after dinner.

Sefton told me that Lord Grey, when he was at Windsor, had a long
conversation with the King, in which his Majesty expressed no
little dissatisfaction at what had recently occurred and at the
present posture of his affairs. He told me that Lord Grey
certainly would not have continued in office under any circumstances
till Parliament met again, and that, in fact, his continual
propositions to retire and expressions of consciousness of
inability and unfitness had been very embarrassing and annoying
both to his colleagues and the King, and that the latter had
evidently been tired out by them, as was proved by his not making
the slightest effort to induce Lord Grey to remain when he
tendered his resignation. Grey acted very handsomely in giving his
proxy to Melbourne, and the reason he stayed away from the House
of Lords during the latter days of the session was that he was
afraid of being compelled to say something indicative of the real
state of his mind and feelings with regard to past occurrences.

[Page Head: LORD WESTMEATH'S CASE.]

When I got to town yesterday, to my great astonishment I found
that the Vice-Chancellor had been at the office with a peremptory
mandate from the Chancellor to bring on the Westmeath case on
Friday next, sent up from Brougham Hall. In my absence the
summonses had been issued, but I desired them all to be recalled,
and the Vice-Chancellor soon after happening to call on me, I told
him what had occurred before, and that the Lord President was
opposed to the cause being thus hurried on. He acquiesced, and
wrote to the Chancellor to say he had heard from me that it could
not be; and so it ended, but I dare say the Chancellor will be in
a violent rage, which I rather enjoy than not.[3] It is very clear
that he intends to exercise paramount authority over the Judicial
Committee, and to consider everything connected with it at his
disposal. When first he had the Privy Council Bill drawn up by one
of his devils, he intended to create a new tribunal, of which he
should be the head, and though he was obliged to give up his
original design, he still considers himself entitled to deal with
the Judicial Committee as he pleases. If the Lord President had
more of the spirit that is due to the office over which he
presides, he would not suffer him to interfere, and I am resolved
if I can to get Lord Lansdowne to assert his own authority. The
Chancellor has promised Sefton that when Mr