The Greville Memoirs, Part 2 (of 3), Volume 1 (of 3): A Journal of the Reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1852Greville, Charles
History
The Greville Memoirs, Part 2 (of 3), Volume 1 (of 3): A Journal of the Reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1852
Greville, Charles
Great Britain -- History -- Victoria, 1837-1901
A great exposure of Durham in the House of Lords on Monday
night,[15] Brougham chuckling over it yesterday morning. The
impression left by Melbourne's speech was, that Durham had
actually assured him he had no intention of appointing Turton,
and it was either so, or Melbourne had desired him not to do so,
and he went off without sending any answer. The former discussion
about Turton took place while Durham was at Portsmouth.
Everything blows over, so probably this will, but it is
calculated to produce a very bad effect both here and in Canada,
and to deprive Durham of all the weight which would attach to him
from the notion of his being trusted and trustworthy; besides,
the bitter mortification to his pride (by receiving this rap on
the knuckles at the outset of his career) will sour his temper
and impair his judgement. Brougham says that if he finds his
difficulties great and his position disagreeable, he will avail
himself of Melbourne's speech and resign. It is universally
thought that he must send Turton home whatever he may do himself.
[15] [Lord Durham took with him to Canada, on his staff,
besides Mr. Charles Buller (an unexceptionable
appointment), Mr. Turton, of the Calcutta Bar, and Mr.
Edward Gibbon Wakefield, gentlemen against whose
private character much had been not unjustly said. Some
of these appointments were strongly objected to in
Parliament.]
July 8th, 1838 {p.110}
Lord Duncannon told me yesterday that Melbourne went to Lord
Durham when he heard he was going to take out Turton, and told
him that the odium of such an appointment would be so great that
it was impossible he could consent to it, and it must not take
place. Durham sulked over it for two days, but finally
acquiesced, and engaged that Turton should only go out as his
private friend. Duncannon added that Durham was much mistaken if
he thought Melbourne would endure this disobedience and breach of
engagement. Durham had made his entry into Quebec on a white
long-tailed charger, in a full general's uniform, surrounded by
his staff, and the first thing he did was to appoint Sir John
Doratt (his doctor, whom he had got knighted before he went)
Inspector-General of Hospitals, superseding all the people there.
July 14th, 1838 {p.110}
[Page Head: THE NAVAL INSTRUCTIONS.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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