Belvoir Castle--The Duke of Wellington at Belvoir--Visit to
Mrs. Arkwright--Sir Thomas Lawrence and the Misses Siddons--A
Murder at Runton--Sandon--Lord and Lady Harrowby--Burghley--
Railroads talked of--Gloomy Tory Prognostications--State of
Spain--Parliament opens--Quarrel of Sheil and Lord Althorp--
Unpopularity of Lord Palmerston--Mrs. Somerville--O'Connell's
Attack on Baron Smith--Lord Althorp's Budget--The Pension
List--Lord Althorp as Leader of the House--Sir R. Peel's
Position in the House--Meeting of Supporters of Government--Mr.
Villiers on the State of Spain--Predicament of Horne, the
Attorney-General.

September 5th, 1833 {p.030}

At Court yesterday, the Speaker[1] was made a Knight of the Bath
to his great delight. It is a reward for his conduct during the
Session, in which he has done Government good and handsome
service. He told them before it began that he would undertake to
ride the new House, but it must be with a snaffle bridle.
Bosanquet and Sir Alexander Johnston were made Privy Councillors
to sit in the Chancellor's new Court. The Privy Council is as
numerous as a moderate-sized club, and about as well composed.
Awful storms these last few days, and enormous damage done, the
weather like the middle of winter.

[1] [Rt. Hon. Manners Sutton, afterwards Viscount
Canterbury.]

September 6th, 1833 {p.030}

[Page Head: LORD WELLESLEY.]

Yesterday the announcement of Lord Wellesley's appointment to be
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was received with as great astonishment
as I ever saw. Once very brilliant, probably never very efficient,
he is now worn out and _effete_. It is astonishing that they
should send such a man, and one does not see why, because it is
difficult to find a good man, they should select one of the very
worst they could hit upon. It is a ridiculous appointment, which
is the most objectionable of all. For years past he has lived
entirely out of the world. He comes to the House of Lords, and
talks of making a speech every now and then, of which he is never
delivered, and he comes to Court, where he sits in a corner and
talks (as those who know him say) with as much fire and liveliness
as ever, and with the same neat, shrewd causticity that formerly
distinguished him; but such scintillations as these prove nothing
as to his fitness for business and government, and as he was quite
unfit for these long ago, it is scarcely to be supposed that
re