n, or
made an avowal to that effect. In fact, Peel is now aware (as
everybody else is) of the enormous fault that was committed in
not throwing it out at once, before the press had time to
operate, and rouse the country to the pitch of madness it did. On
what trifles turn the destinies of nations! William Bankes told
me last night that Peel owned this to him; said that he had
earnestly desired to do so, but had been turned from his purpose
by Granville Somerset! And why? Because he (in the expectation of
a dissolution) must have voted against him, he said, in order to
save his popularity in his own county.

[Page Head: CONFESSION OF A BODY-SNATCHER.]

Met Melbourne at Lord Holland's; they were talking of a reported
confession to a great extent of murders, which is said to have
been begun and not finished, by the Burkers, or by one of them.
Melbourne said it was true, that he began the confession about
the murder of a black man to a Dissenting clergyman, but was
interrupted by the ordinary. Two of a trade could not agree, and
the man of the Established Church preferred that the criminal
should die unconfessed, and the public uninformed, rather than
the Dissenter should extract the truth. Since writing this I see
Hunt put a question to George Lamb on this point, and he replied
that he knew nothing of any other confession, which is not true.
I have heard, but on no authority, that some surgeons are so
disagreeably implicated that they choose to conceal these
horrors.

December 14th, 1831 {p.228}

People generally are mightily satisfied at the tone of the
discussion the other night, and, what is of vast importance, the
press has adopted a moderate and conciliatory tone, even the
'Times,' which, is now all for compromise. It is clear as
daylight that the Government will consent to anything which
leaves untouched the great principles of the Bill, and the
country desires to see the question settled, and, if possible,
rest from this eternal excitement.

December 20th, 1831 {p.228}

The second reading of the Reform Bill was carried at one o'clock
on Saturday night by a majority of two to one, and ended very
triumphantly for Ministers, who are proportionately elated, and
their opponents equally depressed. Croker had made a very clever
speech on Friday, with quotations from Hume, and much reasoning
upon them. Hobhouse detected several inaccuracies, and gave his
discovery to Stanley, who worked it up in a crushing at