rliament in the midst of a vast crowd,
and was neither well nor ill received; nobody takes his hat off,
but there was some slight cheering. The speech disappointed me,
it was rather bald, and so thought some of the moderate men. In
the morning there was a meeting at the King's Head, Palace Yard,
to which moderate members of Parliament were invited by an
anonymous circular. Thirty-three were present, Sir Oswald Mosley
in the chair. Graham came to it, and said Lord Stanley would have
come also, but that he had invited a few of his friends to
assemble at his house, with an object similar to that which had
brought the present meeting[2] together and that if it were
agreeable to any of these gentlemen to meet his friends that
afternoon he should be glad to see them. They all went, and there
were present forty-five or fifty, of whom eight had voted for
Abercromby. He made them a speech, stating that it was evident
the Government must fall if they were to be repeatedly defeated,
and his view of the necessity of obstructing violent measures
directed against them was something to this effect. The result
was an agreement to meet again this day, and last night a few
more names were added to their list. This may, therefore, be
considered the Stanley party, and the best thing that can happen
will be that this party should grow numerous. Many men do not
like the composition of the Government, and yet wish to support
it, without being identified with it, as the majority of those
who attend the meetings are disposed to support Peel. Stanley
securing them as his adherents, and placing himself at their
head, must in fact subscribe to their opinions and disposition;
and as men are more inclined to join a numerous than a scanty
sect, fresh adherents may repair to that standard. Eventually he
will join the Government, and the best chance of weathering the
storm will be through this moderate Liberal party.

[2] [This meeting (which will probably have important
results, as it was the foundation of that which met
afterwards at Stanley's, and the formation of this
party will turn the balance on the Conservative side)
originated in the most insignificant causes. Sir Oswald
Mosley, an ordinary person, and a Mr. Young, talking
the thing over, suggested to one another to try and get
together moderate men, and they penned and sent out a
parcel of notes addressed