ngton
thought he had brought him to make his brother Governor-General for his
life, retaining the succession for his children. However, Aberdeen seems to
have blundered him back again. He is to go to see the King on Saturday. The
King desired he might come early, that he might not be obliged to have him
to dinner, and he desired Aberdeen would remain in the room.

Pozzo thinks the French Government is gaining strength; but they are very
inefficient in preventing armed men from assembling on the frontiers of
Spain.

The French have exercised such coldness towards the Belgians that they are
become unpopular. De Potter was French while he had hopes of becoming so.
Now he is a Republican.

The Austrians will send troops into the Sardinian dominions if there is any
insurrection. [Footnote: They had similarly interfered to put down the
Constitutional movement in Piedmont which followed on the Neapolitan
revolution of 1821.] This by invitation.

The Queen of Spain has, it is said, a son. [Footnote: It was a daughter,
afterwards Queen Isabella II., born October 10, 1830. The alteration of the
succession in favour of the female line led to a civil war on Ferdinand
VII.'s death. A son might have secured peace, but probably without a
Constitution.] This event would, it is thought, secure Spain against any
revolutionary movement.

_October 15._

Called on the Duke. Settled with him the alterations necessary in the
Chairs' memorandum of the conversation on the 12th. He thought we had gone
too far in leading them to expect they should be repaid the money they had
sunk in the territory while they held the Government.

Received from him the opium letter. He thinks the principle good, but
considers it is not fair to make the Scindians prevent the transit of
opium. We cannot prevent them, for they are independent; but unless we
endeavour to persuade them, and succeed in doing so, we shall lose our
opium revenue.

_October 16._

Chairs at 11. Head over with them my alterations of their protocol. Astell
did not seem to see the greatness of the variations. Campbell did, and
particularly observed upon the words, 'value of the fixed property in India
which might be adjudged to appertain to the Company in their commercial
capacity.' He wanted an admission of the justice of the claims, leaving
nothing for adjustment but their amount. I said we could not admit claims
without examination, the nature of which we did not yet know.