ions--
Barbarism of Sunderland--Disappointment of Lord Wharncliffe--
Bristol and Lyons--Commercial Negotiations with France--Poulett
Thomson--Lord Wharncliffe's Proposal to Lord Grey--Disapproved
by the Duke of Wellington--Moderation of Lord John Russell--The
Appeal of Drax _v._ Grosvenor--The Second Reform Bill--Violence
of Lord Durham--More Body-snatchers--Duke of Richmond and Sir
Henry Parnell--Panshanger--Creation of Peers--Division of
Opinion--Negotiation to avoid the Creation of Peers--Lord
Wharncliffe's Interview with the King--Opposition of the Duke
of Wellington--The Waverers resolve to separate from the Duke.

September 22nd, 1831 {p.197}

[Page Head: PROSPECTS OF THE REFORM BILL.]

The night before last Croker and Macaulay made two fine speeches
on Reform; the former spoke for two hours and a half, and in a
way he had never done before. Macaulay was very brilliant. There
was a meeting at Lord Ebrington's yesterday, called by him,
Lyttelton Lawley, and of members of the House of Commons only,
and they (without coming to any resolution) were all agreed to
prevail on the Government not to resign in the event of the
Reform Bill being rejected in the House of Lords. I have no
doubt, therefore, in spite of what Lord Grey said, and the other
circumstances I have mentioned above, that they will not resign,
and I doubt whether there will be any occasion for it.

There was a dinner at Apsley House yesterday; the Cabinet of
Opposition, to discuss matters before having a general meeting. At
this dinner there were sixteen or seventeen present, all the
leading anti-Reformers of the Peers. They agreed to oppose the
second reading. Dudley, who was there, told me it was tragedy
first and farce afterwards; for Eldon and Kenyon, who had dined
with the Duke of Cumberland, came in after dinner. Chairs were
placed for them on each side of the Duke, and after he had
explained to them what they had been discussing, and what had been
agreed upon, Kenyon made a long speech on the first reading of the
Bill, in which it was soon apparent that he was very drunk, for he
talked exceeding nonsense, wandered from one topic to another, and
repeated the same things over and over again. When he had done
Eldon made a speech on the second reading, and appeared to be
equally drunk, only, Lord Bathurst told me, Kenyon in his
drunkenness talked nonsense, but Eldon sense. Dudley said it was
not that they were as drunk as