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
Footnote 1: The Emperor told Metternich the other day that he had
made one great mistake, which he had never ceased to regret, that
immediately after Villafranca he ought to have marched 100,000 men
into Tuscany on the plea of embarking them at Leghorn, and continued
to occupy the country till the restoration of the Grand Duke was
accomplished, but that he had never contemplated the invincible
resistance of the whole population.--C. C. G.
[Sidenote: MR. GLADSTONE'S RADICALISM.]
_February 27th._--Gladstone is said to have become subject to much
excitement, and more bitter in controversy in the House of Commons than
was his wont. The severe working of his brain and the wonderful success
he has obtained may account for this, and having had his own way and
triumphed over all opposition in the Cabinet, it is not strange that
he should brook none anywhere else. He has not failed to show a little
of the cloven foot, and to alarm people as to his future designs.
Clarendon, who watches him, and has means of knowing his disposition,
thinks that he is moving towards a Democratic union with Bright, the
effect of which will be increased Income Tax and lowering the estimates
by giving up the defences of the country, to which Sidney Herbert will
never consent, and already these old friends and colleagues appear to
be fast getting into a state of antagonism. Aberdeen told Clarendon
that they would never go on together, and he thought Sidney Herbert
would retire from the Cabinet before the end of the session. This of
course implies that Gladstone's policy is to be in the ascendant, and
that he is to override the Cabinet.
There has been a dispute about the introduction of the Reform Bill.
Lord John's colleagues wished him to defer bringing it on, till more
progress had been made in the fiscal and commercial measures, and
represented the inconvenience of having the two discussions going on at
the same time, but nothing would induce him to postpone it, and for the
absurd reason that he wanted to bring in this Bill on the _same day_
on which he had introduced the great Reform Bill in 1831, and to this
fanciful object he insisted on sacrificing all others.
_Hatchford, March 7th._--Lord John Russell brought in his Reform Bill
last week without exciting the smallest interest, or even curiosity,
amidst profound indifference in the House and in the country. His
measure was very moderate, and his speech temperate. It produces no
enthusiasm, or satisfaction, or alarm. It will probably pass without
any violent debates, and perhaps with very slight alterations. If the
opponents should succeed in making some, Lord John is not prepared
to adhere obstinately to his measure, but will come to terms. It was
settled that no discussion should take place at the time, and nobody
was inclined for any. It hardly delayed the progress of Gladstone's
measures, so we heard no more complaints of Lord John's pertinacity in
bringing it on upon March 1st.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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