My brothers tell me that the Duke is bored to death with the King, who thinks it necessary to be giving advice and opinions upon different matters, always to the last degree ridiculous and absurd. He is just now mightily indignant at Lord Napier's affair at Canton, and wants to go to war with China. He writes in this strain to the Duke, who is obliged to write long answers, very respectfully telling him what an old fool he is. Another crotchet of his is to buy the Island of St. Bartholomew (which belongs to Denmark, and which the Danes want to sell) for fear the Russians should buy it, as he is very jealous of Russia. The Duke told him that it would cost £70,000 or £80,000, for which they must go to Parliament; and he did not think any House of Commons we were likely to have would vote such a sum for such a purpose. Then he does not at all like Pozzo di Borgo's coming here, and wrote to say that since he was to come, it was well that he would have the vigilant eye of the Duke to watch him, for he never could look upon him in any other light than as the servile tool of advancing the ambitious objects of an aggrandising and unprincipled Power, or words to that effect. He thinks his present Ministers do not treat him well, inasmuch as they do not tell him enough. The last, it seems, constantly fed him with scraps of information which he twaddled over, and probably talked nonsense about; but it is difficult to imagine anything more irksome for a Government beset with difficulties like this than to have to discuss the various details of their measures with a silly bustling old fellow, who can by no possibility comprehend the scope and bearing of anything. CHAPTER XXVII. The Speakership--Temporary Houses of Parliament--Church Reform-- Dissenters' Marriage Bill--Peel's False Position--Burke-- Palmerston's Talents as a Man of Business and Unpopularity-- Sympathy of Continental Courts with the Tories--Abercromby elected Speaker--Defeat of the Government--Tactics of the Opposition--The Speaker does not dine with Peel--Meeting of Stanley's Friends--Debate on the Address--Lord John Russell leads the Opposition--The Stanley Party--Second Defeat of the Government--Peel's Ability--The Lichfield House Meeting--Debate on Lord Londonderry's Appointment--His Speech in the Lords and Resignation--Sir E. Sugden resigns the Great Seal of Ireland-- Lady Canterbury--Brougham in the House of Lords--Peel's Readiness and Courage--Lord Canterbury and Stratford Canning proposed for Canada--Approaching Fall of the Peel Government-- Meetings of the Opposition--Further Defeat--Sir Robert Peel's own View of the State of Affairs--He resigns. February 14th, 1835 {p.204} [Page Head: OPENING OF THE SESSION.]