Lord
John Russell, and Lord Lansdowne. Lady Holland told me that she
had been the channel of communication by which the arrangement of
giving the Chief Baronship to Lyndhurst had been carried on, and
she declared that there was no secret article in it. I believe,
however, that there was one concluded between Brougham and
Lyndhurst, when they met to settle it in Burlington street. Leach
brought the original message from Alexander, who offered to
resign in favour of Lyndhurst. I hear of nothing but the
indignation of the ex-Ministers at the uncourteousness of the
Duke's conduct towards them; but though there is too much truth,
there is also some exaggeration in the complaints. It is
necessary to be on one's guard against what one hears, as I
verified yesterday in a particular case.

November 26th, 1834 {p.159}

[Page Head: THE WHIGS ON THE RECENT CHANGE.]

Barnes is to dine with Lord Lyndhurst, and a gastronomic
ratification will wind up the treaty between these high
contracting parties. I walked home with Duncannon last night; he
declared to me that though he could not tell me what did pass
between the King and Melbourne, what is stated to have passed is
not the truth. I heard elsewhere that the Whigs insist upon it
there was no disunion in the Cabinet, and that Lord Lansdowne and
Rice had seen the Irish Tithe Bill (the Irish Chancellor being the
supposed subject of disunion), and that they both agreed to its
provisions. Duncannon said that if the King had insisted upon the
dismissal of Brougham, and had consented to go on with the rest,
he would have put them in a grand dilemma, for that such a
requisition would have met the concurrence of many of their
friends and of the public. He thinks Brougham would not have
_resigned_ even then, and that it would have been very dangerous
to turn him out. All this speculation matters little now. He is
thoroughly convinced that the present appearances of indifference
and tranquillity in the country are delusive, and that the
elections will rouse a dormant spirit, and that the minor
differences of Reformers and Liberals of all denominations will be
sunk in a determined hostility to the Government of Peel and the
Duke. He says that the Irish Church must bring the question
between the two parties to an immediate and decisive test; that if
the new Government are beaten upon it, as he thinks inevitable,
out they must go; that the return of the Government just broken up
will be