“. . . Do you know this bill will never pass! My belief is it will be abandoned on the adjournment. The entire middle order of people are against it, and are daily becoming more critical on the King and the Lords for carrying on this prosecution.”
“By far the most infamous act that even this jury of the Lords ever committed has just been done by them. The Judges, after three hours’ consultation, decided that a particular question, proposed by Brougham, could not be put. Lord Buckingham has just put the same question thinking it would damage the Queen. No one objected. The answer was given, and compleatly the reverse of what Lord B. expected. Then Brougham rose and with great gravity said:—‘My lords, I humbly request your lordships to accept my thanks for having permitted a member of your own House to put a question which, only two hours ago, after great deliberation and consultation with the Judges, you refused to me.’ Not a word or a sound was heard in answer to this knock-down blow from Bruffam. He told me afterwards that it was by his own address and personal application to Lord Buckingham that the latter was induced to put the question. . . .”
“The evidence is closed—that is, all that is
in England. Mr. Attorney has been making
his application for an adjournment of a few days to give time for the Lugano
witnesses to arrive. Brougham’s
| 1819-20.] | THE SOLICITOR-GENERAL SUMS UP. | 317 |
“P.S.—Erskine has made the most beautiful speech possible: Grey an excellent one: Eldon and Liverpool are shook, and I think the application will be refused.”
“I have been dining to-day at Lord Sefton’s with the Duke of Bedford, Lords Grey, Thanet, Cowper and Foley, Brougham, &c. Grey was a decided lunatic at dinner, and so Brougham and I settled him in a walk we had together. Brougham is quite aware of the prodigious part he has to play upon this approaching speech of his, and I have been trying all I can to make him connect himself with public opinion as far as he can consistently with propriety and the dignity of his situation.
