The Greville Memoirs, Part 3 (of 3), Volume 2 (of 2): A Journal of the Reign of Queen Victoria from 1852 to 1860Greville, Charles
History
The Greville Memoirs, Part 3 (of 3), Volume 2 (of 2): A Journal of the Reign of Queen Victoria from 1852 to 1860
Greville, Charles
Great Britain -- History -- Victoria, 1837-1901
_London, December 25th_, 1859.--The Government are getting ready
for the session which is near at hand, Palmerston with his usual
confidence, but Granville, who is not naturally desponding, and who
I dare say represents the feeling of his colleagues, is conscious of
the want of that strength and security which a commanding majority
alone can give, and, without thinking the danger great or imminent,
anticipates the possibility of their being defeated on some vital
question. The Opposition, conscious of their numerical force, but
anything but united, profess the most moderate views and intentions.
Derby professed at Liverpool to have no wish to turn out the Government
or to come into office himself. Disraeli himself told me that he and
all his party desired the Reform question to be settled quietly, and
that if the Government only offered them such a Bill as they could
possibly accept, they should be ready to give them every assistance
in carrying it through. Since this, Walpole has made a formal
communication to Granville (through Henry Lennox) of his and Henley's
disposition to the above mentioned end. We are told, moreover, that a
great number of the Conservative party will not only support a fair
and moderate Reform Bill, but support the Government generally, not
so much, however, from wishing well to the Government as from their
antipathy to Disraeli and their reluctance to see _him_ in power again.
That they will join in carrying through a safe and moderate Reform Bill
is no doubt true, but it is not probable that the division amongst them
and the hostility to Disraeli will last long, or continue a moment
after the appearance of any prospect of the return of the Conservative
party to power.
Disraeli raised himself immensely last year, more, perhaps, with
his opponents and the House of Commons generally than with his own
party, but it is universally acknowledged that he led the House with
a tact, judgement, and ability of which he was not before thought
capable. While he has thus risen, no rival has sprung up to dispute
his pre-eminence. Walpole and Henley are null, and it is evident that
the party cannot do without Disraeli, and whenever Parliament meets he
will find means of reconciling them to a necessity of which none of
them can be unconscious, and I have no doubt that whenever any good
opportunities for showing fight may occur the whole party will be found
united under Disraeli's orders.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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