better qualified to give all necessary information. I only say, therefore, that the general tone and result of the discussion is reported to me to have been very satisfactory. The opposition of Lord Clive, Lord Chandos, &c., was of a mitigated, and almost of a conciliatory, character; that of Sir R. Peel in a tone of increased bitterness, making all the alterations in the Bill, though acknowledging that they were improvements, the subject of taunts against the Ministers for having been obliged to give way to the objections of their opponents. This was not the course which I and others took upon the more notable change in Sir R. Peel's conduct on the Catholic Bill.

You will see in the 'Morning Herald' the account of a revolution in Spain, which appears to me quite incredible, from some circumstances in the statement, and of which no information whatever, that I have heard of, has reached any department of the Government. I am, &c.

GREY.

No. 280.

Sir H. Taylor to Earl Grey.

(Private.) Brighton, Dec. 14, 1831. My dear Lord,-The King, to whom I have had the honour of submitting your Lordship's letter of yesterday, expressed himself perfectly sensible of the difference which you point out in Lord Chandos's statement, and the circumstances which led to and formed the basis of the interview in Downing Street; that it could not be called the renewal of a negotiation ; and that you had always declined to admit that your

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communications with the opponents of the Bill had proceeded upon the principle of compromise and mutual concession. Lord Chandos had, however, early contemplated this as the basis of what he called the negotiation; and I think I mentioned to your Lordship in the first letter in which I noticed his having spoken to me, that by understanding' he meant 'concessions.' Nor had he then communicated with Lords Harrowby and Wharncliffe, or seen the paper the latter gave you, and learnt your objections to it. However, what has passed has evidently not been useless, if we may judge from the tone of Lord Chandos, Lord Clive, and some others, in the debate of Monday night, and those who have shown this conciliatory feeling, the inclination to smooth difficulties, will, it is to be hoped, not feel indisposed to vote for the second reading, provided no injudicious friend like puts a spoke in the wheel.

The King was much pleased with Lord Althorp's account of the debate, and of much of what he read in the newspapers on the subject; and the impression His Majesty has received from this first debate, and all that has passed lately, is, that the measure is in a very good train, in spite of the bitter feeling still evinced by Sir Robert Peel and some others; and he thinks also that the alterations introduced must reconcile many to it. But the King himself still adheres very strongly to his own objection to the additional Metropolitan Members, and wishes they could be thrown into the counties in which the districts or parishes are situated.

His Majesty does not give any credit to the report from Spain, and believes it to be a stock-jobbing manœuvre. I have, &c.

H. TAYLOR.

No. 281.

Earl Grey to Sir H. Taylor.

Downing Street, Dec. 14, 1831.

My dear Sir, I have received your letter of yesterSir,—I day.

If I can trust to the reports which I have received, nothing can be more satisfactory than the feeling with which the new Bill has been generally received. In the City particularly I am assured that it has been decidedly approved; and Mr. Ellice informs me that the Governor of the Bank has declared, not only that he is satisfied with the alterations, but that those with. whom he has acted in his endeavour to carry into effect a measure of conciliation in the City ought, if they are consistent in the opinions which they declared at that time, now to concur in assisting the settlement of this great question. On the other hand, I hear that the more eager Reformers, whilst they give full credit to the Government for having fulfilled its promises, are satisfied with the disposition which we have shown, not only to conciliate the opponents of the measure, but with our readiness to remove objections where it was in our power to do so, without departing from its principle, or impairing its efficiency.

The effect in the House of Commons has been all that we could have looked for, with the exception of Sir R. Peel and the Ultra-Tories, whom we could never hope to propitiate, and the Irish Members. The former appears to me to have got into a situation which he

could not have contemplated. Reserving any communication of his opinion to others, he does not appear to have been aware of the disposition which had arisen to adopt a more moderate line of conduct; accordingly, when he broke out into a violent attack on the Government, chiefly on the ground of their having made alterations which were calculated to meet the views of their opponents, he found himself, in a great measure, abandoned by Lord Clive and Lord Chandos, and cordially supported only by Sir C. Wetherell and Sir R. Inglis, and persons of that description. This, I say, is a position in which he never can have intended to place himself.

The Irish Members are furious at being shut out from a further addition to their numbers, and threaten to act as a body against the Government. This, if proof were wanting, sufficiently shows the inexpediency of consenting to such an augmentation of Irish representation as they require.

*

It can hardly be necessary for me to say, if I have before omitted to do so, that I entirely approve of everything you said to Lord Chandos and of your answer to his letter. The 'Standard,' I hear, affirms that the interview was solicited by me; a statement which can, of course, have received no authority from him.

I am, &c.

GREY.

No. 282.

Sir H. Taylor to Earl Grey.

(Private.) Brighton, Dec. 15, 1831. My dear Lord,-I have had the honour to submit your Lordship's letter of yesterday to the King, who received with great interest the account it contains of the feeling with which the new Bill has been generally received; and His Majesty hopes that the sentiments which prevail in the City, or rather among the great commercial men, will become generally known.

The first impression in the House of Commons has evidently been as favourable as could possibly have been expected; and there appears no reason to apprehend that it will be weakened in the progress, always excepting the Ultra-Tories and the Irish Members in general, whose threat to act in a body against the Government fully confirms, in His Majesty's opinion, and as you justly observe, the inexpediency of increasing the proportion they bear to the general strength of the House of Commons.

Sir Robert Peel certainly does not seem to have correctly calculated the chances, or perhaps he may have been led astray by temper, or by the influence of others very inferior to him in good sense and judgment, otherwise he must have discovered that he would lose ground by taking a course of opposition, in which he would not be supported by many of the most respectable of his political adherents and friends.

The result has been, upon this question at least, a splitting of parties, which must favour the Government;