A Political Diary, 1828-1830, Volume IIEllenborough, Edward Law, Earl of
History
A Political Diary, 1828-1830, Volume II
Ellenborough, Edward Law, Earl of
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1820-1830
Went to the House at 4. Found a good many peers there. By mere mistake a
Bill, slightly and necessarily amended by the Lords, was not sent down to
the Commons, although directions to that effect were given, and it by
accident was placed amongst the Bills ready for the Royal assent. So it
received the Royal assent. It became necessary to pass a Bill to make this
Bill valid in law. Lord Shaftesbury thought our House ought to inform the
Commons we had discovered the error; but the Speaker, [Footnote: C. Manners
Sutton, afterwards Lord Canterbury.] to make a flourish, insisted on
announcing it first to the House of Commons. All the steps to be taken were
settled between the Speaker, Lord Shaftesbury, and Courtenay. When I went
down I found it had not been settled that anything should be done first by
us. I suggested that Lord Shaftesbury should acquaint the House with the
circumstance, and that we should appoint a Committee to inquire before the
message from the Commons came up. This was done.
We ordered a message to be sent, but before our messengers left the House
we heard the Commons would not receive a message, so I moved that the order
we had just made should be rescinded, and we had a second conference. The
Commons were well satisfied with our reply. The last sentence had been,
'The Lords hope the Commons will be satisfied with this explanation.' As we
in the first paragraph expressed our desire to preserve a good
understanding between the two Houses, and in the second one regret that
this mistake had taken place, I thought it was going too far to express _a
hope_ only that our explanation would be satisfactory.
We inserted 'the Lords _doubt not_,' instead of 'the Lords _hope_.'
At night received a letter from the Duke of Wellington, saying he thought
we might get Courtenay to resign at once and get in Lord Chandos. I am to
see him at ten to-morrow on the subject.
_June 23, 1829._
Wrote early to the Chairs and begged them to come to me immediately. Sent
Loch the Duke's note and told him why Lord Chandos's being brought in was
of so much importance. Saw the Duke at 10. The King was very much out of
humour yesterday. He wanted to make Nash a baronet. The Duke refused. The
King then went upon his Speech, which he did not like and had altered. He
left out the specific mention of the Relief and Franchise Bill, and there
he was right, and he converted the prayer that the measure might
tranquillise Ireland, &c., into a _hope_ that it would--thus making it a
little stronger, but that he did not know.
The Duke of Cumberland, on hearing of Castlereagh's appointment, said,
'Whoever ratted he would not,' alluding to Lord Londonderry, who has been
nibbling at the Cumberland faction. However, Lord Londonderry is much
annoyed at Castlereagh's taking office. He neither likes the expense of an
election for Downshire, nor losing a vote he thought he could dispose of.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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