secondly, opposition to Reform in Parliament and to religious emancipation of every kind, the maintenance of the exclusive system, and support, untouched and unconnected, of the Church, both English and Irish. His resistance to alterations on these heads was conducted with great ability, and for a long time with success; but he was endeavouring to uphold a system which was no longer supportable, and having imbibed in his career much of the liberal spirit of the age, he found himself in a state of no small perplexity between his old connections and his more enlarged propensities. Still he was chained down by the former, and consequently being beaten from all his positions, he was continually obliged to give way, but never did so till rather too late for his own credit and much too late for the interest at stake. Notwithstanding, therefore, the reputation he has acquired, the hold he has had of office, and is probably destined to have again, his political life has been a considerable failure, though not such an one as to render it more probable than not that his future life will be a failure too. He has hitherto been encumbered with embarrassing questions and an unmanageable party. Time has disposed of the first, and he is divorced from the last; if his great experience and talents have a fair field to act upon, he may yet, in spite of his selfish and unamiable character, be a distinguished and successful Minister. CHAPTER XX. Appointment of Sir Stratford Canning to the Russian Embassy-- Cause of the Refusal--Slavery in the West Indies--The Reformed Parliament--Duke of Wellington's View of Affairs--The Coercion Bill--The Privy Council Bill--Lord Durham made an Earl--Mr. Stanley Secretary for the Colonies--The Russians go to the Assistance of the Porte--Lord Goderich has the Privy Seal, an Earldom, and the Garter--Embarrassments of the Government--The Appeal of Drax _v._ Grosvenor at the Privy Council--Hobhouse defeated in Westminster--Bill for Negro Emancipation--The Russians on the Bosphorus--Mr. Littleton Chief Secretary for Ireland--Respect shown to the Duke of Wellington--Moral of a 'Book on the Derby'--The Oaks--A Betting Incident--Ascot-- Government beaten in the Lords on Foreign Policy--Vote of Confidence in the Commons--Drax _v._ Grosvenor decided--Lord Eldon's Last Judgment--His Character--Duke of Wellington as Leader of Opposition--West India Affairs--Irish Church Bill-- Appropriation Clause--A Fancy Bazaar--The King writes to the Bishops--Local Court Bill--Mirabeau. February 16th, 1833 {p.357}