stering terribly nervous about it. This was clear, for both he
and Wellesley were waiting for the report of the Committee of the
House of Commons, though Brougham affected to hold it cheap, and
talked very big of what he should do and should have done had it
been unfavourable to his authority. The fact is that Long
Wellesley was contumacious, but after a short confinement he
knocked under and yielded to the Chancellor on all points, and
was released from durance.

We had a meeting on the Coronation business yesterday morning,
and took into consideration the estimates. That from the
Chamberlain's Office was L70,000 and upwards, which was referred
to a sub-committee to dissect and report upon.

August 5th, 1831 {p.175}

Yesterday morning arrived the news of Casimir Perier's
resignation in consequence of the division in the Chamber of
Deputies on the election of President. He had very unnecessarily
committed himself by declaring he would resign if Lafitte was
elected, and though the other candidate (M. Girod de l'Ain) was
chosen, as it was, only by a majority of five, he considered this
tantamount to a defeat, and accordingly went out of office.[2] It
was supposed, but not quite certain, that Mole would be First
Minister, but without much chance of being able to keep that
post.

[2] [M. Casimir Perier did not retire from office on this
occasion, though he had momentarily resigned it. He
remained in power till his death which took place from
cholera in the following year.]

[Page Head: HOLLAND AND BELGIUM.]

At the same time comes intelligence that the King of Holland has
marched into Belgium at three points with three corps under the
Prince of Orange, Prince Frederick, and the Prince of Nassau.
This, however, was premature, for it turns out that the Prince of
Orange in a proclamation to his army declares that the armistice
was to end last night at half-past nine, and that he marches 'to
secure equitable terms of separation,' not therefore for the
purpose of reconquest. I saw Lord Grey in the morning in a state
of great consternation, the more particularly as he told me a
Dutch Plenipotentiary had arrived the day before with full powers
to treat, and that he had not in his intercourse with him and
with Palmerston uttered one word of the King of Holland's
intentions. In the evening I had a long conversation with
Matuscewitz. He says that it is impossible to foresee the end of