done, recapitulating what everybody knows, declaring that
Sir Robert Peel was now Minister of this country, and thanking
the Duke of Wellington in his own name and in that of the
country for the part he had taken and for the manner in which he
had conducted the public business during the interval; he said
that he should request him to hold the seals of the three
offices for a few days longer. He was not ridiculous to-day.
With regard to Lynn, I have handed George Bentinck over to
William Peel and Granville Somerset, and so washed my hands of
it.

December 13th, 1834 {p.175}

Stanley has declined; I know not in what terms, but it is said
courteous. Now, then, nothing remains but a Tory Government; the
Whigs are triumphant that Stanley will have nothing to do with
it. Lord Grey, who was moderate, has been lashed into fury by
their putting up Liddell for Northumberland. Charles Grey at
Holland House the other night threw them all into dismay by the
language he held--'that if the Duke and Peel followed his
father's steps, and adopted Liberal measures, he should support
them.' Lady Holland was almost in fits, and Allen in convulsions.

December 14th, 1834 {p.175}

Lord Wharncliffe, to his great joy, was sent for by Peel
yesterday, and very civilly invited to join the new Cabinet. He
thought it necessary to enquire if he meant to be liberal, and on
receiving an assurance to that effect he at once consented.
Graham was with Peel, having come up to town on getting his
letter, but he declined joining. Wharncliffe told me that the
correspondence between Peel and Stanley was extremely civil. The
Cabinet is now pretty nearly completed; they all dined together
at Peel's yesterday. I asked Wharncliffe how Sir Edward
Knatchbull was to be converted into a Liberal, and he said, 'Oh,
there will be no difficulty; he is very reasonable.' It would be
(to me) a bitter pill to swallow to take Knatchbull; he is the
man who led that section of High Tories which threw out the
Duke's Government in 1830. The Whigs are sorry that Graham does
not join, for they hate him and want to be rid of him. They are
also discomposed at a letter of Stanley's in reply to an address
to the King from Glasgow that has been forwarded to him to
present, in which his sentiments appear to be alarmingly
Conservative.

Stanley and Graham will support the Government, and it now
appears that the Duke of Wellington is the real obstacle to their
joining. To Pe