eferring to the list of Peers likely to
vote for the second reading, which I showed to him. At the same
time I told him that though he might make use of the information
generally as far as expressing his own belief that Lord Harrowby
would have a sufficient following, he must not produce the list
or quote the names, for, in fact, not one of them had given any
authority to be so counted; that he must be aware there were
persons who would be glad to mar our projects, and they could not
more effectually do so than by conveying to these Peers the use
that had been made of their names. To all this he agreed
entirely. He then talked of the expediency of a declaration from
Lord Harrowby, and how desirable it was that it should be made
soon, and be supported by as many as could be induced to come
forward; that Lord Grey had said to him very lately that he
really believed he should be obliged to create Peers. I said that
my persuasion was that it would be quite unnecessary to do so _to
carry the second reading_; that nothing was required but
confidence in Lord Harrowby, and that his character and his
conduct on this occasion entitled him to expect it from them;
that if they were sincere in their desire to avoid this measure
they would trust to his exertions; that I knew very well the
efforts that were made to force this measure on Lord Grey; that
it was in furtherance of this that Duncombe's[3] ridiculous
affair in the House of Commons had been got up, which had been
such a complete failure; but that I could not believe Lord Grey
would suffer himself to be bullied into it by such despicable
means, and by the clamour of such men as Duncombe and O'Connell,
urged on by friends of his own. He said this was very true, but
the fact was they could not risk the rejection of the Bill again;
that he knew from a variety of communications that an explosion
would inevitably follow its being thrown out on the second
reading; that he had had letters from Scotland and other places,
and had no doubt that such would be the case. I said that he
would find it very difficult to persuade our friends of this, and
it appeared to me as clear as possible that the feeling for the
Bill and the excitement had subsided; that they might be to a
certain degree renewed by its rejection, but no man could doubt
that modifications in it, which would have been impossible a few
months ago, would now be easy; that if it was not for that
unfortunate declaration of L