obody was
aware of it till within two or three hours of the time, and many
not at all. They told him that the cream-coloured horses could
not be got ready, when he said, 'Then I will go with anybody
else's horses.' Somebody went off in a carriage to the Tower, to
fetch the Crown, and they collected such attendants as they could
find to go with his Majesty. The Houses met at one or two
o'clock. In the House of Commons Sir R. Vyvyan made a furious
speech, attacking the Government on every point, and (excited as
he was) it was very well done. The Ministers made no reply, but
Sir Francis Burdett and Tennyson endeavoured to interrupt with
calls to order, and when the Speaker decided that Vyvyan was not
out of order Tennyson disputed his opinion, which enraged the
Speaker, and soon after called up Peel, for whom he was resolved
to procure a hearing. The scene then resembled that which took
place on Lord North's resignation in 1782, for Althorp (I think)
moved that Burdett should be heard, and the Speaker said that
'Peel was in possession of the House to speak on that motion.' He
made a very violent speech, attacking the Government for their
incompetence, folly, and recklessness, and treated them with the
utmost asperity and contempt. In the midst of his speech the guns
announced the arrival of the King, and at each explosion the
Government gave a loud cheer, and Peel was still speaking in the
midst of every sort of noise and tumult when the Usher of the
Black Rod knocked at the door to summon the Commons to the House
of Peers. There the proceedings were if possible still more
violent and outrageous; those who were present tell me it
resembled nothing but what we read of the 'Serment du Jeu de
Paume,' and the whole scene was as much like the preparatory days
of a revolution as can well be imagined. Wharncliffe was to have
moved an address to the Crown against dissolving Parliament, and
this motion the Ministers were resolved should not come on, but
he contrived to bring it on so far as to get it put upon the
Journals. The Duke of Richmond endeavoured to prevent any
speaking by raising points of order, and moving that the Lords
should take their regular places (in separate ranks), which,
however, is impossible at a royal sitting, because the cross
benches are removed; this put Lord Londonderry in such a fury
that he rose, roared, gesticulated, held up his whip, and four or
five Lords held him down by the tail of his coat to p