanded; the party against him is too strong; he sai