his room waiting for her return. When she came
back Lord Howe, her chamberlain, as usual preceded her, when the
King said, 'How is the Queen?' and went down to meet her. Howe,
who is an eager anti-Reformer, said, 'Very much frightened, sir,'
and made the worst of it. She was in fact terrified, and as she
detests the whole of these proceedings, the more distressed and
disgusted. The King was very angry and immediately declared he
would not go to the City at all. It is supposed that Government
will make a large batch of Peers to secure the Bill in the House
of Lords, but the press have already begun to attack that House,
declaring that if they pass the Bill it will be from compulsion,
and if they do not that they are the enemies of the people.

May 11th, 1831 {p.142}

The elections are going on universally in favour of Reform; the
great interests in the counties are everywhere broken, and old
connexions dissevered. In Worcestershire Captain Spencer, who has
nothing to do with the county, and was brought there by his
brother-in-law, Lord Lyttelton, has beaten Lygon, backed by all
the wealth of his family; the Manners have withdrawn from
Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire, and Lord E. Somerset from
Gloucestershire; Lord Worcester too is beaten at Monmouth.
Everywhere the tide is irresistible; all considerations are
sacrificed to the success of the measure. At the last Essex
election Colonel Tyrrell saved Western, who would have been beaten
by Long Wellesley, and now Western has coalesced with Wellesley
against Tyrrell, and will throw him out. In Northamptonshire
Althorp had pledged himself to Cartwright not to bring forward
another candidate on his side, and Milton joins him and stands.
The state of excitement, doubt, and apprehension which prevails
will not quickly subside, for the battle is only beginning; when
the Bill is carried we must prepare for the second act.

May 14th, 1831 {p.142}

[Page Head: LORD MUNSTER'S PEERAGE.]

The elections are still going for Reform. They count upon a
majority of 140 in the House of Commons, but the Tories meditate
resistance in the House of Lords, which it is to be hoped will be
fruitless, and it is probable the Peers will trot round as they
did about the Catholic question when it comes to the point. There
is a great hubbub at Northampton about a pledge which Althorp is
supposed to have given not to bring forward another candidate
against Cartwright which the anti-Reformers