ement of debate, so as to see truth clearly and set it forth
such as it is, this I cannot attain to.

As regards my speech in the Irish church debate, he tells his
father (April 2), it was received by the House, and has been
estimated, in a manner extremely gratifying to me. As regards
satisfaction to myself in the manner of its execution, I cannot say
so much. Backed by a numerous and warm-hearted party, and strong in
the consciousness of a good cause, I did not find it difficult to
grapple with the more popular parts of the question; but I fell
miserably short of my desires in touching upon the principles which
the discussion involved, and I am sure that it must be long before
I am enabled in any reasonable sense to be a speaker according even
to the conception which I have formed in my own mind.

A few days later, he received the congratulations of a royal
personage:--

In the evening, dining at Lord Salisbury's, I was introduced to the
Duke of Cumberland, who was pleased to express himself favourably
of my speech. He is fond of conversation, and the common reputation
which he bears of including in his conversation many oaths, appears
to be but too true. Yet he said he had made a point of sending his
son to George the Fourth's funeral, thinking it an excellent
advantage for a boy to receive the impression which such a scene
was calculated to convey. The duke made many acute remarks, and
was, I should say, most remarkably unaffected and kind. These are
fine social qualities for a prince, though, of course, not the most
important--'My dear Sir,' and thumps on the shoulder after a ten
minutes' acquaintance. He spoke broadly and freely--much on the
disappearance of the bishops' wigs, which he said had done more
harm to the church than anything else!

MINISTERS DEFEATED

On the same night the catastrophe happened. After a protracted and
complex struggle Lord John Russell's proposal for the appropriation of
the surplus revenues of the Irish church was carried against ministers.
The following day Peel announced his resignation.

Though his official work had been unimportant, Mr. Gladstone had left an
excellent impression behind him among the permanent men. When he first
appeared in the office, Henry Taylor said, 'I rather like Gladstone, but
he is said to have mor