“Late as it is (being precisely one according to the watchman) I must have a word with you before I go to bed. I dined, as you know, at Sefton’s with Brougham, and at ½ past nine they both pressed me to go to Burlington House, which (tho’ I had been summoned by the circular note) I declined. Before they went, however, I pressed upon Brougham the absolute necessity of having a vigorous discussion, if not division, upon the outrage offered to the H. of Commons by the last prorogation without a speech from the throne under all the extraordinary circumstances of the case. I pointed out to him how the thing ought to be done before the King’s Speech was entered upon, and finally told him, if the meeting at Burlington House did not take this line, Folkestone and Western most likely would. It is impossible to convey to you a notion of his artificial, disingenuous jaw upon this subject, evidently shewing that he was for nothing being done. And so off they went, and I to Brooks’s, where I met Folkestone, who says he will take his line, and Western will support him.
“About ½ past eleven the party came in, having done (as it appears to me) as much mischief as they could in so short a time. Nothing to be done tomorrow, and Tavistock to move on Friday a censure upon Ministers—in other words, a motion to turn them out, and to supply their places with our own people—the only motion to do the Ministers the least service, as I think, under all their great difficulties. This is the more provoking, because Tavistock, from the same motive with myself, did not attend this meeting, and yet had yielded to the views of some one in letting a notice of this motion be given for him. Was there ever anything like the inveterate folly of this Cole in pursuit of her maze? . . .”
