They have overdone their attacks on him, and as it has unluckily been their sole _cheval de bataille_, they have ridden it till it has not a leg to stand upon. March 12th, 1836 {p.347} Fell in with Lyndhurst in the street yesterday returning from Philips', where he had been sitting for his portrait. 'Well,' he said, in his laughing, off-hand way, 'we are done, entirely done.' 'What do you mean to do?' 'Oh, we shall pass Peel's Bill, and they will be very glad of it; it will give the Government all the power which O'Connell would otherwise obtain, and they don't want to see his power increase, and will prefer the augmentation of their own.' March 13th, 1836 {p.348} It was only yesterday that I read the report of the Committee and O'Connell's complete acquittal.[2] It is very singular that he does not seem to have known his own case, or he might have rebutted the accusations in the first instance; but it has turned out lucky for him, as it has afforded him a great triumph and his adversaries an equally great mortification. It is now time for the Tories to give up attacking him--that is, making him their grand political butt. They do not lower him; on the contrary, they raise his importance everywhere, and make his sway in Ireland more absolute. They are abominably sulky at this result of the Committee, which, however, was fairly constituted and unanimous in its decision. I must say I never expected they would make out much of a case. Yesterday I dined with Ben Stanley in Downing Street, and met Lytton Bulwer and Fonblanque, the latter a very agreeable man. [2] [The proceedings of the Committee on the Carlow election are here referred to. A Mr. Raphael had been returned for Carlow, chiefly by the influence of O'Connell. He was unseated on petition, and it was supposed that the evidence taken by the Committee would incriminate O'Connell, but the reverse was the case. O'Connell was wholly acquitted of any illegal or improper practices.] May 2nd, 1836 {p.348} [Page Head: LORD ALVANLEY'S PLAN FOR IRELAND.]